About aged care assessments
A person needs to be assessed before they can access government-funded aged care services. An aged care assessment works out:
- a person’s care needs
- the types of care and services a person may be eligible for.
Why aged care assessment reform is important
The Single Assessment System will simplify and improve the experience of older people by providing a flexible system that can quickly adapt to their aged care needs.
Currently, there are different assessment pathways. As a result, assessments are not consistent and older people are often moved between assessment organisations as their needs change.
The new system will provide a single assessment pathway that can quickly adapt to changing needs, without having to change assessment providers.
About the Single Assessment System
The Single Assessment System will replace the:
- Regional Assessment Service (RAS) – used for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme
- Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) – used for:
- independent Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) assessors – used for residential aged care funding.
States and territory governments will continue to have a role in delivering aged care assessments as part of a broader Single Assessment Workforce in the new system.
First Nations assessment organisations will be introduced progressively from 1 July 2025 onwards to provide a culturally safe pathway for First Nations older people to access aged care.
When the Single Assessment System will start
As the first stage of implementing the Single Assessment System, we are introducing the new Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) from 1 July 2024.
Existing ACAT and RAS organisations will use the IAT to assess older people into in-home aged care programs and residential care.
From late 2024, ACAT, RAS and AN-ACC workforces will transition into the Single Assessment Workforce to deliver the Single Assessment System.
First Nations assessment organisations will be introduced progressively from 1 July 2025 onwards.
Who will be affected
The Single Assessment System will support about 500,000 older people who seek access to aged care services each year.
New assessment tool
The IAT will be the new tool to assess eligibility for Australian Government-subsidised aged care, replacing the National Screening and Assessment Form.
The tool will collect better information to ensure service recommendations and referrals are tailored to each person’s needs.
Read more about the IAT and how we trialled it to ensure it is ready for launch.
Single Assessment System workforce
We held a tender process for organisations with the capacity and capability to deliver aged care assessments for the Single Assessment System.
Find out more about the Request for Tender.
We will negotiate directly with state and territory governments.
Find out next steps for the Single Assessment System.
First Nations assessments
First Nations assessment organisations will ensure assessments:
- are culturally safe
- are trauma informed
- better connect older First Nations people with appropriate services.
Learn more
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Related topics
- Aged care assessment programs
- Australian National Aged Care Classification assessments
- Applying for an aged care assessment
- Preparing for your aged care assessment
- Reforming in-home aged care.
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