An aged care assessment is an important step towards accessing Australian Government-funded aged care services. If you are new to the aged care system, it is natural to feel unsure what to expect
You might be wondering what the assessor will ask, what you need to have ready, or how much detail you should share about the things you find difficult.
The good news is that you do not need to have everything perfectly organised before your appointment. An aged care assessment is a conversation about your life, what you can manage independently, where things have become harder and what you would like to keep doing.
A little preparation can simply make that conversation easier.
An aged care assessment is an assessment of your needs to help determine your eligibility for Australian Government-funded aged care services.
It looks at your circumstances as a whole. That means the conversation is not limited to medical conditions or diagnoses. An assessor may ask about your health, how you manage everyday activities, the support you currently receive, your home environment, your social connections and the things you would like to continue doing.
For someone hoping to continue living independently at home, an assessment may help identify eligibility for entry-level support through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme or more ongoing or complex assistance through Support at Home. An aged care assessment is required to determine eligibility for Support at Home.
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Term |
What it means |
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The Australian Government’s gateway to government-funded aged care services. You can apply for an assessment through My Aged Care. |
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Aged care needs assessment |
The process used to understand your needs and determine which government-funded aged care services you may be eligible for. |
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Assessor |
A trained professional from an aged care assessment organisation who carries out your assessment. |
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Support plan |
A record of what is identified through your assessment, including your strengths, areas where you experience difficulty, your goals and the types of support that may be suitable. |
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The Australian Government program providing in-home aged care services for eligible older Australians. |
No.
Your aged care needs assessment looks at your care needs and eligibility for aged care services.
An income and assets assessment is a separate process that may be used to determine how much you are asked to contribute towards certain Support at Home services. For most people who require one, this financial assessment is handled by Services Australia.
During an aged care assessment, an assessor talks with you about how you are managing now, what matters to you and what services could make everyday life easier.
The exact conversation will depend on your circumstances, so there is no single list of questions everyone receives.
Generally, you can expect your assessor to:
Assessors use questions, observations and relevant information to understand your care needs. For example, the conversation may cover your mobility, personal care, memory, household tasks, medications, social activities or how safely you can move around your home.
So, for example, the conversation may cover your mobility, personal care, memory, household tasks, medications, social activities or how safely you can move around your home.
The aim is to understand your everyday life.
Aged care assessments are generally conducted in person at your home or current residence.
Being at home can give your assessor helpful context. Something that sounds simple in conversation, such as getting into the shower, reaching the clothesline or walking down the front steps, may be easier to understand when the assessor can see the environment you are describing.
Arrangements can vary depending on individual circumstances, including assessments conducted in hospitals or other settings, so follow the instructions provided by your assessment organisation.
You can choose to have someone with you during your assessment.
That might be:
Having someone there is entirely your choice. You might prefer to speak with the assessor yourself, or you might find it useful to have another person there to help remember details, ask questions or provide additional support.
A registered supporter can also help you make and communicate decisions about aged care, including during the assessment process.
If English is not your preferred language or you need communication assistance, support is available. My Aged Care provides access to services including the Translating and Interpreting Service, the National Relay Service and sign language support. Independent advocacy is also available through the Older Persons Advocacy Network.
You do not need to prepare a huge folder of paperwork.
Aged care assessment preparation is mostly about taking some time to think about what daily life actually looks like for you.
Here are a few things worth considering beforehand.
Start with your normal day.
Are there tasks you used to do easily that now take longer, leave you tired, cause discomfort or make you feel less safe?
Examples might include:
These are only examples. You do not need to experience any particular problem to be eligible for an assessment.
Try to think about the tasks that are relevant to your life.
For example, saying "I can still cook" may not tell the whole story if standing at the kitchen bench now causes significant pain and you mostly rely on frozen meals as a result.
Similarly, you might technically be able to clean the bathroom, but need two days to recover afterwards.
Those details help explain what managing independently actually involves.
Depending on your assessed needs, available aged care services can range from clinical care and allied health through to cleaning, gardening, transport, social support and home modifications.
An aged care assessment is not only about what you cannot do. Your goals matter too. Think about what you want to keep doing.
You might want to
These goals give the assessor a clearer picture of what meaningful support could look like for you.
For example, if staying mobile is important, services such as physiotherapy or exercise physiology may be relevant depending on your assessment. Suncare provides these as part of our clinical care services.
If safety around the home is becoming a concern, assistive technology or changes such as grab rails and ramps may also be worth discussing.
Think about the people and services that currently help you. That could include:
It is also helpful to explain how dependable that support is.
For example, your daughter may take you shopping every week now, but she may also work full-time and have children of her own. A neighbour might help with the bins occasionally, but that does not necessarily mean they can provide regular support.
Having a few relevant details nearby can still be useful, such as:
Your assessment organisation can tell you if there is anything specific they want you to have available.
Writing down your questions beforehand can help. You could ask:
Keep your list somewhere easy to reach during the appointment.
If you have spent most of your life being independent, saying you need help can feel unfamiliar. You may automatically say “I’m fine” or talk about what you can manage on a good day.
An assessment works best when it reflects your harder days too. Try to describe what a difficult day looks like, as well as a typical one.
If some days are much harder than others, say so. If you can shower independently but worry about falling, explain that. If you can prepare dinner but no longer have the energy to do it every night, mention how often that happens. If your son does the gardening because you cannot manage the mower anymore, include that too. The goal is for the assessor to understand life as you actually experience it, including the hardest days.
Useful things to explain include:
The goal is simply to make sure the assessor understands life as you actually experience it.
Before your assessment, take a few minutes to work through this checklist:
If you are supporting a parent, partner or someone close to you, you can help them prepare without taking over the conversation.
You might:
Sometimes another person notices gradual changes that are easy to overlook when you live with them every day. For example, Dad might say he still does his own shopping, while you have noticed he now only goes when someone can drive him. That can be useful context, but the person being assessed should remain at the centre of the conversation wherever possible.
Tell your assessor about any significant recent changes, particularly if they have affected what you can do day to day.
That could include:
Try to explain the practical effect of the change.
Rather than only saying, "I was recently in hospital", you could explain that since coming home you have struggled to stand long enough to prepare meals or no longer feel confident showering without someone nearby.
If your needs change significantly after an assessment, support plan reviews and reassessments may be available where appropriate.
Assessment wait times vary, so there is no single timeframe that applies to everyone.
Timing can depend on factors including the type and priority of the assessment and local assessment capacity.
If your circumstances change significantly while you are waiting, particularly if your needs become urgent or you are concerned about your safety, contact My Aged Care or an appropriate health professional rather than assuming you need to wait for the original appointment.
After your assessment, you will receive information about the outcome.
If you are eligible for government-funded aged care, this can include a Notice of Decision, your support plan and information you need to access approved services.
Once you know your assessment outcome, the next steps may include understanding your funding, considering potential costs, comparing providers and deciding how you would like your approved services delivered.
Once you have a clearer idea of the support you are eligible for, you can start looking at providers and considering what matters to you.
Suncare is a Queensland-based not-for-profit provider supporting older Australians to continue living at home and staying connected to their communities.
Support can include everyday help around the home, clinical and allied health care, transport, social connection, personal support and services designed to help you stay independent.
If you are starting to explore your options, you can learn about Support at Home with Suncare or browse our aged care services to see the kinds of support available.
Your assessment is simply the starting point. Taking a little time beforehand to think about what is working, what has become harder and what you want to keep doing can help make the conversation clearer and more useful.
Yes. You can choose to have a family member, friend, carer, registered supporter or another trusted person with you. Independent advocacy support is also available if you would like it.
Usually. Assessments are generally conducted face-to-face at your home or current residence, although circumstances can vary.
Your assessment organisation can tell you if anything specific is required. It can be useful to have identification, your Medicare details, health professional contact information and any relevant referral or health information nearby.
Questions vary according to your circumstances. Expect to talk about your health, how you manage daily activities, the help you currently receive, your home and social circumstances, your goals and areas where extra support may be useful.
That is understandable. You do not need rehearsed answers. Spend a little time thinking about your normal routine and where you need help, write down any questions and consider having someone you trust with you if that would make you more comfortable.
Yes. My Aged Care provides access to interpreting and communication support, including the Translating and Interpreting Service and services for people with hearing or speech impairments.
If your care needs, circumstances or goals change, a support plan review or reassessment may be appropriate. Contact My Aged Care or discuss the change with your provider to understand the next step.