Your specialist aged care financial advisor on the Sunshine Coast

Make informed decisions about Refundable Accommodation Deposits (RADs) and aged care fees. Expert advice to protect your family’s wealth and ensure quality care.

Transitioning to Aged Care

When you or someone you love needs care, the complex rules and paperwork shouldn’t be the hardest part.

In a system that can feel cold and institutional, we offer a personal connection. We are here to support you and your family through the entire transition. We provide the steady hand needed during a difficult time.

Our strategic advice helps you:

Determine how best to fund aged care

Funding aged care in 2026 means striking the right balance. Under the new Aged Care Act, a means-tested model ensures those with the capacity to contribute do so, covering everyday living and accommodation costs, while government funding remains firmly focused on clinical and nursing care.

For Queenslanders, that balance matters even more. Targeted subsidies keep services viable in regional and remote communities, and strong safety nets including a $130,000 lifetime cap and full protections for pensioners mean no one is priced out of quality care. The shift to the Support at Home program streamlines it all, prioritising keeping people in their homes for longer.

Reduce aged care fees

The best time to structure your assets is before you enter care – not after. What we review:

Should you gift assets to reduce the assessment? (Centrelink has strict rules.)
Should you prepay funeral expenses? (These are exempt.)
Should you convert assets to income streams? (Different assessment treatment.)
Should you transfer assets to a spouse? (Protects the family home.)

Done correctly, these strategies can reduce daily fees by hundreds of dollars.

Done incorrectly, they trigger Centrelink penalties.

We make sure it’s done right.

Maximise Centrelink benefits and the Age Pension

The Age Pension is more than just a payment; it is the engine room of your retirement. However, the “Means Test” is a balancing act—if your assets or income are even slightly over the threshold, your payments can drop significantly.

We ensure you receive every dollar you are entitled to by managing these four pillars:

Asset Categorisation: We identify “exempt” vs. “assessable” assets. By strategically shifting funds—such as into a spouse’s superannuation or exempt funeral bonds—we can often trigger an immediate increase in your fortnightly pension.
Deeming Rate Optimisation: Centrelink “deems” your financial assets to earn a set return (currently 1.25% on the first threshold and 3.25% on the balance). We help you structure investments to outperform these rates so you keep the extra earnings without losing pension credits.
Safe Gifting: We navigate the strict limits ($10,000 per year / $30,000 over five years) to ensure any financial support you give to family doesn’t result in “deprived asset” penalties that slash your income for years.
Care-Specific Concessions: If a partner enters care, you may be assessed as a “couple separated due to illness.” This often unlocks higher payment rates and more generous asset thresholds, which we help you claim immediately.

The Bottom Line: Our goal is to move you from a part-pension to a full pension, or to qualify you for the first time. Unlocking not just cash, but the Pensioner Concession Card for significant ongoing savings.

Preserve the estate for loved ones

Your legacy shouldn’t be consumed by care costs. We use “Asset Shielding” strategies to protect your wealth for the next generation.

RAD vs. DAP Strategy: We model whether paying a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) is better than daily fees. While the government now retains 2% p.a. of the RAD (capped at 5 years), the bulk remains a government-guaranteed asset that returns to your estate tax-free.
Superannuation Transfers: We explore moving assets into a younger spouse’s super account, where they are often invisible to Centrelink’s assessment, preserving more capital for your family.
Bond & Annuity Allocation: Certain specialised financial products have “low-asset” valuations, allowing you to fund care while keeping the underlying capital protected for your beneficiaries.

Decide whether keeping, renting or selling the house is your best option

The family home is your most significant asset, and the “right” move depends entirely on your timeline.

The 2-Year Rule: If you enter care, your home is usually exempt from the Centrelink Assets Test for two years. We help you plan for the “cliff” at the end of this period when the home’s full value could suddenly cancel your pension.
Rental Income Impact: Renting the home can provide cash flow to pay daily fees, but under 2026 rules, this income is assessable. We calculate if the “net” gain is worth the potential reduction in your Age Pension.
Protected Persons: If a spouse, long-term carer, or close relative lives in the home, it may be indefinitely exempt. We verify your eligibility to ensure no one is forced to move prematurely.

Navigate complex aged care rules and fees

The November 2025 reforms introduced new fee tiers that make “standard” advice obsolete. We simplify the three main costs you’ll face:

Hotelling & Non-Clinical Contributions: These new means-tested fees (replacing the old MT care fee) are capped daily and have a combined lifetime limit of approximately $135,000. We track your progress toward this cap so you don’t overpay.
Daily Accommodation Payments (DAP): If you don’t pay a full RAD, you pay a DAP. This rate is now indexed to inflation; we model these increases to ensure your cash flow remains positive 5 or 10 years down the line.
The “No Worse Off” Guarantee: If you were already in the system before the November 2025 changes, we ensure your provider honours the “grandfathered” rules, protecting you from the higher 2026 fee structures.

Ensure wills and powers of attorney are up-to-date

Entering aged care is usually the last practical time to update your estate plan. We coordinate with your solicitor to ensure:

powers of attorney are current and correct
wills are updated for the new care situation
beneficiary nominations align with wills
superannuation death benefits are structured optimally
estate tax is minimised.

When your parent eventually passes, your family shouldn’t face surprise legal problems or tax bills.

Handle complex paperwork and manage the administrative burden

The aged care system buries families in forms:

Centrelink aged care assessment
Income and assets declaration
Means assessment form
Care recipient statement
Provider agreements

We help complete these with you, explaining everything along the way.

Ensure aged care assessments are correct

Centrelink and aged care providers make mistakes. Often. We review:

Is the asset assessment correct?
Are you being charged the right daily fees?
Are all applicable subsidies applied?
Is the Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) calculation accurate?

We’ve caught errors that have saved families tens of thousands of dollars.

Got questions? We've got answers.

We provide the calm, professional guidance when you and your loved ones need it most.

We help those who want a genuine 20-year partnership, not a 20-minute transaction. And like any solid partnership, our relationship needs to be built on trust, shared goals, and transparent communication. That’s why we offer a complimentary ‘Fit Check’ to ensure we’re a good match and can offer you valuable advice for your next phase of life.

If you’re looking for a boutique advocate who understands that a fulfilling retirement is more than just financials, you are in the right place.

Should ask questions (SAQ) - Transitioning to aged care

If I pay a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD), do I get all my money back?

Not anymore. For anyone entering care after 1 November 2025, the facility keeps 2% of your deposit per year for up to five years (a 10% total cap).

Example: On a $500,000 deposit, the facility keeps $10,000 each year. After five years, your refund would be $450,000.

What are the "Hotelling" and "Non-Clinical" fees I see on my statement?

From 1 November 2025, the “Means-Tested Care Fee” was replaced for new residents. Name the two new means-tested contributions that replaced it and briefly describe what each one is intended to cover.

Hotelling Contribution: Covers “everyday living” services like meals, cleaning, and laundry.
Non-Clinical Care Contribution (NCCC): Covers personal care services such as bathing, mobility assistance, and social activities. (Note: Clinical nursing care is now 100% government-funded).

I’m moving to a new nursing home. Will I be forced onto the new 2026 rules?

Only if you have a break in care of more than 28 days. If you move directly from one facility to another, you are protected by the “No Worse Off” principle and stay on your original fee structure.

What happens to the family home if it sits empty?

The rules are split between your Pension and your Care Fees:

For your Pension: The home is usually ignored (exempt) for the first 2 years.
For your Care Fees: The home is counted as an asset immediately, but the value is “capped” (at roughly $210,000 in 2026). You don’t pay fees on the full multi-million dollar value of a house right away.

Is there a limit to how much I have to pay for care?

Yes. There is a Lifetime Cap (currently approx. $135,319 or 4 years of care). Once you reach this limit, you stop paying the “Non-Clinical Care” fee, and the Government picks up the tab for the rest of your life.