Information For Prospective Residents

Information about fees, charges, assessments, payments, accommodation bonds, residents agreements etc.

>> DOWNLOAD Information Sheet for Prospective Residents PDF <<

1. General Information

1.1. Prospective residents and their families are encouraged to visit the facilities. Please contact the administration to arrange a mutually convenient time.

1.2. In accordance with the guidelines issued by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, all prospective residents need to have a current Assessment for Residential Care completed by the Aged Care Assessment Service.

1.3. Before being placed on a waiting list, prospective residents need to complete the following forms:

• Application for Respite Care or Permanent Entry to an Aged Care Home;
• Request for an Asset Assessment – Centrelink/Department of Veterans Affairs

Prospective residents are also required to provide:

• A copy of the Assessment issued by the Aged Care Assessment Service
• A copy of the Centrelink/Department of Veterans Affairs Asset Assessment Notification Letter.

1.4. A Pre-admission meeting with the General Manager is required so that the necessary forms can be completed with the resident and/or their representative:

1.5. Acceptance for admission will be determined by the availability of a suitable vacancy and the Prom Country Aged Care’s ability to meet the applicant’s particular care and service needs.

1.6. All Daily Care Fees and Accommodation Payments (if applicable) are charged strictly in accordance with the formulae and regulations determined by the Department of Health and Ageing and provided for in the Aged Care Act 1997.

1.7. In accordance with the Aged Care Act 1997, all residents are required to enter into a formal Resident Agreement. See Section 4.

2. Ongoing Care Fees

2.1. Daily Care Fees

Fees for care are payable monthly in advance. Payment may be made via periodic bank transfer or by cheque payable to Prom Country Aged Care Inc.

There are two parts to these fees:

• Basic daily care fees – equivalent to 85% of the single aged pension.
• Income tested fees

Part-pensioners and non-pensioners may be asked to pay an additional income tested fee. Centrelink or the Department of Veterans Affairs carries out income testing. Further information about assessing income for daily care fees can be obtained from the Department of Health and Ageing.

2.2. Fees during Temporary Leave

• Social Leave

Residents are entitled to take up to 52 days Social Leave a year without paying fees in addition to the daily care fee. An absence is counted as Social Leave only if it includes an overnight stay. For example, a resident may spend every weekend, including Saturday night, with his/her family. During this time the Government will continue to pay the daily care subsidy to the facility. Should a resident choose to take more than 52 days Social Leave, the Government will not pay the subsidy and the resident will be asked to pay additional fees.

• Hospital Leave

Although Hospital Leave is unlimited, residents’ normal daily care fees apply.

3. Accommodation Payments

3.1. Accommodation Bonds – Low Care Residents

3.1.1 What is an Accommodation Bond?

An Accommodation Bond is an amount that a resident may be asked to pay when he/she enters Low-level care. It is in addition to any Daily Care Fee payable by Residents. An Accommodation Bond is like an interest free loan to the facility which is refunded when the resident leaves (less the retention amount).

Accommodation Bonds can only be charged by facilities that are accredited and meet minimum building and care standards. Providers are allowed to retain an amount each month from the Accommodation Bond called the Monthly Retention Amount. These amounts can only be retained for a maximum period of five years (the Retention Period).

3.1.2 Payment Options

There are a number of ways of paying Accommodation Bonds. They can be paid as a:

• Lump sum;
• Periodic (monthly) payment; or
• Combination of lump sum and periodic payment.

The amount of Accommodation Bond to be paid is agreed between the Resident or their Representative and Prom Country Aged Care Inc. following receipt of Asset Assessment Notification Letter from Centrelink/Department of Veterans Affairs and where possible prior to admission. Accommodation Bonds are payable on the day of admission and where a delay in payment occurs, interest will be charged at rates specified by the Department of Health and Ageing.

For more information about payment options, please contact the General Manager.

3.1.3 Accommodation Bond Amount

Applicants are required to submit a ‘Request for an Asset Assessment’ to Centrelink/Department of Veterans Affairs and to provide Prom Country Aged Care with a copy of Asset Assessment Notification letter. Accommodation Bond Amounts are set as follows:

• No Accommodation Bond is payable where the value of the applicant’s assets is less than 2.5 times the annual standard single rate aged pension.
• For all other applicants, the Accommodation Bond payable is based on the value of the assets and is negotiated before entry to the home. There is no legislated maximum bond amount and applicants are encouraged to seek independent financial advice in regard to the impact Accommodation Bonds may have on their individual financial circumstances.
• For the purpose of calculating Accommodation Bonds, ‘assets’ are real estate (including the applicant’s home), investments, personal property, money in the bank and other accounts, cash and motor vehicles, less any amounts owing under mortgages or charges over those assets other than mortgages or charges to family members.
• Where a husband and wife are both applicants for residency the assets of each are deemed to be one half of the total assets of both.
• Where an applicant’s spouse or dependent child, as defined in the Aged Care Act 1977, is still living in the family home, the value of the family home should not be included in the calculation of the applicant’s assets.
• Applicants who choose not to lodge a ‘Request for an Asset Assessment’ to Centrelink/Department of Veterans Affairs will have an Accommodation Bond set at a minimum of $500,000

3.1.4 Monthly Retention Amounts and Refunds

Monthly Retention Amounts
The Government determines the method for calculating the Monthly Retention Amount that can be deducted from the Accommodation Bond for each month or part thereof that the resident is provided with care. Retention amounts are capped.

Refund of Balance of Accommodation Bond
When a resident permanently leaves the facility, the Accommodation Bond balance will be refunded within the following time frames:

• Upon the resident permanently leaving the facility to enter another Residential Aged Care Service, or a return to the community – within 14 days.
• In the case of the death of a resident, the estate of the resident shall receive payment only upon production of a certified true copy of a grant of probate or letters of administration.

3.2. Accommodation Charges – High Care

3.2.1 What is an Accommodation Charge?

An Accommodation Charge is an additional daily amount that a resident may be asked to pay when he/she enters high-level care. Accommodation Charges can only be charged by facilities that are accredited and meet minimum building and care standards.

3.2.2 Payment of Accommodation Charges

Accommodation Charges are included on residents’ Monthly Billing Statements and must be paid with their daily care fees. Accommodation Charges are payable from the day of admission. Where a delay in payment occurs, interest will be charged from the day of admission at rates specified by the Department of Health and Ageing.

3.2.3 Accommodation Charge Amount

Applicants are required to submit a ‘Request for an Asset Assessment’ to Centrelink/Department of Veterans Affairs and to provide Prom Country Aged Care with a copy of Asset Assessment Notification.
The Department of Health and Ageing will advise the applicant and Prom Country Aged Care of the amount of Accommodation Charge payable.

• No Accommodation Charge is payable where the value of the applicant’s assets is less than 2.5 times the standard single rate aged pension.
• The Department of Health and Ageing set the maximum rate of daily Accommodation Charge.
• Applicants who choose not to lodge a ‘Request for an Asset Assessment’ to Centrelink/Department of Veterans Affairs will have an Accommodation Charge set at the maximum amount.

4. Resident Agreement

4.1. Before the applicant takes up residence, both the applicant and Prom Country Aged Care must sign a formal Resident Agreement. This Agreement specifies the services to be provided and the fees. It also ensures that the rights and responsibilities of the resident and the services provided are understood and agreed to. A signed copy is made available for the resident.

5. Process for submitting an application to become a resident.

5.1. Please read this information and discuss the matter with your family, friends, Doctor and legal adviser.

5.2. If you have not already done so, arrange for an assessment by the Aged Care Assessment Team.

Should you have further queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the General Manager by phone on (03) 5683 9613 or use the CONTACT FORM.

Thank you for your interest in Prom Country Aged Care Inc,
Prom View Lodge and Banksia Lodge.

Vision – Mission – Values

Our Vision

To provide the quality of service where the people within our care live their lives to their fullest potential – in a place that they are pleased to call home.

Our Mission

To create a safe, caring and enabling environment where every person is treated with the utmost dignity and respect by staff who are proud to deliver exceptional standards of individualised care.

Our Philosophy

• To provide a congenial, home-like environment where residents are encouraged to live as independently as possible, and where individuality is respected.
• To create an environment where the highest quality of care is delivered by skilled, professional staff and community volunteers who are valued for their individual talents.
• To provide equitable access to residential care on the basis of need; irrespective of geography, socio-economic status, ethnicity, age or sex.

Our Values

At Prom Country Aged Care our values are a direct reflection of our philosophy:

• Compassion
• Integrity
• Respect
• Commitment to excellence
• Transparency
• Trust

Strategic Plan (2008 – 2013)

Prom Country Aged Care is on the cusp of fundamental change. Birth rates have fallen, people are living longer, and the local population is set to decline over the next 20 years.

All age groups under the age of 65 are expected to shrink, but a’ tsunami’ of ageing baby boomers will see the proportion of people over the age of 65 grow by 148 per cent, to more than 40 per cent of our local population. The major growth of this age group will be in people living beyond the age of 80.

Government initiatives to enable older people to live in their own homes for longer will help curb demand for low-care hostel accommodation; however, the needs of people with greater levels of frailty and complex health problems will drive significant growth in demand for quality high-care nursing home services.

The need for more respite care will also grow, as the number of families caring for their older relatives rises.

By 2011, the South Gippsland region is predicted to have just three surplus low-care beds and a deficit of 33 high care beds. By 2016 that deficit will have grown to 39 low-care beds and 68 high care places.

To address this shortfall, the Government and private ‘supported residential’ services and ‘extra service’ facilities, are investing in new, state-of-the-art infrastructure, such as in Inverloch, Yarram and Leongatha.

These facilities – and the exponential growth in retirement villages – represent significant competition for Prom Country Aged Care, requiring us to not only seek ways to ensure our facilities are competitive, but also to also look to possibly extending our services beyond aged care to other areas of community need.

Enabling people to age in one place – without the anxiety of having to move from a familiar low care hostel to an unfamiliar high care nursing home – is a significant trend in best practice aged care globally. This poses a significant challenge for organisations such as ours, which operate predominantly single-purpose facilities in different locations.

Finding ways to address this situation – and operate as a more efficient and streamlined organisation is a priority.

A further challenge in coming years will be our ability to attract and retain the skilled and qualified workforce necessary to meet the community’s needs at a time when the number of working age people in the district is declining. As the number of people under the age of 45 shrinks, so workforce availability will shrink. This is likely to put mounting pressure on wages and increase the mobility of staff between employers.

The size and viability of Prom Country Aged Care operations is also a significant challenge.

With government-regulated funding and increasing operating costs across the industry, small 30 bed facilities are becoming less and less viable and are marginal businesses at best. Even with the most cost-effective structure, a small operation such as ours is vulnerable to any changes in cost, regulation or other factors.

In short, the key strategic issues challenging stand-alone and smaller group aged care providers are:
• Compliance with changing regulations and associated costs;
• Maintaining accreditation and certification;
• Staffing capacity and competition for skilled and specialist staff;
• The cost of rebuilding facilities to comply with certification requirements and the expectation of current and future residents, and
• Providing and continually upgrading services to reflect community and resident needs.

This Strategic Plan sets out how Prom Country Aged Care will address these challenges over the next five years and beyond. Delivering quality care in ways that are relevant to the needs of residents and their families is at the core of these strategies.

>> Download Complete PCAC Strategic Plan PDF <<

High Quality Long Or Short Term Aged Care

September 7, 2009
Filed under The Benefits

Prom Country Aged Care’s reputation for high quality, home-like residential aged care spans nearly 25 years, and is the #1 choice for a growing number of people seeking permanent or short-term care.

People from all over Victoria are drawn by our good reputation, wonderful location, vibrant community, and the knowledge that excellent doctors and services are just moments away.

Prom View Lodge is a comfortable 30-bed high care nursing home for people who need regular assistance with daily activities, while Banksia Lodge – just 10 minutes away – is a delightful 30-bed hostel for people who require lower levels of care.

Both facilities are fully licensed and accredited to stringent Government standards.

Banksia Lodge – Jones Street – Foster



Prom View Lodge – Welshpool Road – Toora



Caring And Skilled Staff

September 6, 2009
Filed under The Benefits

As well as being fully qualified, our staff are friendly and caring.

It is even a common sight to see the gardener enjoying a conversation with the residents and of course they enjoy the regular interaction too.



Be Part Of A Friendly Community

September 6, 2009
Filed under The Benefits

To live at Prom Country Aged Care is to live at the heart of a vibrant and friendly community.

Whether it’s through the local choir, sporting clubs, library, amateur theatre, Church Services, senior citizens groups or many others, Prom Country Aged Care residents are involved in all aspects of community life.

And, thanks to the great work of our Auxiliaries, regular visits from school students, the efforts of many volunteers and the generosity of the community, our residents’ lives are truly enriched each and every day.



There’s Always Something Interesting To Do!

September 5, 2009
Filed under The Benefits

Whether it’s Tai Chi in the morning, tending the vegetable garden in the afternoon, singing along with a visiting musician before Happy Hour or playing a game on the Nintendo Wii, there is always something for residents to do at Prom Country Aged Care.

Regular outings on the Community Bus, indoor crafts, carpet bowls, bingo, boccé, games and other activites are also part of the busy social calendar, but, for those who prefer the quieter life, there are many peaceful, light-filled nooks for quiet contemplation, or watching the array of passing wildlife.

The onsite gymnasium equipment keeps the more energetic suitably entertained as well.



Health, Medical and Other Useful Services

September 2, 2009
Filed under The Benefits

A wide range of Medical, Health and other Services are always on hand with the Foster & District Hospital conveniently located right next door to Banksia Lodge.

Residents receive regular visits from Doctors and Allied Health Practitioners including a Massage Therapist, Physiotherapist, Podiatrist, Dietician, Optometrist, Dentist, Beauty Therapist and Hairdresser.





Charter of Residents’ Rights & Responsibilities

September 2, 2009
Filed under General Information

A. Each resident of a residential care facility has the right:

• to full and effective use of his or her personal, civil, legal and consumer rights;
• to quality care which is appropriate to his or her needs;
• to full information about his or her own state of health and about available treatments;
• to be treated with dignity and respect, and to live without exploitation, abuse or neglect;
• to live without discrimination or victimisation, and without being obliged to feel grateful to those providing his or her care and accommodation;
• to personal privacy;
• to live in a safe, secure and homelike environment, and to move freely both within and outside the residential care service without undue restriction;
• to be treated and accepted as an individual, and to have his or her individual preferences taken into account and treated with respect;
• to continue his or her cultural and religious practices and to retain the language of his or her choice, without discrimination;
• to select and maintain social and personal relationships with any other person without fear, criticism or restriction;
• to freedom of speech;
• to maintain his or her personal independence, which includes a recognition of personal responsibility for his or her own actions and choices, even though some actions may involve an element of risk which the resident has the right to accept, and that should then not be used to prevent or restrict those actions;
• to maintain control over, and to continue making decisions about, the personal aspects of his or her daily life, financial affairs and possessions;
• to be involved in the activities, associations and friendships of his or her choice, both within and outside the residential care service;
• to have access to services and activities which are available generally in the community;
• to be consulted on, and to choose to have input into, decisions about the living arrangements of the residential care service;
• to have access to information about his or her rights, care, accommodation, and any other information which relates to him or her personally;
• to complain and to take action to resolve disputes;
• to have access to advocates and other avenues of redress; and
• to be free from reprisal, or a well-founded fear of reprisal, in any form for taking action to enforce his or her rights.

B. Each resident of a residential care service has the responsibility:

• to respect the rights and needs of other people within the residential care service and to respect the needs of the residential care service community as a whole;
• to respect the rights of staff and the proprietor to work in an environment which is free from harassment;
  to care for his or her own health and well-being, as far as he or she is capable;
• to inform his or her medical practitioner, as far as he or she is able, about his or her relevant medical history and his or her current state of health.

Enjoy Freshly Cooked Food

September 2, 2009
Filed under The Benefits

Lush vegetable gardens in convenient raised beds adorn a sunny plot outside. Organic produce is freshly picked on a regular basis to add to the array of hot, healthy and freshly cooked food enjoyed by the residents.

Meals can be enjoyed in the spacious dining room or served in rooms for a more private atmosphere. Of course, special needs diets are also catered for and we happily offer a coice of meals if needed as well.



Wander Through The Delightful Gardens

September 1, 2009
Filed under The Benefits

The gardens have been specially designed to stimulate the senses, with colourful borders, delightful scents, textured bark, flowering shrubs and even the birds enjoy being fed in the peaceful surrounds.

There are sunny courtyards, lush green lawns, a barbecue area, safe pathways, comfortable seats, bird baths, shady trees and so much more.