Financial issues were one of the main reasons older people living in residential care called OPAN’s Aged Care Advocacy Line in the 23/24 financial year.
Sometimes, a clear explanation of the Services Australia assessment process and provider costs and fees was all that was required.
However, OPAN’s Presenting Issues Report also documents multiple cases in which older people had been overcharged by their provider.
In some instances, advocates were able to support eligible older people to make financial hardship applications that were backdated and applied to historical fees to achieve a significant reduction in their debt.
Stressful situation
‘Working out what fees are applicable to you when entering residential aged care is quite a difficult space,’ says Heidi Brook, one of OPAN’s 19 specialist financial advocacy officers.
‘People are signing contracts in a moment of stress – they think “if I don’t sign it, I will have nowhere to live and I can’t manage at home”.
‘Later on, they realise it might not have been the best way to manage their funds.
‘Or they might have just been assessed wrongly on their income and assets and they are paying a lot more than they need to or are able to afford.’
For more information about what you might need to pay for residential aged care, visit OPAN’s Self-advocacy toolkit.
If you would like to speak to an advocate, call the Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600 or visit our website.
Useful resources
10 Questions leaflets are designed to help you to ask the right questions about residential aged care. They are available in English and 15 other languages as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
This My Aged Care guide explains how older people can access care in an aged care home, the process for moving in and what to expect when you are there.
If you are experiencing hardship, The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has created a fact sheet. To see if you are eligible, visit the website.
