Fees & Affordability

At Pioneers Lodge, we’re committed to providing high-quality care to everyone with an assessed need — regardless of financial circumstances. Your ability to pay will not affect your access to a place in our home.

There are several pricing options available depending on your individual situation and the room type you choose. We understand that aged care fees can seem complex, but we’re here to make it as straightforward as possible.

Your fees may cover:

Your care and daily living support

Additional optional services

Your accommodation

If you’re unsure which option is right for you or would like to speak to someone about your financial situation, our team is here to help. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch — we’re happy to guide you through it.

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the fees based on room types available at Pioneers Lodge.

Care Fees

Basic daily fee $63.82 per day (this is the standard rate set by the Australian Government and is reviewed quarterly — in January, March, July, and September).
+
Means tested care fee
(Determined by Services Australia) not everyone pays this fee.

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What is this?
Instead of paying for your accommodation as a lump sum you can choose to pay a daily fee. The amount you pay is based on a daily rate; as agreed with your service provider in line with the current MPIR (current maximum permissible interest rate 8.17%).

Basic Daily Fee
This fee is set out by the Government and equates to 85% of the full pension. The fee amount will be reviewed by the government on the 20th of March and 20th September each year in line with the pension increase. Everyone in aged care is required to pay this fee unless they are experiencing financial hardship which will be determined by Services Australia.

Means Tested Care Fee
This is an additional daily care contribution fee. This fee is determined by Services Australia upon completing a means test and is capped annually and over a resident’s lifetime.

How does the means-tested care fee work?
If your income is higher than the basic full pension rate and/or your combined assets are above a set threshold, you will be asked to contribute to the cost of your care.
No one will be asked to pay more than $31,706.83 in one year or more than $76,096.50 over their lifetime

Accommodation prices are accurate as of 1 July 2023 but are subject to change. Final costs are confirmed on the date of admission (subject to receiving the assets and income assessment letter if you choose to carry out this assessment).

+ Accommodation Fees

Your choice of 4 fee payment options (see below)

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What is this?
This payment will differ at each home based upon the room type you choose. To allow you flexibility there are four payment options to choose from.

Daily accommodation payment
Refundable accommodation deposit
Combination payment
Drawdown payment

Accomodation fee options
In addition to care fees, you may also be required to pay an accommodation payment. The accommodation payment refers to the price of the room that you choose and will vary across aged care homes. The amount that you are required to pay is based upon an individual’s assets and income and is determined by Services Australia upon completing a means test. You may be required to pay all or contribute to the cost of your accommodation. The means test is not compulsory to complete, but for those who choose not to you will be required to pay the full room price.

Do you have concerns about affordability of accommodation fees? Ask us about us about government funded accommodation options.

Calculate the cost

To allow for flexibility there are four ways in which you can choose to pay for your accommodation.

Option 1

Daily Accommodation Payment

$100.72 (per day for a single room)
or
$67.15 (per day for a shared room)

What is this?
Instead of paying for your accommodation as a lump sum you can choose to pay a daily fee. The amount you pay is based on a daily rate; as agreed with your service provider in line with the current MPIR (current maximum permissible interest rate 8.17%).

OR

Option 2

Refundable Accommodation Deposit

$450,000 (single room)

or

$300,000 (shared room)

What is this?

This option is a lump sum accommodation payment. The balance of the deposit is refunded when you leave the aged care home less any amounts you have agreed to have deducted.

OR

Option 3

Combination Payment

You have the option to pay for your accommodation using a combination of a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) and a Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP). This approach allows flexibility depending on your financial preferences.

Example Combination:
Let’s use the example of a single room priced at $450,000.
- RAD: $200,000 (paid as a lump sum)
- DAP: $55.85 per day (charged on the remaining $250,000)

In this example, the resident pays $200,000 upfront, and the remaining $250,000 is covered through a daily accommodation payment of $55.85.

What is Combination Payment?

A combination payment allows you to split the cost of your accommodation between:
- A Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) – a lump sum refunded when you leave the aged care home (less any agreed deductions); and
- A Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP) – a daily fee based on the unpaid portion of the room price.

OR

Option 4

Drawdown Payment

What is this?

This option is similar to the combination option, but the Daily Accommodation Payment component is taken from your Refundable Accommodation Deposit, with the balance of the deposit refunded when you leave the aged care home.

Real-time calculator

Easy steps to calculate your rates.

Fees + options