After My Aged Care has referred you to an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) in your area, a member of the ACAT team will give you a call to make a time to come and see you.
Know that
The ACAT team may also ask your permission to talk to your doctor to discuss your medical history before they meet with you.
It’s normal to feel a bit anxious about the prospect of ‘getting assessed’, especially if you’ve been feeling below par anyway.
It helps to have a clear understanding of what will happen - and what won't happen - at your ACAT assessment.
Remember:
- The assessment is just a way of working out how much help you need and what types of care and services you may be eligible for.
- The process follows clear guidelines set out in the Commonwealth government aged care legislation.
- You will be able to express your own views and thoughts and be listened to – this is an important part of the assessment process.
- You won’t be forced to make any decisions at this time.
- You can have a friend or relative with you the whole time.
- You can ask for an interpreter if you need one
What will happen at the ACAT assessment?
- Usually only one member of the ACAT team will come to you to conduct the assessment and gather all the information. That member will consult with the other members of the team later, drawing on their knowledge and skills, to finalise the assessment and make recommendations
- While the time it takes can vary, you can generally expect the assessment to take between 45 minutes and 75 minutes
- You will be asked to answer some formal questions at the start to be sure that you understand the process, including:
- whether you want to apply for approval to be able to receive certain aged care services; and
- whether you give your permission for the assessment to take place
Plus:
- The person from the ACAT will explain the different kinds of service options to you and answer any questions you might have. If you agree to proceed, you will be asked to sign an application form. (You can give permission for someone else to sign on your behalf – see: 2.3. Legal permission to act on someone’s behalf
You will be asked some questions about your general situation and your health, including:
- how you are managing with your day-to-day living activities and whether you need help with any of them
- what support and assistance you have from family and friends or others
- how your general state of health is
- what specific health conditions you have;
- what medications you are taking
- whether you have any problems with your memory
The person from the ACAT will have a discussion with you and your carer about some of the options, including:
- whether they think you might be able to keep living in your own home and how that could potentially work;
- if they think you might be better supported in an aged care home (nursing home)
- your own views and preferences
The person from the ACAT will also give you information about the services that are available in your local area.
You will be given the opportunity to express your views, make additional comments or ask questions. You can do this any time.
The person from the ACAT who has conducted the assessment will tell you what will happen next. This involves taking your assessment information back to the Aged Care Assessment Team to make a decision about the type and level of care they believe you are eligible for.
Your personal information, including your medical information, will be treated in confidence.
What won't happen at the ACAT assessment?
- You won't be required to make any decisions at the time of the assessment
- Your views and questions won't be criticied, rejected or ignored
Plus:
- You won't be told the outcome of your assessment. That will be determined afterwards by the ACAT, using the information from the assessment. You will be advised then.
If you are not satisified with the way the ACAT assessment went for you, you can make a complaint.
Remember, you have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times. If you are not satisfied with the way the ACAT assessment went for you, you can make a complaint. The My Aged Care website has a complaints page that explains how you can do this.
It is possible that you will have more than one ACAT assessment over your aged care journey as your health and well-being requires increased levels of care support and government funding.
Annie Donaldson
agedcare101 Registered Nurse and carer
8 weeks
Time estimate to complete all of the tasks within this step, including all sub-steps.
