How do I get an aged care assessment?
Before you can move into an aged care home you need to have an assessment through the government’s My Aged Care, to establish the level of care you need.
Aged care assessments are conducted by Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs), which are made up of medical, nursing and allied health professionals. Their assessments are usually conducted in your home.
From 1 July 2024, ACATs will use the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) to assess the eligibility of older people for government-subsidised in-home and residential aged care. The IAT will replace the National Aged Care Screening and Assessment Form (NSAF).
The change is part of the move to a Single Assessment System (SAS).
As part of the SAS, the Department of Health and Aged Care will also change the way assessments are done.
A new Single Assessment System workforce will replace:
- ACATs, which are currently used for people who may need care through Home Care Packages, residential aged care, transition care, or short-term restorative care,
- Regional Assessment Services, which are used to assess older people for entry-level support delivered by the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), and
- Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) assessors, who asses residential aged care funding.
The type of assessment you are referred to will depend on the information you give My Aged Care. If the information you give My Aged Care sounds like you will need a higher level of care, you may be recommended for a comprehensive assessment with an ACAT assessor.
ACATs are called Aged Care Assessment Services (ACAS) in Victoria.