Financial Care Services Newsletter

by Christine Hopper
Volume 12 Edition 12 – 22 December 2022

Christine at Financial Care Services, the specialist adviser to seniors in transition to new lifestyles

Thank you for your support in 2022.

The team at Financial Care Services look forward to working with you in 2023.

We wish you all a very blessed Christmas and a happy and healthy 2023.

Christmas is still the same: a celebration that Christ, the Son of God, came to earth to be the perfect sacrifice for people’s offenses against God.

But how we celebrate this Christmas might be different from our recent practice.

Seniors have been in seclusion for much of the last three years.

A sudden return to large lively family gatherings could be emotionally overwhelming.
In addition, that period of isolation from the winter viruses and the general germs of society, could leave them further unprepared to meet you all.

Gifting

As we celebrate the great gift of Christmas, you could be thinking of gift giving within your family.
The good news is that you may give away as much as you choose whenever you choose.
Then again you might choose to arrange your larger gifts after considering the impact of gifting on your potential Centrelink benefits and aged care costs.

If your gifts total more than $10,000 in any financial year or more than $30,000 over any rolling five year period then Centrelink will record as an ‘excess gift’ any amounts in excess of those limits.
The gifting allowance is the same for a ‘couple at Centrelink‘ as for a single person.

Remember that at Centrelink ‘gifting’ is the disposal or transfer of any asset for less than its market value.

At DVA and Centrelink ‘forgiving’ loans and failing to collect rent or loan interest, could also be ‘gifting’.

Read more about gifting at Centrelink and DVA

A New Year Resolution to transition your parents into a more supportive home.

How are the elders coping at home now?

Is their home really hot in summer?
Maybe granny is trying to keep cool whilst stressing about the cost of running the air-conditioner all day and most of the night.

A little Respite or Restorative care stay in an aged care home could provide some respite from the heat and the worry of electricity costs.

If their ACAS allows Respite then a two week stay in a Commonwealth regulated aged care facility could be a holiday for all of the family.
Currently, Respite in a Commonwealth regulated residential aged care facility is charged at $56.87 per day.
You could also be asked to pay for an Amenity, Additional Service, Signature, ‘Better Together’ fee.
These are fancy names for a package of items that could make life nicer for residents and administratively simpler for the aged care facility staff.

Alternatively, you could arrange a short or long term stay in a private guest house for seniors,
These are regulated as Supported Residential Services “SRS” in Victoria.
Each SRS sets its own service offering and weekly fees.

Please take a moment during the family gatherings to consider the level of activity and involvement of the elders now compared with the last time that you had a big family gathering.

Remember, three years have passed since we were all together with our extended family.

If anyone is noticeably frailer in body and/or less mentally agile then your New Year Resolution might be to assist them towards a more supported home environment.

Are their outings focused on medical appointments with few social events?
Is the fear of falling or a ‘personal problem’ restricting their social interactions?
Maybe it is time to start thinking about a more supported home environment for your senior family members.

But don’t wait until New Year to seek medical help if anyone is clearly unwell or dehydrated.
Serious illness or injury warrants prompt attention even on a public holiday.

Holiday opening

Christine will be at Financial Care Services not ‘closing for the holidays’.
But we will not be taking calls on Christmas Day or other Melbourne public holidays.

Our telephone message and email accounts will be checked regularly because we understand that seniors have challenges all through the year.
Our aim is to call you back on the next business day if we do miss your call.

Christine will be available for consultations with seniors and families during January.
You are welcome to contact Christine at Financial Care Services for help with financing any seniors in transition.

Christine at Financial Care Services your independent adviser

Christine at Financial Care Services is an independent adviser specialising in retirees of modest means and aged care entrants.
Our core values include working with clients in claiming DVA and Centrelink entitlements.

Christine at Financial Care Services is here to answer your Health Card and Age Pension questions and guide your understanding of aged care costs.

Help with Centrelink challenges is available from Christine Hopper at Financial Care Services, the specialist adviser to seniors in transition to new lifestyles.

Christine has neat handwriting just right for inserting your data into small printed spaces.
She helps clients complete Centrelink forms.
Christine could help you with collating your supporting documents and then mailing your form to Centrelink.

Assistance with completing Age Pension, Low Income Health Card and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card Claims and the Commonwealth aged care means testing forms is available to clients of Christine at Financial Care Services.

Christine charges fees based on the work involved in advising you about health cards, pensions and aged care fee solutions.

To make an appointment for confidential, independent and professional advice about aged care, retirement lifestyle costs, granny flat or Age Pension issues please contact Christine Hopper or call +61 3 9808 0338.
______________________________

Christine Hopper
Financial Care Services
Independent aged care, strategic lifestyle and Social Security advice for seniors in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Telephone – call +61 3 9808 0338
Email – contact Christine@financialcareservices.com.au
Address – mail to 2B Thomas Street, Camberwell Victoria 3124
Website – visit financialcareservices.com.au
LinkedIn – connect https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinehopper1
Past newsletters – see http://financialcareservices.com.au/newsletters/
Newsletter – subscribe http://eepurl.com/js41T

Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter is of a general nature only and does not constitute “financial advice”.
All eligibility for Commonwealth benefits will be determined by Centrelink or DVA, based on your personal position as documented and the legislation and Regulations in force at that time.