Fees and Costs

Financial Advice

financial advice

Before moving into residential care, you must complete and submit the Residential Aged Care – Calculation of Your Cost of Care form (SA457). Guidance on completing this form is available at: www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/sa457. However, it may be helpful to speak with a Financial Adviser before lodging the form to ensure you understand the implications for your personal circumstances.

If you wish to apply for entry into Bethsalem Care but have not yet submitted the SA457 form or received your fee advice from Centrelink, you will need to complete our Statement of Applicant’s Assets and Income.

Once we have your financial information, we can calculate the fees you will be required to pay and discuss the payment options available to you.

Accommodation Pricing - All residential aged care providers are required to publish a MAXIMUM accommodation price.

Our spacious single rooms with en-suites are valued at $650,000. A Residential and Accommodation Agreement will be prepared for you and must be signed before entry to Bethsalem Care.

Methods of Payment

The way you choose to pay for your accommodation at Bethsalem Care is up to you. You can choose to make a lump sum Refundable Accommodation Payment (RAD) or you can pay a Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP) which is the equivalent interest on any unpaid RAD balance. Alternatively, you can pay for your accommodation by a combination of a lump sum (RAD) and a daily payment (DAP).

The RAD (or RAC) is refunded, less the approved retention amount (2% p.a capped at 10%), less any fees you have asked us to deduct from this deposit.

Your DAP is calculated by multiplying any unpaid RAD by the MPIR, divided by 365 days. (The MPIR is set by the government and revised quarterly and at 1st April 2026 is 7.96% p.a).

Calculated Examples

If you chose to pay for your accommodation using a daily payment (DAP), you will contribute $141.75 per day (at the current MPIR). This amount is billed monthly.

If half of the $650,000 room price is paid as a Refundable Accommodation Deposit the outstanding balance of $325,000 will incur a daily payment (DAP) of $70.87.

Government Assistance

If you are eligible for government assistance with your accommodation costs, Services Australia (formerly Centrelink) will advise us, and you, of the Daily Accommodation Contribution (DAC) you are liable for. This amount applies if you choose to pay your accommodation contribution entirely by daily payments.

You can choose to reduce the Daily Accommodation Contribution by making a Refundable Accommodation Contribution and we will calculate a reduced DAC amount for you. The RAC and DAC only applies if you are eligible for government assistance with accommodation costs. Please note: the RAC is also subject to the same retention as outlined above (ie 2.0% p.a capped at 10%).

Basic Daily Fees - All care recipients entering Residential Aged Care are required to pay the Basic Daily Fee irrespective of their financial circumstances.

The Basic Daily Fee contributes to ‘hotel’ type services (cleaning, catering, laundry, utilities and maintenance).

As a broad guide the Basic Daily Fee is approximately 85% of the Age Pension and is payable whether you receive the age pension or are self funded. The Basic Daily Fee is paid by Direct Debit from your nominated bank account fortnightly in advance.

Means Tested Fees - Some care recipients may be assessed as being able to contribute to other fees.

Residents pay fees based on their means assessment. Services Australia advises the fee type and amount for each resident. Daily, annual and lifetime caps limit the amount a person pays. For residents who entered care after November 2025 these fees are:

Hotelling contribution
Non-clinical care contribution

More information on Resident Contributions can be found here.

Optional Service Fees - 'Bethsalem Plus' provides optional additional services for which fees apply. Talk to our team to learn more.

Bethsalem Care is well known for its premium level of services, which are not funded from other sources. When a resident chooses these optional services the cost of each service will be clearly outlined. This program is being developed to comply with recently introduced improvements under the “Higher Everyday Living Fee” program, and we can tell you more when you talk to us. Residents who moved to Bethsalem Care prior to November 2025 and who subscribed to Bethsalem Plus will continue to receive the Additional Services included in that program.

Other Optional Services available at resident’s cost include: Pharmaceutical costs, hairdressing, complimentary therapies, relaxation massage, newspapers, streaming services (ie Foxtel) and purchases made at our Sails Café. If these Optional Services are used and provided by us, fees will be identified on monthly statements and will be direct debited from the nominated bank account.