The Single Assessment System will have three key parts:
- Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT): From 1 July 2024, the IAT started as the new tool for assessing eligibility for Australian Government-funded care.
- Single Assessment System workforce: As of 9 December 2024, existing assessment teams will combine into a single workforce, providing consistent care even as client needs change.
- New First Nations assessment organisation support: Rolling out from 1 July, First Nations assessment organisations to provide more culturally safe pathways for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
The new system will provide a single assessment pathway to access all government-funded in-home, flexible care and entry to residential care. It is expected to:
- be simpler to navigate
- ensure people only need to tell their story once
- adapt to an individual’s changing needs, without having to change assessment provider
- ensure access to assessments in regional, rural and remote areas
- have shorter wait times for assessments
These updates aim to create a streamlined, person-centred aged care system that simplifies aged care assessments and aims to ensure older Australians receive consistent and timely care.
For more details, visit the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website here.