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
Previously, there were different assessment pathways. As a result, assessments were not consistent and older people often moved between assessment organisations as their needs changed.
The Single Assessment System will simplify and improve the experience of older people as they enter and progress through the aged care system by:
- providing a single assessment pathway for older people so they don’t have to change assessment providers as their needs change
- ensuring that older people only have to tell their story once
- ensuring access to assessments in regional, remote and rural areas
- reducing wait times to access aged care assessment.
The Single Assessment System for aged care responds to Recommendation 28 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
About the Single Assessment System
The Single Assessment System for aged care has 3 key parts:
- The Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) started as the new tool for assessing eligibility for Australian Government-funded aged care on 1 July 2024.
- The Single Assessment System workforce brought together 3 different assessment workforces on 9 December 2024.
- New First Nations assessment organisations will be rolled out from 1 July 2025 to provide more culturally safe pathways for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
We also introduced Triage Delegates who undertake a short triage process with an older person within 2 weeks of receiving referrals for an aged care needs assessment.
Who will be affected
The Single Assessment System will support about 500,000 older people who seek access to aged care services each year.
There are no changes to aged care eligibility requirements or referrals to urgent services.
New assessment tool
The IAT is the new tool to assess eligibility for Australian Government-subsidised aged care, replacing the National Screening and Assessment Form.
The tool collects 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
As of 9 December 2024, the Single Assessment System brought together and replaced the current aged care assessment workforces.
States and territory governments continue to deliver all hospital-based assessments.
Find out more about the Single Assessment System workforce.
First Nations assessments
From 1 July 2025, First Nations assessment organisations will ensure assessments:
- are culturally safe
- are trauma informed
- better connect older First Nations people with appropriate services.
Stay up to date
For updates about the new Single Assessment System, subscribe to the aged care sector newsletter and alerts.
Related topics
- 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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