Which extra charges are allowed on top of the standard fees

"Is the hairdresser included?" is one of the most common questions families ask. The answer is in a list set out in the aged care rules: everything on it is covered by the standard fees, and a home can't charge extra for it. Anything beyond that list may cost more, but only under set rules.

What the standard fees cover

Every aged care home must provide the services on the residential care service list. Your parent's basic daily fee, means-tested contributions and room payment already pay for these. Among other things, the list includes:

• Meals and drinks: at least three meals a day, with morning tea, afternoon tea and supper, special diets your parent needs, and snacks and non-alcoholic drinks available at any time.
• The room and furniture: a suitable bed and mattress, bedding and towels, a chair, storage and a lockable place for valuables.
• Cleaning, laundry and utilities: cleaning, electricity, heating and cooling, and machine washing and labelling of clothes.
• Basic toiletries: such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, razors, tissues and moisturiser.
• Personal care: help with showering, dressing, eating, grooming and continence, including continence aids.
• Mobility aids: standard equipment such as walking frames and wheelchairs.
• Activities: at least one activity a day that isn't screens or meals, and regular outings.
• Clinical care: nursing, help managing medicines, and therapy programs to keep your parent as independent as possible.
• Phone and internet access in the home.

What usually costs extra

The list itself leaves some things out. These can be charged for:

• Hairdressing.
• The medicines themselves. Managing them is included, but the cost of prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines isn't.
• Phone and internet usage, and devices.
• Special cleaning, such as dry cleaning or hand washing.
• Things chosen as a preference, such as a particular brand of toiletries, custom furniture, or a motorised scooter.
• Costs of outings, such as tickets, transport and food bought while out.
• Extra health appointments beyond what your parent's care needs require.
• Doctor and specialist fees, gap payments, and transport or someone to go with your parent to appointments. The home arranges these appointments, but their cost isn't included.

Some of these, such as a visiting hairdresser or the pharmacy, may bill your parent directly rather than through the home. Ask how each one is charged.

How a home can charge for extras it provides

When the home itself provides something beyond the list, or something of a higher standard than the list requires, it charges through a higher everyday living fee. The rules are strict:

• It's optional, and can't be a condition of getting a room or moving in.
• It can't be agreed or charged before your parent moves in.
• Ongoing extras need a separate written agreement, showing what's provided, how often, to what standard, and the price.
• A one-off extra, such as a coffee at the café, can be agreed on the spot.
• The department's guidance says your parent shouldn't be asked to pay for a service they can't or won't use.

Our guides to the higher everyday living fee and stopping or changing extras explain the cooling-off period, notice and price rises.

Older extra and additional service fees

People who moved in before 1 November 2025 may have older "extra service" or "additional service" fee arrangements. These can only be charged for days up to 31 October 2026. From 1 November 2026, a resident who was getting a higher-standard service for free before 1 November 2025 can't be charged for it, while the home still provides it to other residents.

What to check

1. Ask the home for its price list of extras, and what's included in the standard fees.
2. Compare each extra charge on the invoice with the list above and your parent's agreements.
3. Query anything that looks like a standard service, such as basic toiletries, continence aids or a standard wheelchair.

If a charge looks wrong and the home won't fix it, see our guide to complaints and refunds. The Older Persons Advocacy Network has free advocates who can help.

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