Single Assessment System for Aged Care — How Australia's New Assessment Works

Since 9 December 2024, Australia has used the Single Assessment System (SAS) for all aged care assessments. It replaced the old dual pathway where Regional Assessment Services (RAS) handled basic needs and Aged Care Client Assessment Teams (ACAT) handled complex needs. Now there's one workforce, one tool, and one assessment regardless of the level of care required.

Why the Old System Changed

Under the dual system, a parent needing basic home support went through RAS. If their needs later escalated, they had to be re-referred to ACAT for a completely separate assessment — repeating much of the same process with a different team. This caused months of delay and forced families to re-document information already provided.

The SAS eliminates that duplication. A single assessor conducts one comprehensive evaluation that covers the full spectrum — from entry-level CHSP services through to the highest Support at Home classification (Level 8) and residential aged care.

How the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) Works

SAS assessors use the Integrated Assessment Tool, a computerised scoring system with adaptive questioning across 12 clinical and functional domains:

1. Cognition and memory — recall, orientation, executive function
2. Continence — bladder and bowel control, use of continence aids
3. Mobility and transfers — standing, walking, moving between surfaces
4. Nutrition and swallowing — weight management, choking risk, meal preparation
5. Skin integrity — pressure injuries, wound healing, chronic conditions
6. Pain — chronic pain impact on daily activities
7. Psychological health — depression, anxiety, emotional wellbeing
8. Social connections — isolation, community participation
9. Daily living activities — personal care, domestic tasks
10. Behaviour — agitation, wandering, resistance to care
11. Communication — hearing, vision, speech
12. Home environment — safety hazards, modification needs

The IAT uses nested questioning — the assessor's initial answers trigger deeper follow-up questions in domains where concerns emerge. A parent with no cognitive issues gets brief cognitive screening; a parent showing early signs of disorientation gets detailed cognitive assessment.

What Families Should Know

The assessment happens at home. The SAS assessor visits the parent's residence for a face-to-face evaluation lasting 60–90 minutes. The home environment is part of the assessment — hazards, accessibility, and modification needs are documented.

One assessment covers everything. The result determines both the appropriate service pathway (CHSP vs Support at Home vs residential) and the specific classification level. No follow-up assessment is needed unless circumstances change.

The output is a Support Plan. Within approximately two weeks, the SAS organisation issues a Notice of Decision with the approved classification, a priority rating, and a personalised Support Plan outlining recommended services.

Parents tend to underperform. Many older Australians try to present their best selves to a stranger. They tidy up, dress carefully, and say they're coping fine. The assessor needs to see the reality — have an adult child present to describe specific incidents, worst days, and progressive decline.

Preparing for a SAS Assessment

Gather evidence before the visit:

• Medical documentation — GP letters, specialist reports, hospital discharge summaries, cognitive test results
• Medication list — all current medications with dosages and prescribing doctors
• Falls diary — dates, circumstances, injuries, and medical attention required
• Functional needs diary — at least 7 days documenting what the parent can and cannot do, focusing on the hardest days

Present this as an organised folder. The assessor is scoring domains based on evidence — documented falls and GP reports carry more weight than verbal descriptions.

For a structured assessment preparation kit with clinical diary templates and domain-specific evidence guides, see the Australia Home Care Guide.

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