How to Get Your Elderly Parent an Aged Care Assessment
You've noticed Mum struggling with the stairs, or Dad forgetting to take his medication. You know something needs to change — but the aged care system feels like a maze. This guide walks you through every step, from the first phone call to the outcome letter.
Over 250,000 Australians complete an aged care assessment every year. Yet 30% of families don't know the process exists until a crisis forces them to find out. Don't wait for a fall or a hospital admission. Getting assessed early gives your parent access to services that keep them safely at home — often for years longer.
ACAT assessments completed per year
average wait time for assessment
of families don’t know this exists
assessments cost nothing
What Is an Aged Care Assessment?
An aged care assessment is a free, government-funded evaluation of your parent's care needs. A trained health professional visits your parent at home (or in hospital) and assesses their physical, cognitive, and social functioning. The outcome determines what government-subsidised services they can access.
Think of it as the “gateway” to aged care funding. Without an assessment, your parent cannot access Home Care Packages, residential aged care, or most respite services. It's not a test they can fail — it's a conversation about what support they need.
Important: Assessments are entirely voluntary. Your parent has the right to refuse. But gently explaining that the assessment opens doors to help — without any obligation to accept services — usually addresses their concerns.
ACAT vs ACAS vs RAS: Which Assessment Does Your Parent Need?
This is where most families get confused. There are two tiers of assessment, and the name changes depending on which state you're in.
| Assessment Type | Full Name | States | What It Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAS | Regional Assessment Service | All states | CHSP (basic services: meals, transport, social support) |
| ACAT | Aged Care Assessment Team | NSW, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT | Home Care Packages (L1-4), residential care, respite |
| ACAS | Aged Care Assessment Service | Victoria only | Same as ACAT (different name, same function) |
Which one first? If your parent needs only light support (a cleaner, someone to drive them to appointments), start with a RAS assessment. If they need more intensive support or you think residential care might be on the horizon, request an ACAT/ACAS assessment directly. My Aged Care will guide you during the screening call.
Good to know: If a RAS assessor determines your parent's needs are higher than CHSP can provide, they'll refer them up to ACAT/ACAS automatically. You don't have to start the process again from scratch.
Step-by-Step: Getting an Assessment
Register with My Aged Care
Call 1800 200 422 (Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat 10am–2pm) or register online at myagedcare.gov.au. You can register on behalf of your parent with their consent. You’ll need their Medicare number, date of birth, and a description of their needs. The call takes about 20–30 minutes.
Phone Screening
During the call (or shortly after), a My Aged Care contact centre staff member will ask about your parent’s daily functioning, health conditions, and living situation. This is a screening — not the full assessment. They’ll determine whether your parent needs a RAS assessment or ACAT/ACAS assessment.
Referral to Assessment Organisation
My Aged Care sends the referral to a local assessment organisation. You’ll receive a referral code and letter. Keep these safe — you’ll need the code for future interactions. The assessment organisation will contact you within 2–10 business days to schedule the visit.
Assessment Home Visit
A trained assessor (usually a nurse, social worker, or allied health professional) visits your parent at home. The visit takes 1–3 hours. Your parent can have anyone present for support — including you. The assessor observes, asks questions, and reviews medical history. It’s a conversation, not an exam.
Outcome Letter
Within 2 weeks of the visit, your parent receives a letter detailing the approved services. For ACAT/ACAS, this includes the Home Care Package level (if applicable) and any residential care approvals. The letter is valid for 12 months and can be renewed.
How to Prepare Your Parent for the Assessment
This is critical. Many parents “perform” better than their daily reality during assessments. They tidy the house, get dressed nicely, and insist they're fine. This can lead to an outcome that underestimates their actual needs.
DO
- • Keep a diary of incidents for 2 weeks before the visit (falls, confusion, missed meals, medication errors)
- • Have a list of all medications ready (including dosages and what they're for)
- • List all current health conditions and specialists
- • Note any recent hospital visits or GP concerns
- • Be honest about what your parent can't do safely
- • Ask to speak privately with the assessor if needed
- • Request the assessment on a “bad day” if possible
DON'T
- • Don't clean the house thoroughly before the visit — let the assessor see reality
- • Don't let your parent downplay their difficulties
- • Don't answer for your parent — let them speak, then add context
- • Don't assume the assessor will notice everything — speak up
- • Don't leave the room unless asked to — your input is valuable
- • Don't expect the outcome on the day — it takes up to 2 weeks
What the Assessor Evaluates
The assessment covers six key domains. Understanding these helps you prepare evidence and examples for each area.
| Domain | What They're Looking At | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Activities of Daily Living (ADL) | Basic self-care tasks | Bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, grooming, walking |
| Instrumental ADL (IADL) | Complex daily tasks | Cooking, cleaning, laundry, managing medications, using the phone, shopping, paying bills |
| Cognition | Memory and thinking | Short-term memory, orientation (do they know the date/day?), problem-solving, judgement |
| Mobility | Movement and falls | Walking indoors/outdoors, using stairs, balance, history of falls, use of walking aids |
| Nutrition | Eating and hydration | Weight changes, meal preparation, food in the fridge, dehydration signs |
| Social and Emotional | Wellbeing and connection | Social contact, loneliness, mood, motivation, sleep, engagement in activities |
Pro tip: The assessor may ask your parent to demonstrate tasks (e.g., “Show me how you make a cup of tea”). This isn't to embarrass them — it's to observe their actual ability rather than relying on self-report, which often overestimates independence.
Possible Assessment Outcomes
The outcome letter will approve your parent for one or more types of care. Here's what each level means and what funding is attached.
| Outcome | Annual Budget (2026) | Typical Services | Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHSP (via RAS) | Subsidised per-service | Meals, transport, social groups, basic home help | 2–4 weeks |
| HCP Level 1 | ~$9,750/year | Weekly cleaner, meal delivery, basic personal care | 1–3 months |
| HCP Level 2 | ~$17,250/year | Personal care, nursing, allied health, social support | 3–6 months |
| HCP Level 3 | ~$37,750/year | Daily personal care, clinical care, equipment | 6–12 months |
| HCP Level 4 | ~$57,250/year | High-level care needs, almost equivalent to residential | 12–18 months |
| Residential Care | Government-subsidised | Full-time aged care facility placement | Varies by region |
| Respite Care | Up to 63 days/year | Planned or emergency residential respite | 2–4 weeks |
The waiting list problem: Being approved for a Home Care Package doesn't mean you get one immediately. As of early 2026, wait times for Level 3 and 4 packages can exceed 12 months. While waiting, your parent may receive interim CHSP services at a lower level. This is why early assessment matters — get in the queue before the crisis.
What to Do If You Disagree with the Outcome
If you believe the assessment underestimated your parent's needs — and this happens more often than it should — you have options.
Step 1: Request a Review
Contact the assessment organisation that conducted the assessment and ask for a formal review. Provide any new evidence: a GP letter, hospital discharge summary, or your diary of incidents. Reviews are free and usually completed within 2 weeks.
Step 2: Complain to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
If the review doesn’t resolve your concerns, lodge a complaint with the Commission on 1800 951 822. They can investigate and direct the assessment organisation to reassess.
Step 3: Request a Reassessment
You can request a completely new assessment at any time if your parent’s condition has changed. There’s no penalty for requesting a second opinion. A different assessor may reach a different conclusion.
Step 4: Seek Advocacy
Free, independent aged care advocates can help you navigate the system. Contact the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) on 1800 700 600. They can attend the assessment with your parent and ensure their needs are properly represented.
Timeline: How Long Does the Whole Process Take?
| Stage | Typical Timeframe | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| My Aged Care phone registration | 20–30 minutes | One phone call |
| Referral to assessment organisation | 1–5 business days | Automatic after screening |
| Wait for assessment appointment | 2–6 weeks | Longer in regional areas; faster if flagged urgent |
| Assessment home visit | 1–3 hours | Usually one visit; complex cases may need two |
| Outcome letter | 1–2 weeks after visit | Posted and available on My Aged Care portal |
| Wait for HCP (if approved) | 1–18 months | Depends on package level; interim CHSP available |
| TOTAL (registration to services) | 1–3 months | For CHSP; 3–18+ months for HCP |
Tips to Speed Up the Assessment Process
Get a GP referral letter
While not required, a letter from your parent’s GP outlining their conditions and care needs carries weight. Ask the GP to specifically mention safety concerns, fall history, and cognitive decline.
Request priority assessment
If your parent has just been discharged from hospital, had a fall, or their carer (you) is at breaking point, tell My Aged Care this during screening. Priority assessments can happen within days.
Have all documents ready
Medicare card, pension card, medication list, specialist reports, hospital discharge summaries. Having these ready prevents delays at every stage.
Register online first
Create a My Aged Care account at myagedcare.gov.au before calling. This pre-fills some information and can shorten the phone screening.
Follow up proactively
If you haven’t heard from the assessment organisation within 10 business days, call My Aged Care again. Referrals occasionally get lost in the system.
Use a hospital social worker
If your parent is currently in hospital, ask the hospital social worker to initiate the assessment. Hospital-initiated assessments are prioritised and can be completed before discharge.
While You Wait: How Daily Calls Fill the Gap
The biggest risk during the assessment waiting period is that nobody is checking on your parent daily. CHSP services haven't started yet. Home Care Packages are months away. And you can't call every single day without burning out.
Daily Safety Check
A daily wellness call confirms your parent is safe, alert, and coping. If something is wrong, you’re notified immediately — not after a neighbour notices the curtains haven’t been opened.
Evidence for Assessment
Call summaries and mood tracking provide documented evidence of your parent’s daily functioning. Share these with the assessor to support the assessment.
Reduces Your Anxiety
Knowing someone checks on your parent every day removes the constant mental background noise of “are they okay?” This is especially valuable if you live far away.
Key Contacts for Aged Care Assessment
| Organisation | Phone | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| My Aged Care | 1800 200 422 | Registration, screening, referrals |
| Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) | 1800 700 600 | Free aged care advocacy |
| Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission | 1800 951 822 | Complaints and concerns |
| Carer Gateway | 1800 422 737 | Carer support, respite, counselling |
| Dementia Australia | 1800 100 500 | Dementia-specific assessment support |
| DVA (Veterans) | 1800 555 254 | Veterans’ aged care assessments |
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