Aged Care Terms you need to know

Basic daily fee

A basic daily fee is used to contribute towards your day-to-day living costs such as meals, cleaning, laundry, heating and cooling. Everyone entering an aged care home can be asked to pay this fee.

 

Means-tested care fee

This is an additional contribution towards the cost of care that some people may be required to pay. The Department of Human Services will work out if you are required to pay this fee based on an assessment of your income and assets, and will advise you of the amount.

 

Assets and Income Assessment

If you are moving into an aged care home for the first time from 1 July 2014, you will need to have your income and assets assessed by the Department of Human Services (DHS). This assessment will be used to determine the costs you could be asked to pay.

 

Aged care assessment team (ACAT)

The Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) helps the elderly and their carers determine what kind of support will best meet their needs when they are struggling in their current living situation. The team, often comprising a doctor, nurse, social worker and occupational therapist, will ask the client a series of questions to determine the best care options available, either at home or in a residential aged care home.

 

Accommodation payment

An amount payable on entry to an aged care home or extra service place. Payment amounts can vary from care home to care home and from room to room and are set depending on the accommodation type and features of the home.

 

Daily accommodation payment (DAP)

This is a daily payment contributing to the cost of your accommodation and is paid periodically ie fortnightly or monthly. This is not a refundable payment. The DAP is calculated based on the refundable deposit multiplied by the maximum permissible interest rate and divided by 365 days. Also see RAD and Combined RAD/DAP