Hello, families! At CommonCents Financial Planning, we see money as fuel for your dreams, including ensuring loved ones receive quality aged care.
Navigating aged care assessments can feel overwhelming, but we’re here to simplify the process. Whether planning for parents, a spouse, or your future, we’ve outlined three key steps to approach assessments with confidence, ensuring your family’s needs are met.
1. Start with My Aged Care Registration
We begin by guiding families to the My Aged Care website, a hub for registering and accessing vital information. You’ll need to complete an online form or phone call, answering questions about health concerns and care needs.
This generates a registration number, essential for the entire process. We recommend keeping this number handy and documenting your needs clearly—say, mobility support or memory care—to streamline the assessment.
This step can take 6–8 weeks.
2. Prepare for the ACAT Assessment
Once registered, prepare for the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) visit.
This in-person evaluation at your home assesses eligibility for residential aged care. We advise gathering medical records or notes on daily challenges, like difficulty with bathing or meals, to share with the team.
The ACAT will issue an outcome letter confirming eligibility, typically within two months.
3. Stay Proactive with Reassessments
If circumstances change—like deteriorating health since a prior assessment—we recommend requesting a new ACAT evaluation. For example, if a parent was assessed in 2021 but stayed home due to COVID, their current needs may require reassessment.
Contact My Aged Care to verify if the existing registration number suffices or if a new assessment is needed.
Staying proactive ensures the care plan matches your loved one’s evolving needs, avoiding delays in accessing a facility.
Navigating aged care assessments is a critical step toward quality care.
We encourage families to start by registering on My Aged Care, preparing detailed notes for the ACAT visit, and monitoring for changes requiring reassessment.
At CommonCents Financial Planning, we’re here to guide you through each stage, ensuring your loved ones receive the support they deserve.
Contact us to explore more tools for planning a secure and caring future!
