Goldsborough logo

News & views

Explore our latest blog articles, newsletters, videos and more. We add a new blog article to this page every week, and you can subscribe below for notifications. If you have a topic you would like to read about in one of our future articles, please get in touch and let us know.

Filter by

Category










Author











A government task force looking into the aged care sector in Australia has recommended that those of us with the financial means should pay for our own living and accommodation costs. This would be a substantial change to what currently happens. Currently, the taxpayer covers most of the expenses for aged care – around 75% of residential care costs and 95% of in-home care costs.
The type of concession card you may be eligible for is based on your age and circumstances. A Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) is issued to pensioners, a Low Income Health Care Card (LIHCC), is issued to someone on lower income, regardless of their age, and a Commonwealth Seniors health Card (CSHC), is available to someone who is above age pension age and doesn’t qualify for any social security payment.
The lump sum that you pay for your room (known as the Refundable Accommodation Deposit or RAD) comes back to your estate when you pass away. If you have paid a lump sum for your room in a residential care facility, you give up access to this money whilst you are in care, but these funds remain part of your estate which can be left to your beneficiaries. The full amount is refundable (unless you have allowed any ongoing care fees to be deducted instead of paying these costs via your bank account).
There have been many complaints regarding the amount of administration fees some providers have been charging clients for managing their home care packages. This has resulted in less care package funds being available to be used for what they are intended: help around the house, personal and clinical care, assistive equipment, and other supports to help people stay safe and independent at home.
Depending on your level of assets and income, you may be asked to pay a means tested care fee in addition to the other costs associated with aged care. The means tested care fee is a contribution toward your day-to-day care costs such as nursing and personal care. This fee applies whether you are receiving a home care package (based on income only) or you are in residential aged care (based on income and assets).

Get in touch

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Latest insights

As a professional financial adviser, I’m often asked “what do I need to take into account when selling my small business?” Selling a small business can be a complex process, but with careful planning and execution, you can maximize your chances of success.
Humans are naturally overconfident. We overestimate our own ability compared to others. One of the most often quoted studies showed that 93% of drivers rated themselves better than the median. We also know that men usually rate themselves as better drivers than women. However, the data shows the opposite. Men are four times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident. Men also pay more for car insurance.