AGE CARE STRATEGY PAPER FOR MARRIED COUPLE
Iris and George are a married. They have been married for 60 years.
Iris is 81 and George is 83.
George’s health is has been deteriorating for several years. Iris cannot manage looking after George any longer. Caring for George is now affecting Iris’s health.
It is suggested to Iris to call the ACAT team to assess George for Permanent Residential Age Care.
Iris makes an appointment to see a Trusted Aged Care adviser. Iris is informed of the price of Age Residential Age Care in her area. The average price of a room in an Age Care Facility is $400,000.
George and Iris own their own home. It is worth $550,000.
Iris and George are on the Age Pension .
They have $100,000 in a Term Deposit and $50,000 in their working account. They have a share portfolio worth $45,000.
George’s total ongoing Age Care Fees will be $19,055.98.
This is broken down into Basic Daily Care Fee $17,611.25 per annum. $48.25 per day.
The Means Tested Fee will be $1,444.73 per annum . $3.96 per day.
George can pay these fees from Age Pension.
George and Iris have joint assets excluding the family home of $103,500. The assets will be divided in 2 and then each member of the couple have $46,500 each that is not counted for Age Care. So George will be asked to contribute $57,000 lump sum towards his room in the Age Care Facility.
If George chose to he could pay this by way of DAP- Daily Accommodation Deposit. It is an interest only payment. The current interest rate is 5.96%
Any money paid by way of RAD will be refunded in full when George leaves the facility.
A WIDOWED WOMAN AND NEEDS TO GO INTO AGE CARE
Dorothy is 84 years of age.
She has an ACAT. Dorothy would like to move into an Age Care Facility near her daughter.
The RAD is $400,000.
Dorothy has a unit worth of $450,000.
Dorothy is on the Age Pension . She has $60,000 in Term Deposits and $10,000 in her working account.
Dorothy has some choices to make. She can sell or rent her home.
Dorothy decides she wants to sell her home to pay the DAP.
Dorothy’s Age Care Fees would be the following:-
RAD $400,000
Basic Daily Care Fee $17,611.25 pa or $48.25 per day.
Means Tested Fee $5,006.79pa or $13.72 per day.
Dorothy is able to service her Age Care Fees from her Age Pension and other investments.
WAR WIDOW AGE CARE
Mrs May Jarvis
May has a home worth $550,000 which will be left vacant for 2 years.
May pays a RAD of $400,000 from existing investments.
She has $150,000 left in her investments
Result :-
Basic Daily Care Fee: $17,680.60
Means Tested Fee: $12,351.32
TOTAL FEES: $30,031.92
War Widows Pension: $23,173.80
Income Support Supplement: $6,840.60
TOTAL INCOME: $30,014.40
AGED CARE ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Choosing your ideal accommodation in retirement is not just about finding the right location and environment. There are also a range of financial issues to consider.
With longer life expectancies and the importance of a fulfilling lifestyle, retirees need to put a lot of thought into where and how they will live in retirement. For many people it is a lifestyle choice, but for others the choice may be dictated by health concerns, mobility or budget.
In most cases it is vital to seek financial advice before making a decision to ensure you do not miss out on Centrelink entitlements or investment income.
Your financial adviser can implement strategies to assist in:
- reducing assessable assets;
- increasing social security entitlements; and
- minimising entry and ongoing costs for aged care accommodation
AGED CARE 5 QUESTIONS YOU NEED ANSWERED
Dealing with decisions on aged care can be overwhelming, but identifying the key issues and getting the right advice can help give you the clarity you need.
There is no doubt that the complexity surrounding aged care accommodation options and financial affairs can be daunting.
Fortunately there is a way to achieve clarity out of the confusion and help is available to get you there.
Talk to us today If you want to take a positive step toward your peace of mind, call us now on 07 5593 0855 and start getting the right answers to the five critical questions.