Before engaging us, you will have a one hour obligation-free appointment with one of our Aged Care Specialists. At the end of this, we can let you know if we can be of service or if you are already on track. Our fee for services is fixed and agreed on prior to our engagement. We can project manage as little or as much of the process as you require.
We are proud of the fact that this is often the only appointment some people need from us – we will NEVER recommend our service unless we believe that we will add value to your unique situation.
We will examine your financial situation and compare funding options to help you decide the payment strategy that suits you best. This will include considering:
We will provide you with a Statement of Advice (SOA) which compares your shortlisted options side by side, so you can see the impact of each option on pension benefits, aged care fees, cash flow, tax and assets over time.
We will liaise directly with your residential care provider on your behalf, negotiating fees and providing them with the information they need to offer you a place in their facility and to prepare agreements.
If you are employing a placement service to help find a residential care provider, we are happy to work closely with them as well.
As part of our aged care advice process, we become Services Australia/DVA nominees for a period of six months. This includes checking that your fees have been calculated correctly by Department of Human Services (you might be surprised) and also providing quarterly updates to them regularly during this initial entry period.
In addition, we will also help you to complete the forms that Services Australia require, including a new age pension application if you are not already claiming. The SA457 (Request for a Combined Assets and Income Assessment) alone is 25 pages!
Acting as an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) for a parent, spouse or family member can be an overwhelming experience. Sage Care Advice can provide support to allow you to make the right financial decisions for your loved one. Our service provides transparency by providing available funding options to support your decision making.
Services Australia recalculates Means Tested Fees and Daily Accommodation Contributions every three months, so it is essential that this information is kept up to date on their records. We also understand that work and family commitments can make this difficult.
Don't want to deal with Centrelink on an ongoing basis? To help with this, we also offer an optional service to remain as Services Australia/DVA nominees for the person in care. This means that, with your help, we can keep Services Australia up to date with your loved one’s assets and income and assist with any requests you receive from these government departments.
Just like our name ‘Sage’, we are ‘profoundly wise’ and have a genuine desire to provide you and your loved ones with the best solutions. Here is some feedback from some of our clients.
The Sage team were all very receptive to our questions, were flexible and responsive and they all really care about getting the best outcome for their clients.
The Sage team were all very receptive to our questions, were flexible and responsive and they all really care about getting the best outcome for their clients.
Thank goodness for Sage and their terrific friendly and informative team, in particular Katie Spence.
When one suddenly needs expert advice on helping their elderly loved ones future, housing, financial needs and dealing with all the hoops of aged care, SAGE should be your first stop and very likely your last. Thanks so much Katie and Bruce.
With elderly parents living on their own the thought of something going wrong was always in the back of my mind. When this did happen and both parents needed full time care, what to do and where to start was overwhelming. The staff at Sage Care Advice came into my life and gave me not only the physical and financial support with the never ending paper work and phone calls but also the emotional support to see a light at the end of the tunnel for my parents to gain the quality care they needed and deserved. I cannot thank Bruce and his team enough and have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Sage to any family needing this assistance and support.
In a very confusing, scary and emotional time for my family, when my Mum was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s and needed to go into Permanent Aged Care, SAGE were the thoughtful, helpful guiding hand that we needed. Their staff were kind and efficient and always happy to answer any questions we had, assisting us with the, what seemed like, never ending paperwork, and helping us to understand all the new terminology and rules. I would highly recommend their team and their services to anyone in need when dealing with the Aged Care Industry.
Sage Care Advice have been a lifesaver! From the moment you walk through the door the entire staff are true professionals.
I was most impressed by Bruce outlining the circumstances in which they can help at the outset of the free introductory meeting. He is very honest and upfront about the type of financial situation they can assist with.
Entering aged care and dealing with Centrelink is a minefield. I can’t imagine being an elderly partner or a non-English speaking background and having to deal with the complexity involved. Sage have picked up Centrelink’s mistakes one after another and have the knowledge required to get the fair outcome.
My representative has been outstanding. She is responsive to my queries and understanding of my personal circumstances at the same time.
If you want to avoid the financial and mental stress of entering a loved one into aged care I would genuinely urge you to at least have the free initial meeting with Sage. I couldn’t have gone through this without them.
Sage have restored our faith in humanity. Such genuine kindness is not always apparent in life and has allowed my mum to rest a bit easier at night so thank you for that.
Just wanted to say a very big thank you to you all for the most wonderful customer experience we had with your company. All three of you are a tremendous asset to Sage Care Advice and hopefully the owners appreciate the effort you all put in. Thanks for putting up with my blonde senior moments. Had a few of late. Really appreciate the genuine compassion and caring you all showed to us while sorting out mum’s affairs. Made things a lot easier. Thank you again. Love your work don’t give up your day job ever.
It has been a relief and comfort to have the services of Sage during this very busy time for us, whilst packing up and relocating our parents to the facility.
With elderly parents living on their own the thought of something going wrong was always in the back of my mind. When this did happen and both parents needed full time care, what to do and where to start was overwhelming. The staff at Sage Care Advice came into my life and gave me not only the physical and financial support with the never ending paper work and phone calls but also the emotional support to see a light at the end of the tunnel for my parents to gain the quality care they needed and deserved. I cannot thank Bruce and his team enough and have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Sage to any family needing this assistance and support.