An aged care home on the NSW South Coast has sparked outrage after residents were asked to pay to attend musical performances delivered by volunteers, including one woman performing for her own 98-year-old mother.
The controversy has reignited debate about how far aged care providers should go in charging older Australians for everyday experiences that many families believe should be part of basic care and community life.
At the centre of the backlash is Blue Haven Bonaira in Kiama, a facility operated by for-profit provider Hall & Prior. Residents were offered access to entertainment and lifestyle activities through an “Additional Services” package costing $20 a day, with non-members charged $15 to attend individual performances.
Volunteer pianist Katrina Evans said she was shocked to discover her mother, Madeline, would effectively need to pay to watch her daughter perform.
Evans has been volunteering at the home for years, regularly playing piano for residents and tailoring songs to bring comfort and joy to older people, including her own mother. She said the idea of charging residents to attend volunteer-run performances crossed a line.
“Nobody should be making money from volunteers,” she argued.
The issue quickly gained attention among other volunteers and family members, many of whom questioned whether the charging model reflected the spirit of aged care reform or simply the commercialisation of community activities.
After weeks of complaints and correspondence from volunteers, management reversed the decision, confirming all residents would again be able to attend performances through a single shared activities program.
The dispute centres on changes introduced under Australia’s new aged care legislation, which allows providers to charge a Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF) for optional extras beyond standard care. These packages can include upgraded meals, alcohol, beauty services and additional lifestyle offerings.
However, critics argue volunteer entertainment should never have been bundled into a premium service.
Federal Aged Care Minister Sam Rae said providers are only permitted to charge for services that go “above and beyond” their required obligations, adding that charging residents to watch volunteer performances falls short of community expectations.
The matter has reportedly been referred to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
The controversy has also exposed broader concerns about inequality inside residential aged care.
Dr Christa Wood, who runs a dementia-inclusive choir that regularly performs in aged care homes, warned that charging for activities risks creating a divide between residents who can afford social engagement and those who cannot.
Music and shared activities are widely recognised as critical to wellbeing in aged care, particularly for residents living with dementia, social isolation and depression. Volunteers often play a major role in delivering these experiences, helping facilities create connection and community without adding significant operational costs.
Wood said attendance at volunteer performances had already started dropping after the fees were introduced, changing the atmosphere of events and reducing opportunities for residents to participate.
The situation has also intensified scrutiny of the growing financial pressures within aged care.
Blue Haven Bonaira, a multimillion-dollar waterfront facility once operated by local council, was sold to Hall & Prior after contributing to significant debt pressures. The home has since become symbolic of the sector’s shift toward increasingly commercial models of care.
Opposition spokeswoman Anne Ruston seized on the incident as evidence the new Aged Care Act is creating confusion around what providers can and cannot charge for.
But beyond the political blame game, the story has struck a nerve because it touches something deeply human: whether moments of joy, music and connection should ever become optional extras in aged care.
For many families and volunteers, the answer is simple. A singalong in a lounge room, a pianist playing old favourites, or residents dancing together should not depend on who can afford another fee.
They are not luxury inclusions.
They are part of what makes life worth living.
It’s providers like this that give us all a bad name; shame on them, it’s criminal behaviour.
Before my mother died in a private nursing home she fell over and fractured her pelvis. After mum died I spent about two years investigating her care. One of the more minor things I found in this horror show of brutality was that the nursing home was actually charging my Mum for a ‘lifestyle fee’ to attend yoga, etc. I did not get a refund for this fee until I pointed out that my Mum could not do yoga because she was actually in bed dying for about a month. I would encourage anyone who has a loved one incarcerated in one of these places to regularly audit the invoices (if you are allowed to see them of course).
I am truly sorry to hear about what your mother experienced; such behavior is indeed regrettable. This is precisely why I am determined to avoid nursing homes. I am grateful that we still have choices, provided we do not delay too long, as there may come a time when we are no longer able to make those decisions. I am 80 years old and have personally navigated the complexities with care providers for over nine years.