My Aged Care is an Australian Government initiative, managed by the Department of Health.

Aged Care Decisions is a fast, free and independent service that works with families to assist in finding aged care and home care services for a loved one.

Starting point and first point of contact to access government-funded aged care services.

Determines eligibility for government-funded aged care services through an Aged Care Assessment.

Organises face-to-face and phone aged care assessments.

Check what services you or your loved one are already receiving.

Check if the aged care service providers are meeting Quality and Compliance standards.

You or a loved one can contact My Aged Care online or over the phone. The My Aged Care staff are trained to provide support during the aged care journey. If you or a loved one speaks another language or has a hearing or vision impairment, the staff at My Aged Care are able to provide additional support. Depending on your specific care needs, you can choose from the following phone numbers:

Initially, you will need to fill out an online form to see if you are eligible for a face-to-face or phone assessment. www.myagedcare.gov.au/assessment/apply-online

Once eligible, the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) or ACAS in Victoria, will organise the Aged Care Assessment with you.

• Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)
• Home Care Package (HCP) – Levels 1–4
• Respite care
• Transition Care Program
• Government-funded residential aged care facility

These aged care options provide support in a number of areas, including:

• Personal care
• Transport
• Shopping
• Meals
• Nursing
• Gardening
• Household tasks
• Social activities
• Home modifications
• Mobility equipment

The CHSP and HCP Levels 1–2 provide basic and low-level care for more simple care needs, while HCP Levels 3–4 and residential aged care offer high-level support for more complex needs.

Respite care offers a short-term break for regular carers and a change of routine for the person receiving care, while also being available in emergencies. The Transition Care Program provides support for eligible seniors who are transitioning out of hospital or into an aged care home.

Yes, you need an Aged Care Assessment to access government-subsidised aged care services. Without an assessment, you will be required to pay the maximum level of fees.

Aged Care Decisions cannot organise an Aged Care Assessment on your behalf. You will need to contact My Aged Care to organise an Aged Care Assessment.
Web: An assessment can be booked online by going to My Aged Care’s Website.
Phone: Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

An assessment can also be requested by a GP, a doctor, a hospital nurse or administrator, a community nurse or other health care practitioners.

For an assessment, you should:

• have your Medicare card and one other form of ID proof – such as DVA card, driver’s license, healthcare card, or passport 
• have a copy of any referrals from your doctor
• consider if you would like a support person present
• have any information you already have about aged care services that you may want to discuss
• have contact details for your GP or other health professionals
• consider if you need special assistance to communicate, such as a translator or Auslan interpreter
• have information on any support you receive.

An Aged Care Assessment is a face to face interview with a member of the government’s Aged Care Assessment Team, in this interview a comprehensive evaluation of the physical, medical, psychological, cultural, social and restorative care needs of a potential aged care resident is conducted.

Before starting, your assessor will ask if you agree to have the assessment. They may also ask for your permission to talk to people who support you, such as family, or your carer.

The outcome of this assessment will determine if the potential aged care resident is eligible for government subsidised aged care services and what level of service is most suitable. The outcome is communicated in writing through a letter addressed to the person who took the assessment.

An assessment will occur within 30 days of a request being submitted. If the potential resident is in hospital an assessment will occur within 1-5 days. The assessment itself takes approximately three hours, and can occur in a potential resident’s own home, or in a hospital. An assessment outcome letter will typically be sent within a week of an assessment occurring.

The Aged Care Assessment is a vital step that must be completed before entering aged care. It is the key element that determines whether someone is eligible to receive government subsidised aged care services or not.

Once the assessment is complete and approved, the Aged Care Assessment team will send the potential aged care recipient a letter. This is the assessment letter and forms a part of your support plan. 

The outcome of the assessment is called ‘My Support Plan’ (MSP) or ‘National Screening and Assessment Form’ (NSAF).  You can access this information via your online account.

The Assessment Letter will contain: 

• The reasons and evidence supporting the decision
• MSP provides approvals for different government services, e.g., home cleaning, home support, respite in aged care or permanent aged care
• Each approval has a ‘Referral Code’

Aged Care Assessment outcome letters after 2016 will contain a series of 12 digit referral codes (e.g. 1-XXXXXXXXXXX). You may see Referral Codes for ‘Residential-Permanent’, ‘Residential Respite – Low Care’ or ‘Residential Respite – High Care’. A referral code approves a person for certain types of government subsidised services.

These codes will be required for Aged Care Decisions to gather appropriate aged care vacancy options. An aged care provider will use this code to log into My Aged Care and view a potential resident’s care plan. If a potential resident has not been approved for aged care services via the assessment outcome letter, a reassessment can be organised if a change occurs in medical circumstances or coping abilities.

Once assessed, applicants are given a referral code. Aged care service providers use this code to access your aged care plan. The referral code gives access to aged care services, so it’s important to ask for one if one hasn’t been provided.

Yes, to access CHSP funding you will need to access the My Aged Care system either online or by calling the My Aged Care Contact Centre on 1800 200 422.

If you’ve had an assessment in the past, there may come a time when you need to be reassessed.

The assessment you had would have been based on the needs that you had at that time. However, circumstances can change. 

You may find that since your last assessment, your needs have changed. Perhaps some other daily tasks have become more difficult for you. Learn more about appropriate options here. 

https://agedcaredecisions.com.au/what-is-my-aged-care/?swcfpc=1

https://agedcaredecisions.com.au/my-aged-care-guide/?swcfpc=1