My Aged Care Referrals and the Single Assessment System: How Aged Care Assessments Work

Where the Aged Care Pathway Starts

If you or someone you care for is starting to need help at home, or thinking about residential care, the entry point is the same for everyone: My Aged Care. It is the Australian Government’s contact centre and website for aged care, and almost every government-funded aged care service is accessed through it. A my aged care referral is different from a specialist referral in an important way. A specialist referral sends you to a particular doctor. A My Aged Care referral starts a process that assesses what support you need and which services you can access.

Many families put this step off for too long, waiting until a crisis such as a fall or a hospital stay forces the issue. Starting earlier, while things are still manageable, usually leads to better outcomes and less stress, because the assessment and approval process takes time and services can then be arranged calmly rather than in a rush.

Who Can Make a Referral

There are three main ways into the system, and none requires anyone’s permission beyond the person who needs care.

Self-Referral

You can contact My Aged Care yourself, online or by phone on 1800 200 422, and ask for an assessment. You will be asked about your situation, what you are finding difficult, and what support you already have. This conversation is a screening step that determines what kind of assessment you need.

Family or Carer Referral

A family member, friend or carer can start the process on your behalf, with your agreement. My Aged Care will generally want to speak with you directly as well, and you can nominate a representative to talk to My Aged Care for you if that makes things easier. This is common when an older person finds phone calls or online forms difficult.

GP or Health Professional Referral

Your GP, or another health professional such as a hospital team, can refer you through an online referral form. This route is useful because your GP can include relevant information about your health and needs from the start, which helps the assessment reflect your real situation.

What Your GP Contributes

Even if you self-refer, your GP plays a valuable part. They can explain how your health conditions affect what you can manage at home, provide a health summary to support the assessment, and help you think through what kind of support would genuinely help. If you are unsure whether you need aged care services at all, a conversation with your GP is a sensible first step.

Your GP can also help with the practical side of ongoing health care as needs change, such as reviewing medicines and arranging referrals to allied health or specialists. For families managing prescriptions for an older relative, our guide to eScripts for seniors and carers explains how electronic prescriptions can make that easier.

The Assessment Itself

After the initial screening, you will usually be referred for an assessment with an aged care assessor from the Single Assessment System. Since 9 December 2024, this system has replaced the separate assessment services that existed before, including Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT) or ACAS in Victoria, and Regional Assessment Services. You may still see ACAT mentioned in older information, by health professionals, or in paperwork you already hold, but My Aged Care now arranges new assessments, and the single assessment workforce carries them out. State and territory governments still deliver assessments for people in hospital. The purpose is the same: to understand your needs and determine which services you are eligible for.

The assessment usually happens in person, often in your own home, and takes around an hour or more. The assessor will ask about your health, your daily activities, your living situation, your support network and your goals. It is not a test you can pass or fail. It is a conversation designed to get an accurate picture. My Aged Care explains what to expect in more detail.

How to Prepare

• Have your Medicare card and any Department of Veterans’ Affairs card ready.
• Prepare a list of current medicines and any health conditions.
• Think honestly about what you find difficult, rather than describing your best days.
• Ask a family member, carer or friend to be present if that helps.
• Write down any questions you want answered before the assessor leaves.

The most common mistake is understating difficulties. Many older people, understandably, want to present themselves as coping well. But the assessment can only recommend support for needs it knows about, so be candid about what is genuinely hard.

After the Assessment

Following the assessment, you will receive a decision about what types of care you are approved for. Depending on your needs, this might include help at home, such as cleaning, personal care, meals, transport or nursing, short-term care after a hospital stay, respite care to give carers a break, or approval for residential aged care.

Most government-funded help at home is now provided through Support at Home, which replaced Home Care Packages and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025. Entry-level support through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme continues separately for now. My Aged Care explains which program applies to you once your assessment is complete.

Approval and access are not always the same thing. For some services, particularly higher levels of support at home, there can be a wait between approval and a service becoming available. Knowing that in advance helps families plan. Keep in touch with My Aged Care about where you stand, and let them know if your needs change while you wait. For the general pattern of what happens after any referral is sent, see what happens after a referral is sent.

Understanding Referral Codes

Once you are approved for services, you will usually receive referral codes. These codes are how service providers access your approval and details through the My Aged Care system. You give the code to the provider you choose, and they use it to accept your referral and begin arranging services.

Keep your referral codes somewhere safe, and only share them with the providers you have decided to use. If you change your mind about a provider, or a code is not working, contact My Aged Care. You have a choice of provider, and it is worth contacting more than one to compare what they offer, how quickly they can start, and what costs you may be asked to contribute.

Signs It May Be Time to Start

There is rarely a single moment when aged care becomes necessary. More often, small changes build up. It may be time to start the conversation if you notice:

• Everyday tasks such as cleaning, cooking or shopping are becoming hard to keep up with.
• Personal care, such as showering or dressing, is taking longer or causing worry.
• Falls, near misses, or new unsteadiness on stairs or in the bathroom.
• Missed medicines, missed appointments or unpaid bills that are out of character.
• A carer who is exhausted, or worried about being able to continue.
• A recent hospital stay that has made returning home more difficult.

Any one of these is a reason to talk, not a reason to panic. Starting the process early usually means more choice and less pressure.

Talking to a Parent About Aged Care

For many families, the hardest part is not the paperwork but the conversation. An older person may see aged care as a loss of independence, when in practice the right support at home often helps people stay independent for longer. Choose a calm time rather than the middle of a crisis. Focus on what they want, such as staying in their own home, and frame support as a way to make that possible. Involve them in every step, including the assessment, and respect their decisions wherever they have the capacity to make them. A GP can be a helpful, neutral voice in these conversations.

Short-Term Care After a Hospital Stay

A hospital admission is often the point at which needs change suddenly. After a hospital stay, the Transition Care Program may provide short-term support for eligible older people as they recover and regain independence, and the hospital team can often start the referral before discharge. This is separate from the Restorative Care Pathway under Support at Home, which provides short-term allied health or nursing support based on an aged care assessment. If a family member is in hospital and you are worried about how they will manage at home, raise it with the ward team early, rather than on the day of discharge.

Residential Care: What the Decision Involves

Moving into residential aged care is a significant decision, emotionally and financially, and it should not be rushed. You will need an approval for residential care from an assessment first. Then it is worth visiting several homes, ideally at different times of day, and asking about staffing, activities, how health care and GP visits are arranged, how they handle specific needs such as dementia, and exactly what the costs will be.

Costs for residential care can include several different fees and accommodation payment options, and the rules are complex. Take time, ask for everything in writing, and consider independent financial advice before signing. A good home will expect questions and answer them clearly.

Culturally Appropriate Support

Aged care should respect a person’s culture, language and background. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders can access culturally appropriate support, including through Aboriginal community controlled organisations and dedicated support workers in some areas. People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can ask for interpreters during assessment and can look for providers that specialise in particular languages or communities. Raise these needs early so they shape the assessment and the choice of provider.

Where Telehealth Helps

For older people who find travel difficult, telehealth can make routine health care much easier. GP reviews, prescription renewals, medication discussions and some specialist follow-ups can often be done by phone or video, with a family member or carer joining the call to help. It does not replace in-person care where an examination is needed, but it can reduce the number of tiring trips and make it easier to keep health care on track while aged care arrangements are being put in place.

Equipment and Home Changes

Support at home is not only about people coming in to help. An assessment can also lead to equipment, such as mobility aids, shower chairs or bed rails, and to home modifications such as grab rails or ramps. An occupational therapist can assess the home and recommend changes that make everyday tasks safer. Small changes often make a large difference to confidence and safety, and are worth raising at the assessment even if they seem minor.

Memory Concerns and Dementia

If memory or thinking changes are part of the picture, start with a GP appointment, since some causes of memory problems are treatable and a proper assessment matters. Where dementia is diagnosed or suspected, planning early is especially important, because it allows the person to take part in decisions about their future care while they are able to. The National Dementia Helpline, on 1800 100 500, offers free information and support for people living with dementia and their families. Let My Aged Care and the assessor know about memory concerns, since they affect the type of support that will help.

Planning Ahead

Aged care decisions are easier when wishes have been discussed and recorded in advance. Advance care planning means thinking about the kind of care a person would want if they became unable to speak for themselves, and writing it down. Legal arrangements, such as appointing someone to make financial or health decisions on a person’s behalf, differ between states and territories, so it is worth getting the right forms for where you live. Advance Care Planning Australia provides free information and state-specific documents.

None of this has to happen at once, and none of it takes away a person’s right to make their own decisions while they can. It simply means that if circumstances change suddenly, the people involved know what matters most to them.

Choosing Between Providers

Once you have referral codes, contact more than one provider before deciding. Useful questions include:

• How soon can services start, and how often would a worker visit?
• Will the same worker usually come, or will it change often?
• What will I be asked to pay, and is that in writing?
• How do I change the times or type of services if my needs change?
• How do I raise a concern, and who do I speak to?

Costs and Contributions

Government-funded aged care is subsidised, but many people are asked to contribute to the cost of their care, depending on their income, assets and the type of care. The rules are set by the Australian Government and have changed as part of recent reforms, so check current arrangements with My Aged Care or the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing rather than relying on older figures. Ask any provider for a clear written statement of costs before agreeing to services.

Financial information services are available, and it can be worth getting independent advice before decisions about residential care, which can have significant financial implications. Families should not feel pressured to decide on the spot.

Support for Carers

Caring for an older family member can be demanding, and carers often neglect their own health and wellbeing. Carer Gateway, a free Australian Government service, provides counselling, coaching, respite and practical support for carers, and can be reached on 1800 422 737. Respite care, either at home or in a residential setting for a short period, is also available through the aged care system and can make a significant difference to how sustainable caring is.

Records, Privacy and Consent

Aged care involves sharing a lot of personal and health information between My Aged Care, assessors, providers and health professionals. You have a say in who can act for you and access your information. Nominating a representative formally, rather than relying on informal arrangements, makes it clearer who can speak for you. For how health information is handled in referrals more generally, see referral privacy and consent.

Keep copies of your assessment outcome, approval letters and referral codes together, along with your medicine list and key health documents. When several services are involved, having everything in one place makes it much easier for you and your family to stay on top of arrangements.

When Needs Change

Needs rarely stay the same over time. If your situation changes, for example after a fall, a hospital stay, a new diagnosis or a change in who is available to help, you can ask for a review of your assessment. Do not wait for a crisis to request one. A review can adjust the support you are approved for so that it matches your current needs, rather than the needs you had when you were first assessed.

A Practical Starting Checklist

1. Have an honest conversation, as a family, about what is becoming difficult.
2. Book a GP appointment to discuss health needs and whether aged care support would help.
3. Contact My Aged Care, or ask your GP to make the referral.
4. Prepare for the assessment, including a medicine list and notes on daily challenges.
5. After approval, contact more than one provider and compare before choosing.
6. Keep referral codes and approval letters safe, and ask for a review when needs change.

My Aged Care is the single entry point for government-funded aged care in Australia. You, a family member or your GP can make a referral, which leads to an assessment of your needs.