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.
Around 470,000 older people seek access to aged care services each year.
New single assessment system from 1 July 2024
We are establishing a new single assessment system from 1 July 2024 to simplify and improve access to aged care services.
This single assessment system will incorporate existing Regional Assessment Service (RAS), Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) and independent Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) assessors to conduct all assessments for aged care, including needs and residential aged care funding assessments.
First Nations assessment organisations will be introduced from 1 July 2025 to provide a culturally safe pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older people to access aged care.
Older people will be assessed into the existing in-home aged care programs until the Support at Home Program commences 1 July 2025.
Improving the aged care assessment experience
A 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 systems:
- RAS for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme
- ACAT for the Home Care Packages Program, Short-Term Restorative Care Programme, Transition Care Programme, residential respite and entry to residential aged care
- independent AN-ACC assessors for residential aged care funding.
This means older people are often moved between different assessment organisations as their needs change, and assessments are not consistent.
In the new system, older people will benefit from a single assessment pathway and no longer need to change assessment providers as their needs change.
We are also introducing a new assessment tool to collect better information to ensure service recommendations and referrals are tailored to each person’s needs.
First Nations assessment organisations will ensure the process is culturally safe, trauma informed and better connects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older people with appropriate services.
Find out more
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Related topics
- Aged care assessment programs
- AN-ACC assessments
- Apply for an aged care assessment - My Aged Care
- Preparing for your aged care assessment - My Aged Care
- Reforming in-home aged care
