We're getting ready to welcome this positive change and look forward to continuing to support our Residental Care Residents live the life they want to live.

With the upcoming commencement of the new Aged Care Act (2024) and Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards on 1st November there will be a range of changes designed to improve quality, transparency, and accountability across the sector, including significant reform for Residential Care.

For those already in Residential Care, a 'no worse off' principle will apply meaning BallyCara will ensure your existing care and financial arrangements remain the same.
You will experience positive changes under the new Act:

• You will be protected under a new Statement of Rights.

• You will benefit from the Strengthened Quality Standards.

• An Enhanced Regulatory Framework will ensure providers are held more accountable.

• The new Supporter Framework will empower you to formally nominate someone you trust to help you make decisions about your care. This Supporter is a new role distinct from a Power of Attorney and is required to act in your best interests.

For new Residents entering care on or after 1st November the above changes will apply, along with the below:

• New funding model and fee structure including the introduction of means-testing to the Hotelling Supplement & new Non-Clinical Care Contribution (NCCC), and optional Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF).

• Other accommodation reforms including maximum accommodation price changes, RAD & DAP retention, DAP indexation, and a new lifetime contribution cap.

• Income and asset taper rates will change for means-testing.

• Further mandatory reporting requirements will be introduced.

BallyCara's dedicated Residential team will outline all fees and services to you as part of your assessment and admission, though in the first instance you can use My Aged Care's Fee Estimator to help you plan for the future.

Our care begins with you. What matters to you matters to us. Every person is unique and individual.

BallyCara (previously, the Hibernian QLD Friendly Society) is a charitable organisation that has been serving the community of Queensland for over 115 years.

Making the decision to move into Residential Care is not always easy however at BallyCara we welcome you with open arms and support you and your family through the journey.

Our Home

We provide a home that is a friendly and warm environment where life is for living. We enable you to live the life you want to live, ensuring you have choice and control over what matters to you.

Choosing a home is a big decision. We can support you in the decision process by focusing on:

You, as Everyone Matters: we help you to maintain your lifestyle as much as possible because your wellbeing is important to us.

Welcoming Creativity: we collaborate with you to plan your care and how our support staff will ensure you feel safe and secure while enabling you to live the life you choose.

Our Integrity: we strive to be authentic and transparent in all interactions with you.

Our Hibernian Villa and Sunnyside Villa rooms comprise of single rooms with ensuites, single rooms with shared ensuites and premium couple rooms which value your privacy, dignity and respect. All our rooms within our home provide you with services and support that are important to your health and wellbeing which enables you to do what is significant to you.

Our activities can be individual to you or in smaller or larger groups. The important thing is that you have a choice and we have activities and opportunities for engagement which reflect your choices and preferences. Engaging in as much or as little as you wish. We build community relationships through our activities.

Mealtimes are an important part of everyone’s day. Our food is freshly prepared, nutritious and your preferences of special dietary requirements can be catered for.

We know it is important to you to have the right staff, at the right time, delivering the right care and support in the right way which is meaningful to you. This enables you to have confidence and trust in BallyCara’s ability to assist you to have a life well lived every day.

We welcome the opportunity for a BallyCara representative to meet, discuss and support your care journey.

How do I apply?

If you would like to be part of the BallyCara family we need you to provide us with the following information:

• A completed BallyCara Application for Admissions Form – available below
• A copy of the My Support Plan or referral number provided by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) or the older 9-page Aged Care Client Record (ACCR)
• A certified copy of the Enduring Power of Attorney Documentation (all pages of booklet)
• A copy of the financial assessment letter received from the Department of Human Services. You may need to complete the following forms:
  • – Residential Aged Care – Calculation of your Cost of Care (SA457) and
  • – Residential Aged Care – Property Details for Centrelink and DVA Customers (SA485).

What could I be charged?

Residents moving into Residential Care can be asked to make three types of payments.

• A basic daily fee which contributes towards your daily living costs including meals, linen, power and laundry.
• You may be asked to pay a means-tested care fee, depending on your income and assets. This is an additional contribution towards the cost of services such as nursing and personal care.
• An accommodation payment which will be paid depending on your income and assets or which may be met in full or in part by the Australian Government.

Residents can choose to pay for their accommodation by refundable deposit, a daily payment, or a combination of both. A refundable deposit is paid as a lump sum amount. A daily payment accrues daily and is paid periodically, for example monthly. A combination payment includes both a partial lump sum and daily payments.

Who pays a basic daily care fee?

All Residents (except Australian ex-prisoners of war) are required to pay a basic daily care fee which is currently $63.82* per day.

This fee may change from time to time in line with any pension increases. For more information please go to www.myagedcare.gov.au. There is also a fee estimator on this website which may help you estimate what costs you may be asked to pay.

Rates as of 1st July 2025 are below:-

Organisations providing Commonwealth subsidised aged care services are assessed against the Aged Care Quality Standards which came into effect on 1 July 2019. The Quality Standards focus on outcomes for consumers and reflect the level of care and services the community can expect from organisations that provide Commonwealth subsidised aged care services.

The below will be replaced with the strengthened standards on 1st November 2025.