OMS

Age Pension,
Retirement Living,
& Aged Care Financials
Guide for Australian Seniors

Navigating financial matters for Senior Australians can be overwhelming.

We understand that navigating financial matters later in life can feel overwhelming — whether you're planning for retirement, applying for an Australian age pension, or exploring aged care options.

That’s why we’re here.

Our mission is to help older Australians, their families, and carers make confident, informed decisions about finances during the later stages of life.

We provide plain-English information, helpful tools, and up-to-date guidance on topics that matter — from understanding government payments and retirement village contracts, to demystifying aged care costs.

Whether you're just starting to plan for the future or facing an urgent decision about care or accommodation, OMS offers support you can trust.

Our information is independent, accessible, and tailored to the unique financial needs of seniors in Australia.

To Make Sense of it All

Our mission is simple: to make sense of it all. We believe that every senior Australian deserves to feel confident and informed when making important decisions about their money, their accommodation, lifestyle choices and their future care needs.

Our Promise to You

It’s a promise to you — that when you visit our website, you’ll find clear explanations, helpful checklists, and practical guides that help you understand how your money, entitlements, and options work together in retirement and beyond.

Who We Help

Our content is designed for:

  • Older Australians — whether you’re still living independently at home, thinking about a move to a retirement village, or needing extra support at home.
  • Family members and carers — who often shoulder the responsibility of researching options, filling out forms, and making tough decisions about residential care.
  • Anyone planning ahead — because getting informed early can help you make decisions that are right for you and your loved ones.

We understand that no two families are the same, and the right answers for you will depend on your circumstances. That’s why we don’t offer personal financial advice — instead, we give you trustworthy, easy-to-read information so you feel more confident when you talk to your financial adviser, aged care placement specialist, or Centrelink representative.

Our Values

We believe in:

  • Clarity: We take complex topics and explain them in plain English, so you can truly understand your options.
  • Trustworthiness: We provide general information only, but we check our content carefully against the latest government rules and updates.
  • Practicality: We include checklists, templates, and real-world examples wherever possible, so you can use what you read straight away.
  • Respect: We know how personal and emotional these decisions can be. Our goal is to support you with information — not to sell you something you don’t need.

We Don’t Give Personal Financial Advice

It’s important to know that we do not provide personal financial advice. Our information is general in nature and does not take your specific circumstances into account. We strongly encourage you to seek independent advice from a qualified financial adviser, aged care placement consultant, or solicitor before you make decisions that affect your income, assets, or long-term living arrangements.

Think of us as your first stop when you want to understand the basics and get organised. Our articles can help you ask the right questions and feel more confident when you speak with the professionals who can give you advice tailored just for you.

Our Commitment to Up-to-Date Information

Rules and thresholds change regularly — especially when it comes to pensions, deeming rates, aged care fees, and government programs. We do our best to keep our website up to date and clear about any new changes (like the recent postponement of the Support at Home program). We recommend that you check key details with Services Australia, My Aged Care, or your adviser to make sure you have the latest information for your situation.

We provide clear information on the topics that matter to Senior Australians.

We’ve put together clear, simple information on the things that really matter — like how much the Age Pension pays, what retirement living actually costs, and how aged care fees work.

  • Age Pension - The Commonwealth Age Pension is a critical support for many Australians in retirement. While the system can seem complex, it is designed to provide financial stability and access to important services and concessions.

    Understanding how the pension works, and planning accordingly, can significantly enhance quality of life in later years.

    The Age Pension can be tricky — from figuring out whether you’re eligible, to applying, to understanding how your income and assets affect your payment.

    We break down the rules, explain the Income and Assets Tests, and cover practical topics like deeming rates, how selling your family home affects your pension, and what to know about the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
  • Retirement Living - Retirement living can offer peace of mind, convenience, and a lifestyle tailored to older adults, but it also comes with financial, legal, and practical considerations.

    Retirement villages come in many shapes and sizes — leasehold, strata, rental — and the contracts and fees can be confusing. We help you compare the options, understand the real costs, know what to ask before you sign anything, and settle in with confidence.

    Our useful checklists and practical tips can save you stress and help you make informed choices that suit your lifestyle and budget.
  • Support at Home - The new Support at Home program will replace the existing Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) from ** 1 November 2025 ** (subject to final rollout). The goal is to make home care simpler, fairer and easier to navigate.

    The Australian Government is changing how home support works for older people. The new Support at Home program aims to give more flexible, coordinated help so people can keep living independently for longer.

    We explain who’s eligible, how the assessment process works, what services you might be able to access, and what the program postponement means for families today.
  • Residential Care - Not all residential care is the same. In Australia, several types of residential care exist to meet a wide range of needs, from short-term respite care to secure dementia support and end-of-life palliative care. Understanding these options can help older people and their families make informed choices and plan ahead with confidence.

    When someone moves into permanent residential care, families face a whole new world of fees and assessments — the Basic Daily Fee, Means Tested Care Fee, Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD), Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP), Extra Service Fees, and more.

    We explain each fee clearly, show you how means testing works, and help you understand key Centrelink forms like the SA485 and SA457, so you’re better prepared when the time comes to make these big decisions.

Our Team

Our team has decades of experience supporting families through the financial and practical aspects of ageing, retirement living, and residential aged care. We’ve seen first-hand how confusing, stressful, and overwhelming it can be when people are left to figure it all out alone. That’s why we share what we know and help you feel more prepared and more in control.

We’re not connected to any government department, aged care provider, or financial institution. We don’t sell insurance or investments. Our only aim is to make trustworthy information available in one place — because we believe good information is empowering.

A First Step in the Journey

Feel free to browse our guides, checklists, and updates whenever you need them. If you’re helping a parent, grandparent, or friend, you can even print out sections or bookmark your favourites so they’re easy to find when you’re having important family conversations.

If you spot something that’s unclear or needs updating, we’d love to hear from you — our website is here to serve you, and we value your feedback.

Whether you’re planning ahead, helping a loved one, or simply want to better understand how your money and entitlements work as you age, we hope you find this site reassuring, practical, and useful.

Thank you for letting us be part of your journey. We’re here to help you feel more informed, more confident, and more prepared for the road ahead.

Age Pension

Age Pension

Age Pension Rates, Eligibility, Making an Application, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, Income and Asset Test Explained, Latest Deeming Rules.

Retirement Living

Retirement Living

Living in a Retirement Village, Types of Village (Leasehold, Strata, Rental), Costs and Contracts, Checklist for Moving In, Legal Protections.

Support at Home

Support at Home

Eligibility and Access, Home Care Services Available, Assessment Process, Your rights and choices, Transition from CHSP and HCP, Quality Providers.

Residential Care

Residential Care

Types of residential care, Fees and Charges explained, Assessment, Means Testing, Tips for Choosing the right Residential Care option.

Age Pension News

News

Latest Rules and Regulation changes, Important recent articles.

Resources

Resources

Current Age Pension Rates and other important information, Simple online calculators, Downloadable checklists, Latest Fees and Charges, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).