Aged Care for Couples: Key Points

  • Each partner is assessed and funded individually. Aged care funding cannot be pooled or shared between partners.
  • The family home is exempt from the residential aged care means test while one partner continues to live there. This is one of the most significant financial protections available to couples.
  • If needs diverge significantly, it is possible for one partner to receive Support at Home services while the other enters residential aged care. This does not need to be a permanent arrangement.
  • Financial advice from an accredited aged care specialist is essential before one partner moves into residential care, as the fee implications are complex and long-lasting.
  • Using the same provider for both partners where possible reduces administration and allows for coordinated care planning.

When Care Needs Are Not Equal

Many couples assume that aged care is something they will navigate together, with similar needs and similar timing. In practice, it rarely works out that way. One partner may experience a sudden health event while the other remains relatively independent. Dementia may affect one partner years before the other. One may recover from surgery while the other faces a permanent change in function.

The aged care system treats each person as an individual, which is both protective and, at times, confusing for couples. Understanding how the system applies to each partner, and how the financial rules interact when needs diverge, helps families plan ahead rather than react to crises.

Separate Assessments, Separate Funding

The starting point is that each partner must be assessed independently through My Aged Care. Assessments cannot be combined or shared. If both partners need support, both need to contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and go through the assessment process individually.

Under the Support at Home program (in effect from November 2025), each person is assigned a classification level from 1 to 8, with higher levels receiving larger annual budgets. One partner may receive a Level 3 classification while the other receives a Level 6, based entirely on their individual assessed needs. The funding amounts are separate and each partner has their own support plan.

Couples cannot transfer or pool their funding. If one partner has unspent budget and the other has run out, the unspent funds cannot be redirected.

Scenario 1: Both Partners Living at Home with Different Support Levels

This is the most straightforward scenario. Both partners are living at home, both are receiving Support at Home services, but one needs significantly more support than the other.

What this looks like in practice:

  • One partner may need personal care, domestic assistance, and allied health services five days a week.
  • The other may need only transport to appointments and a social support service twice a week.
  • Each has their own classification, budget, and support plan.

Practical considerations:

  • You can use the same provider for both partners. This is often more efficient and reduces the number of different workers coming into the home.
  • Coordinated scheduling means workers may be able to see both partners in a single visit where appropriate.
  • Having separate support plans does not prevent the two plans from being designed around the couple’s shared household routines.
  • If one partner is providing informal care for the other, this should be discussed with the assessor. The caring partner’s own needs may be underestimated if it appears significant informal support is available.

For the caring partner: If one partner is providing substantial informal care for the other, the caring partner is entitled to support in their own right, both through the carer’s own care plan and through carer-specific supports. The Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 provides free services including counselling, respite planning, and practical support for family carers.

Scenario 2: One Partner Needs Residential Care, One Stays at Home

This is the scenario that generates the most financial complexity and the most emotional difficulty for families. When one partner’s needs exceed what can be safely delivered at home, and they transition to a residential aged care facility, the couple is effectively living under two different care systems.

The family home and the means test

One of the most important protections in the aged care system is the protected person rule. If one partner enters permanent residential aged care while the other continues to live in the family home, the family home is excluded from the residential aged care means test for as long as the remaining partner lives there.

This means the value of the home does not count toward the assets used to calculate the residential care fees for the partner in the facility. Once the remaining partner also leaves the home, or the home is sold, the exemption ends and the proceeds become assessable.

This distinction has significant financial consequences and is one of the main reasons couples in this situation should seek advice from an accredited aged care financial adviser before the transition to residential care is finalised.

How assets are assessed for couples

For the purpose of aged care means testing, couples are assessed jointly, with each partner attributed half of the couple’s combined assessable assets and half of their combined assessable income.

The family home cap (as of July 2025) is $206,663. For a couple where one partner remains at home, the home is excluded from the means test entirely during the protection period, not merely capped.

The practical effect is that a couple with a family home worth $900,000 and one partner entering residential care pays residential fees based on assessable assets excluding the home. Once both partners are in care or the home is sold, that changes significantly.

Income support for the partner at home

The partner remaining at home retains their own Centrelink entitlements assessed on their individual circumstances as a member of a couple. If the partner entering care was the main income earner or pension recipient, the remaining partner should review their Centrelink situation promptly after the transition.

Services Australia has Aged Care Specialist Officers who can help with these calculations. Appointments can be made through My Aged Care or directly through Services Australia.

The Support at Home partner’s own care

The partner remaining at home does not lose access to their own Support at Home services because their partner has entered residential care. Their own classification and funding continue independently. If the transition to residential care changes the caring arrangements, the remaining partner may find their needs increase and should consider requesting a reassessment.

Scenario 3: One Partner Has Dementia

Dementia progresses differently between individuals, and it is common for one partner to receive a dementia diagnosis years before the other shows any cognitive change. The practical implications depend on the stage of the condition and the living arrangements.

In the earlier stages

In the early to moderate stages of dementia, both partners may continue living at home with Support at Home services. The partner with dementia may receive higher-classification funded supports, while the other partner manages many tasks independently. Key considerations:

  • The partner with dementia must have capacity to consent to their own support plan and care arrangement. As capacity diminishes, a legal guardian or enduring power of attorney holder may need to step in. It is important to put enduring powers of attorney in place while the partner with dementia still has legal capacity to grant them.
  • The caring partner often carries a significant informal care load. This should be raised at assessment so both partners’ needs are properly reflected.
  • Respite care (including short-term residential stays) is available to give the caring partner a break. This can be funded through the Support at Home budget or through separate carer support programs.

When residential memory care becomes necessary

As dementia progresses to a stage where safety at home cannot be maintained, a transition to a residential facility with dementia-specific care (sometimes called a memory care unit or secure unit) may be needed.

This does not mean the couple must permanently separate. Some residential aged care facilities offer:

  • Couples rooms or adjacent rooms where one partner receives memory care and the other receives general residential care.
  • Day visit policies that allow the partner at home to spend significant time at the facility.
  • Flexible respite arrangements that build familiarity before a permanent transition.

Visiting a facility in person and asking directly about their couples and dementia accommodation policies is the best way to assess whether they can support the couple’s specific situation.

Scenario 4: Both Partners Need Residential Care

When both partners eventually need residential aged care, they may wish to enter the same facility to remain together. Important points:

  • Facilities are not required to accommodate both partners if only one has available placement. Availability depends entirely on the facility and its current capacity.
  • If you want to enter a facility together, search early and register your preference with multiple facilities. Waiting for a crisis to start this search significantly reduces your options.
  • Once both are in residential care, the family home becomes part of the means assessment and the protected person exemption ceases.
  • Couples in residential care retain their individual assessments and fees, but many facilities offer companion room options.

Financial Planning: Why Specialist Advice Matters

The financial rules for aged care couples are genuinely complex, and decisions made at the point of transition are very difficult to reverse. Common issues families encounter without advice include:

  • Inadvertently triggering the end of the home exemption by selling the property at the wrong time.
  • Underestimating the interaction between Centrelink entitlements and aged care fees.
  • Not understanding that Refundable Accommodation Deposits (RADs) in residential care are a lump sum that affects the couple’s overall asset position.
  • Missing the 28-day reporting requirement for income and assets changes under the new Aged Care Act.

An aged care specialist financial adviser (look for an accredited aged care specialist through the Financial Planning Association) can model the financial impact of different scenarios before a decision is locked in.

Staying Connected When Living Arrangements Differ

If one partner is in residential care and the other is at home, maintaining the relationship and regular contact is important for both partners’ wellbeing. Practical strategies:

  • Ask the facility about their visiting policies and any flexible accommodation options.
  • Ensure the partner in the facility has consent processes in place that keep the at-home partner informed and involved.
  • Use the Support at Home budget to fund transport to and from the facility if the at-home partner cannot drive.
  • Discuss regular shared activities with the facility’s lifestyle coordinator.

Key External Resources

Carevo connects couples and families with aged care providers experienced in complex, coordinated care arrangements. Search our provider directory to find providers who can support both partners at home or help plan a safe transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a couple share aged care funding? No. Each person has their own classification and budget under the Support at Home program. Funding cannot be pooled or transferred between partners.

What happens to the family home if one partner enters residential care? The family home is exempt from the residential aged care means test while the other partner continues to live there. This is known as the protected person rule and is one of the most significant financial protections for couples.

Do both partners need separate assessments? Yes. My Aged Care assessments are individual. Both partners must be assessed separately, even if assessed at the same time.

Can a couple live together in a nursing home if one needs more care? Some facilities accommodate couples with different care needs. Ask facilities directly about their couples accommodation policies. This requires advance planning as places in couples or companion rooms are limited.

What if one partner has dementia? In early stages, both may remain at home with coordinated support. As dementia progresses, a transition to a residential memory care facility may be needed. Enduring powers of attorney should be established while the partner with dementia still has legal capacity.

Is financial advice necessary? Very strongly recommended. The interaction between aged care fees, Centrelink, and the family home means test is complex. Decisions made at transition are difficult to reverse. An accredited aged care financial adviser can model the outcomes before you commit.