If you can't afford to pay for your aged care costs, there is financial hardship assistance available. This means the Australian Government will pay some or all of your fees and charges. Each case is assessed on an individual basis, looking at a range of issues.
In Australia, all older people are entitled to access care, regardless of their financial situation. For any individual who does not have the means to pay for aged care, there are options available. The first step is a means test to see if someone is eligible for financial hardship assistance.
Depending on your situation, you may apply for financial hardship assistance with your basic daily fee, means tested care fee, and/or accommodation costs. If you are eligible, the Australian Government will pay some or all of your aged care costs.
Financial hardship assistance can help you, if for reasons beyond your control, you can't afford your aged care costs. Each case is assessed on an individual basis. If you are eligible, the Australian Government will pay some, or all, of your fees and charges – helping you to get the care you need.
“You can't force a person against their will.” The decision as to whether or not the person has lost capacity can be made by their medical practitioner or geriatrician, Ms Robertson said.
A conservator or guardian is appointed and supervised by the court. They are normally granted the authority to manage the personal, financial, and health care decisions of an adult who cannot do so on their own. For more information about conservatorships and guardianships, see FindLaw's "What is a Conservatorship?
Under the law, adult children are required to regularly visit parents over the age of 60 - as well as provide mental and financial support. Those adult children who don't follow the law face fines, lawsuits - even jail.
When the council might pay for your care. You might be eligible for the local council to pay towards the cost of your social care if you have less than £23,250 in savings (called the upper capital limit, or UCL). From October 2025 this will rise to £100,000 in savings.
The first thing you should do is have a care needs assessment to see if you are eligible for funding from your local authority or the NHS. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a legal duty to support people with eligible needs, including funding care for those who cannot afford to pay for it themselves.
If there is nobody to pay a top up we can support you to move to other suitable accommodation that the Council can afford to pay. If at any point the third party stops paying the top up, we will discuss what happens next with you. This may mean moving to another suitable residential or nursing care home.
An Emergency Medicaid Crisis occurs if your family member is in a nursing home, or will need to be soon, but doesn't have the financial resources to pay for care. A Medicaid Attorney can help you structure your assets and quickly apply for benefits so you can get the care you need – ASAP.
According to filial laws, adult children are responsible for paying for an impoverished senior parent when they can no longer financially support themselves. You can review a guide on what filial laws are and how they work to better understand what legal obligation you may hold.
If someone dies with no money and no family who can pay for the funeral, the local council or hospital can arrange a Public Health Funeral (also known as a pauper's funeral). This usually takes the form of a short, simple cremation service.
Filial responsibility laws obligate adult children to provide necessities like food, clothing, housing, and medical attention for their parents who cannot afford to take care of themselves.
But, who pays for the funeral if there is no money in the estate or a funeral plan is not in place? If there aren't sufficient funds in the deceased's bank accounts or within the estate to pay for the funeral, and they did not have a funeral plan, then the family would normally cover the funeral costs.
Paying Fees After Death
When someone dies, their care home will issue an invoice for any outstanding care home fees. Next of kin will not have to pay this, but instead it will be taken from the person's estate.
The simple answer to this is no – you cannot be forced to sell your home to pay for care. But many people will have to contribute to the cost of their care in later life or even meet the full cost.
In most cases, the person with dementia will be expected to pay towards the cost. Social services can also provide a list of care homes that should meet the needs identified during the assessment.
The parent's property could be placed on the market and the sale proceeds used to fund their care if they are moving to a care home but only if no-one else is living in the property.
Your capital – such as cash savings and investments, land and property (including overseas property), and business assets. If your capital is above a certain threshold, you'll have to pay the full costs of your care yourself.
You and your partner must have no more than $5,000 in combined readily available funds. This includes any liquid assets you can sell. Liquid assets include cash you have on hand, money you have in the bank and financial investments you have.
Do you care for your elderly parents? If so, you could be eligible for Carer's Allowance. This is a government benefit that supports people who provide unpaid care. Caring for your parents can be very rewarding, but it can also place a strain on your finances.
Article XV, Section 4 of the Constitution Further declares that it is the duty of the family to take care of its elderly members while the State may design programs of social security for them.
Can you force someone to move to a care home? You cannot force someone who is deemed to be of sound mind and able to care for themselves to move into a care home if they don't want to. It is vital that, throughout discussions regarding care, the person's wants and needs are addressed at all times.