Why now is a good time to plan for frailty years

Planning for the future – and all challenges it may bring – can help achieve quality of lifestyle as well as quality of care.

A new year has started, and while we are unsure what challenges COVID will continue to send our way, we hope the future starts to look brighter.

One thing we do know is that aged care reforms and funding issues will continue to be an important topic, making awareness and planning ahead increasingly more important. And we are here to help.

As the Baby Boomer generation starts moving into their frailty years, demand for aged care services will continue to grow, and funding will continue to be a challenge. This will likely raise discussions and lead to reforms around aged care funding, including the payment split between Government and consumer contributions. A recent report on aged care funding by the Actuaries Institute shows that the Government currently funds 96% of care costs in the aged care sector, compared to 75% of broader health care costs. Over the next decade the government funding in aged care is expected to double (and exceed expenditure on the age pension) but even so, it is likely to be insufficient to meet the growth in demand and could lead to increases in consumer contributions.

In your frailty years, you should aim for quality of lifestyle as well as quality of care. Access to government subsidies will help to make care affordable, but good financial planning and access to your own financial resources will give you greater choice and control.

The start of a new year is always a good time to take stock of your financial plans and think about your expectations for your future. This should include questions about where and how you hope to age, what is important to you and what you can afford.

If you have concerns about your aged care needs, either imminent or future needs, or the needs of your older parents, we are here to help. We can help you understand how aged care works and review your retirement plans to ensure care needs are part of your planning process. And when the time comes, we can work the numbers to calculate the costs and provide advice on options to structure your finances to pay for the care you need.

Call our office on 03 9584 3343 to make an appointment today, or ask us about aged care at your next review meeting.