The ACAT Process

Step 1: Check your eligibility

To find out if you’re eligible, there are actually two assessments involved. You first need to do a simple preliminary assessment by phone or email to see if you qualify for an ACAT assessment, then the actual face-to-face ACAT assessment can go ahead.  You can access the first one via My Aged Care’s online assessment tool or by calling 1800 200 422.

During the initial assessment, you may be asked:

• Your age
• Which aged care services you’re interested in (if you know)
• Any medical assessments or referrals you’ve had to date
• How you manage with day-to-day activities
• If you have any health issues or concerns about your safety.

Step 2: Have your face-to-face assessment

An ACAT representative will visit you at your own home or in hospital (if you’ve been admitted) so that they can assess your needs for care and support. Consider having a family member or your carer with you. Beyond offering extra comfort, they may also make it much easier to provide the assessor with necessary information or make the process a bit smoother for you generally.

What to prepare before your assessment:

• Your contact details (address, telephone and email address)
• Medicare card details
• Medicare card and contact details of your nominated representative (if you wish for someone else, such as a family member, to speak or act on your behalf)

Expect to discuss and go through:

• Your health, lifestyle and general wellbeing (having recent medical records on hand can help)
• Things you can do well and tasks you need help with
• Support you currently receive, such as care and help provided by friends or family
• Copies of any referrals from your doctor
• The types of aged care services that can meet your needs
• Service providers in your area.

Step 3: Organise an income and asset assessment

You’ll also need to arrange an income and asset assessment to calculate how much you can afford to contribute towards the cost of your aged care services. The Government then uses this to determine how much funding you receive for care services.

Depending on the type of aged care service you are looking for, your income and asset assessment will be conducted by either Services Australia or The Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA).

Applying for a Home Care Package: If you have been assessed as being able to contribute, you may be asked to pay an income-tested care fee towards your Home Care Package.

Moving into an aged care centre: Depending on the outcome of your assessment, you may be asked to pay a means-tested care fee and accommodation costs.

Step 4: Get your assessment outcome

After your face-to-face assessment, your information will be reviewed and you’ll find out by letter if you’re eligible. This letter will tell you:

• Which Government-funded aged care services you’ve been approved for
• Your referral codes for those services (which you’ll need when you try to access those services from us)
• Your care plan

Once you’re approved for a package, you’ll be placed in the Government’s national queue until it’s allocated to you. There is currently a large demand for Home Care Packages and they’re allocated through a priority system, based on the date of approval and the priority for care.

Step 5: Organise your aged care services

Once you’re approved to receive aged care services, it’s time to find a suitable provider. If you haven’t already, contact us to discuss:

• Your personal needs and desires
• Our home care services or aged care centres near you
• Your culture and language options
• Our empathetic and experienced staff
• Costs and fees

If you have chosen IRT as the provider that best meets your needs, we will work with you to develop a plan based on your care needs, goals and what is important to you. Before your services begin, we’ll provide you with a formal agreement to review.