My Aged Care Assessment Checklist Australia

The Assessment Determines Everything That Follows

In Australia, no one walks into a government-subsidised aged care home and starts receiving services. Every step — from in-home support to residential aged care placement — is gated by an assessment through the My Aged Care system. The level of support your parent is approved for, and how much the government contributes toward the cost, is determined by this assessment.

Getting it wrong — or going in unprepared — doesn't just delay care. It can result in your parent being approved for a lower level of support than they actually need, which means fewer funded hours of care, higher out-of-pocket costs, or a longer wait for the right service type.

How the Assessment System Works

My Aged Care uses a tiered assessment process:

Initial contact screening. When you call My Aged Care (1800 200 422) or register online, your parent goes through a basic screening to determine which assessment pathway is appropriate. This is a phone-based intake, not a clinical evaluation — but the information you provide here determines whether your parent is referred for a face-to-face assessment or directed to lower-level services.

Face-to-face assessment. Under the reformed Single Assessment System, an accredited assessor visits your parent at home (or in hospital, if they're being discharged) and conducts a comprehensive evaluation using the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT). This assessment covers physical function, cognitive function, psychosocial needs, sensory capacity, and the home environment.

The IAT uses adaptive questioning — the assessor's initial observations determine which deeper modules are triggered. If your parent shows signs of cognitive decline during the screening questions, the assessor will conduct a more detailed cognitive evaluation. If mobility concerns emerge, the falls risk and home safety modules activate.

The assessor's report determines whether your parent is approved for:

• Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) — entry-level support (cleaning, transport, social activities)
• Support at Home — coordinated home support with funding assigned through one of eight classifications based on assessed need
• Residential aged care — permanent placement in an aged care home
• Respite care — temporary residential care (up to 63 days per year)
• Transition care — short-term support after a hospital stay

What to Prepare Before the Assessment

The assessment is not a test your parent can pass or fail. But the assessor makes judgements based on what they observe during a single visit, and those judgements determine funding levels. Preparation matters.

Documents to have ready:

• Medicare card and any private health insurance details
• Pension or DVA (Department of Veterans' Affairs) card, if applicable
• Current medication list — printed, not verbal ("I take a couple of blood pressure pills" doesn't give the assessor what they need)
• GP referral letter or recent specialist reports, particularly for dementia, Parkinson's, or other progressive conditions
• Any existing home care service agreements
• Power of attorney or guardianship documentation, if your parent has diminished capacity

Observations to share with the assessor:

The assessor sees your parent for one visit. You see them every day (or hear about their daily reality from whoever does). Share specific, concrete examples:

• "Mum left the stove on three times last month" is more useful than "she's getting forgetful"
• "Dad fell twice in June — once in the bathroom, once getting out of bed" tells the assessor more than "he's unsteady"
• "She stopped showering unless someone reminds her, and even then she needs physical help getting in and out of the bath" communicates the actual ADL dependency

If your parent tends to "perform" during assessments — presenting as more capable than their daily reality because of the formality of the visit — tell the assessor that directly. Assessors are trained to account for this, but they can't adjust for a performance they don't know is happening.

Don't tidy up too much. If the house is normally cluttered, with trip hazards and expired food in the fridge, the assessor needs to see that. A sparkling-clean house on assessment day communicates "this person is managing fine at home."

The Means Test

Once your parent is approved for residential aged care or Support at Home, the financial assessment determines how much they'll contribute toward the cost.

Services Australia conducts the means test, which evaluates both income and assets. For residential aged care, the means test determines:

• Basic daily fee — residential residents may be asked to pay this; the maximum is 85% of the single basic Age Pension daily payment, and the rate changes as the pension rate changes
• Means-tested care fee — an additional amount based on income and assets, subject to the applicable annual, time-limited, and lifetime caps
• Accommodation contribution — based on your parent's income and assets. Some residents have accommodation costs paid in full or in part by the government; others pay a negotiated amount through a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD — a lump sum) or a Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP — ongoing daily charge), or a combination

The means test is complex enough that families with significant assets — particularly those with a family home and superannuation — should consult an aged care financial adviser (look for accredited members of the Aged Care Steps network). The difference between a well-structured and poorly-structured financial arrangement can be hundreds of dollars per week over a multi-year placement.

After the Assessment: Navigating the Waitlist

Approval for residential aged care doesn't mean immediate placement. Your parent receives a Notice of Decision and support plan, which may include a referral code. You then contact aged care homes directly to discuss availability.

Wait times vary dramatically by region and by the type of room or care level sought. Metropolitan homes with strong reputations may have waitlists of 6–12 months. Regional homes may have immediate availability. Specialist dementia units are generally the most waitlisted.

While waiting, your parent may be able to access up to 63 days of government-funded residential respite care per financial year, with a possible extension — a critical bridge if they're unsafe at home but a permanent bed isn't available yet.

The Assisted Living Tour Checklist and Comparison Kit includes an Australian-specific section covering the aged care assessment process, the means test, and a facility evaluation framework aligned with the Aged Care Quality Standards — so you can compare homes using the same criteria the Quality and Safety Commission uses during inspections.