A room price is only one part of the picture. Ask for a dated, itemised quote for the actual room and proposed care arrangement. Keep the quote’s effective date and what is still unconfirmed beside it.
The room and how to pay for it
Accommodation is the cost of your room. If you pay the agreed room cost yourself, options include a refundable accommodation deposit (RAD), non-refundable daily accommodation payments (DAP), or a mix of both. People eligible for government help may instead pay a refundable accommodation contribution (RAC) or a daily accommodation contribution (DAC). Ask which arrangement applies to you.
A refundable deposit is different from money spent on daily fees. The balance returned can be reduced by applicable retention amounts and deductions. Ask for a written explanation of what may be deducted, what you are agreeing to, the resulting balance and the refund process. Do not assume “refundable” means the original deposit will always come back in full.
Daily living and assessed contributions
A basic daily fee helps cover everyday living services such as meals and laundry. It is separate from the room cost. Depending on the fee arrangements and means assessment, there may also be a hotelling contribution and non-clinical care contribution, or a means tested care fee. Ask Services Australia and the home to confirm which types apply.
Your entry date and circumstances matter. The fee and accommodation rules are not identical for every resident. An older brochure or another person’s bill may describe a different arrangement. Keep the official fee advice separate from the provider’s room quote.
Extras and the total you would pay
Ask what the home already includes before choosing optional higher everyday living services. A statement that there is no additional-services package does not tell you whether items such as haircuts or outings carry separate charges. Request an itemised list, including prices and billing units, rather than relying on a package name.
Ask for the full proposed cost broken into room payments, daily fees, assessed contributions and optional purchases. Mark any figure that is an estimate or still awaiting official advice. A deposit or daily room price on its own is not the total cost of care.
Respite and permanent care are separate decisions
A suggested respite stay does not reserve a permanent place. Confirm the dates and conditions of the stay being offered, what still depends on suitability or availability, and what happens when it ends. Ask for separate written terms if permanent care is later offered.
Take these questions to the home
- Which actual room and care arrangement does this quote cover, and until when is it valid?
- Which fee and accommodation arrangements apply to this person, and who confirms them?
- What are the lump-sum, daily-payment and combination options, and how can the amounts change?
- What is included, what is optional, and which prices or assessed amounts are still missing?
- Which deductions or retention amounts affect the deposit balance, and what are the refund conditions?
- What happens to the place and charges during a hospital stay or when respite ends?
Use official information and independent financial or legal advice to work through your circumstances. A care enquiry does not establish that a home must be sold, and this guide does not choose a payment option for you.
Use the visit and family question sheet to gather written answers. Keep personal assessment letters and financial records securely outside the website tools.
Use the family question pack — free to use, with no sign-up.
Use the moving and planning checklist or read selected local profiles to continue at your pace.