If you are the client – and you are looking for aged care for yourself - that’s easy, just continue reading ‘How to get a client record’ below.
If you are not the client
If you are not the client – for example, a spouse or friend calling on behalf of the client - you will need to show that you have the person’s permission to act on their behalf. See 2.2 Legal permission to act on someone’s behalf
If the person who is the client is there with you, they can give their verbal permission to get the process started.
If the client has dementia or other another health issue that limits their ability to understand the process or give permission, you will need to have legal permission to act on their behalf 2.3 Legal permission to act on someone’s behalf.
How can I get a client record?
1. Call the My Aged Care Contact Centre yourself
You can phone the My Aged Care contact centre directly on 1800 200 422. It is staffed by real people, who will answer the phone, ask you some questions and take you through the process of creating a client record.
The My Aged Care contact centre is open from 8am - 8pm Monday to Friday and from 10am - 2pm Saturday, everywhere in Australia.
2. Ask someone from an aged care home (nursing home) to help you
If you have already started talking to an aged care home (nursing home) that you are interested in, a staff member from that home may also help you set this up.
What to expect
In the aged care system, the person who needs the care is referred to as ‘the client’.
An explanation of the process
The My Aged Care Contact Centre staff member will explain the process they will undertake with you and ask for your permission to create a client record. If you creating a client record on behalf of someone else, that person will need to give their permission or you will have to provide other evidence that you have permission to do so.
You will need to provide some personal information about the client, including:
- full name
- address and contact details
Plus:
- medicare number
A series of questions
The My Aged Care Contact Centre staff member will ask some questions and conduct a simple screening process over the phone to get a basic understanding of your situation and needs.
The questions will include:
- any current or future health concerns
- how well you are managing at home with your daily life
- any safety concerns you have such as fainting or falling or security at home or concerns about abuse
Plus:
- any forms of support or help you currently have in place
The process of creating your client record could take up to 30 minutes or so.
A referral for an assessment of your needs
You will need to have an assessment by a specially trained person to work out which types of services will best meet your needs. You need to have this assessment before you can access any aged care services.
Types of assessment
There are two main types of assessment you can be referred for. See Tab 3: Getting assessed
Home support assessment
This is to identify what kinds of services might help you to stay independent and well at home. This kind of assessment will be recommended if you have less intensive support needs and could manage by getting some straightforward help at home.
Comprehensive assessment
This is for people with more complex support needs at home or who may need to move to an aged care home (nursing home). This assessment needs to be done by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) - or an Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) - if you are in Victoria. It is usually referred to as an ACAT or ACAS assessment.
The result
- Your basic client record will be created during this first contact with the My Aged Care Contact Centre. From here onwards, your client record will become the central file for all your details and interactions with the aged care system.
- You will be given your client number.
Plus:
- You will be advised of the next steps – usually this will be your referral to have the assessment see Tab 3: Getting assessed
Every client looking for a Commonwealth subsidised aged care service needs to have a client record. Having a client record ensures the information remains consistent and helps prevent you from having to repeat your details over and over.
The client record is created on the Government’s My Aged Care website. It contains all your relevant details in one central location, including:
- details about you and your carer(s)
- your assessed care needs
- your support plans
Plus:
- information about the services you receive
You and your carer or other representative can view and access your record, including updating personal details, reviewing your support plan and tracking the progress of referrals, using your myGov account.
Aged care service providers and assessors access your record through their own separate ‘portals’.
My Aged Care states that all personal information will be collected, used and disclosed with appropriate privacy consents and notifications, in compliance with relevant privacy laws. You can read the privacy provisions published by My Aged Care here
4 weeks
Time estimate to complete all of the tasks within this step, including all sub-steps.
