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Aged Care Assessments: what you need to know
To enter a government-funded residential care home, or access other government-funded aged care services, an assessment must be completed. The process involves an assessment to understand your needs and determine the appropriate level of support.
Receiving an ACAT assessment involves these five steps:
- Apply for an assessment (online or over the phone)
- Attend an in-person assessment at your home
- Find out the ACAT assessment outcome
- Find a provider
- Begin receiving services
1. Apply for an assessment (online or over the phone)
Have your Medicare card ready and apply for an assessment online via the My Aged Care website or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. My Aged Care is a service for older people run by the Australian Government.
This initial application will take at least 10 minutes and will provide a member of the My Aged Care contact centre an understanding of your health, how you’re being supported at home and what additional support you need now or may need in the future. You’re welcome to have a family member, friend or carer help guide you through the application or speak on your behalf.
If you require an interpreter, please contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450 and follow the prompts.
It will then be determined whether you require an assessment, which is conducted in-person at your home.
2. Attend your in-person assessment at your home
This assessment will determine whether you need support in the form of:
• Support at Home (formerly called Home Care Packages)
• A short-term care option (often called respite care)
• Moving into a Residential Care Home
For the assessment, you'll need:
- Medicare card and another form of identification (e.g. Department of Veterans’ Affairs card, driver’s license, healthcare card, passport)
- A copy of referrals from your doctor (if applicable)
- A support person (if you feel you need one)
- Information you already have about aged care services and any further questions
- The contact details of your doctor and other health professionals
- Special communication assistance e.g. translator or Auslan interpreter (if applicable)
During the assessment, your assessor will:
- ask you (and any support person you have present) if you agree to the assessment.
- ask you to complete an Application for Care Form.
- ask you some questions about the information you provided in your initial application to help them understand the level of care you need.
- work with you to write your support plan. The plan will outline your strengths, difficulties, goals and preferences.
Your assessor may also provide you with information about aged care services in your area.
3. Find out the assessment outcome
Your assessor will review all the information collected and you will be informed of the outcome by letter. You can also see the outcome by creating an online account with My Aged Care and linking your myGov account to your new My Aged Care account. Instructions on how to do this are available on the My Aged Care website.
The letter will contain:
the assessment outcome
the level and type of care for which you have been approved
the reasons and evidence behind the decision
your support plan.
4. Find a provider
The next step is to find a provider that offers the right aged care services in the location that works best for you (and your family).
Depending on availability, Eldercare can assist with short-term restorative care, residential respite care, transition care and ongoing residential aged care services.
Browse our 13 locations to see if there is one suitable for you or call our experienced residential admissions team on 1300 925 414 to ask about availability.
Alternatively, you can use the find a provider tool on My Aged Care to look for locations that are in the suburb you prefer and are available now.
Are there waiting times?
There may be waiting times, depending on which service you have been approved for. This will depend on the provider you choose and their availability.
5. Begin receiving services
Once you’ve picked a provider, their team will help you through the process to begin receiving services.
Navigating the aged care system can be confusing. Eldercare’s friendly residential admissions team have a combined 25 years of experience providing support to older people and their families. Give them a call on 1300 925 414 during business hours or email admissions@eldercare.net.au and they will be in touch.
Information is current as 1 November 2025 and is subject to change without notice.
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