Current location
You are here: help staying at home > eligibility and standards > being assessed > being assessed for community careHelp staying at home
Being assessed for community care
In Australia’s aged care system there are many services available to help and you have lots of different choices. Your local Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT or ACAS in Victoria) (more information) is made up of health care professionals who have experience with the system and can help you in many ways:
- with decisions about whether you can continue living at home with home help or if you should consider moving into an aged care home
- by providing information about aged care homes and home care services in your area
- by assessing your eligibility to receive aged care services
- by organising and approving care and support services
- by referring you to other services that may assist you, and
- by arranging short-term care, such as respite care (more information), so you or your carer can take a break.
Before your assessment
The assessment process is a lot easier than you may think. In this section we help you prepare for your ACAT visit.Read more: About what to do before your assessment
Your assessment
Your ACAT representative will ask you a series of questions and help decide which services best suit your needs.Read more: About what happens at your assessment
After your assessment
If you’ve been assessed as eligible for aged care (more information), you may start applying for the services that best suit your needs. It’s also worth knowing that you’ll need to reapply for assessment, if you have been approved for low level care and:- have not received care within 12 months, or
- your care needs have increased.
Related topic: Aged Care Assessment Team Reassessment Requirements
Will the assessment cost anything?
Aged Care Assessment Teams are government-funded, so you will not be charged for visits by team members.Complaints
It’s not always easy to complain about how a service is provided. Remember that even if a service is free, or there’s only a small fee, you still have the right to make a complaint – and also that complaints can actually help improve services, not just for yourself, but for others.Read more: About how to make a complaint
Common questions on this topic:
- I do not agree with the ACAT assessment of my relative. What can I do?
- Can I have someone with me while I'm having my ACAT assessment?
- What do I have to do to get ready for an ACAT assessment?
See more common questions on this topic | See all common questions