Referring your patient for an aged care assessment

If your patient needs services urgently, they can contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. 

My Aged Care can refer a client directly to an aged care provider if they need immediate care that is not available through other means.

You can contact an aged care provider directly, with your patient or client's consent. If you need help finding contact details, use the Find a provider tool to search for providers in your area and view their services.  

A provider’s acceptance of the referral for urgent care will be based on their capacity to take on new clients and the relative needs of other clients waiting for services. If they determine that the patient needs ongoing services beyond 8 weeks, the provider will support them to register with My Aged Care (if they haven’t already done so) and arrange an assessment. They then maintain care until the assessment takes place.

My Aged Care should not be used for referrals for services that should be provided to older people through the health system, such as post-acute care services.  

If a patient needs urgent residential respite care, such as when a primary carer suddenly becomes ill or passes away, immediate support may be available. In these situations, you or your patient can contact Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737. For more information, visit the Carer Gateway website. You will need your patient or client's consent to contact Carer Gateway on their behalf. 

If a patient enters an aged care home for emergency respite care and/or needs ongoing residential aged care services, their provider will help arrange an assessment and maintain care until this takes place. 

If you're a GP, one way to refer a patient to My Aged Care is through the My Aged Care e-Referral system, available directly within your patient’s electronic medical record (EMR). My Aged Care e-Referral is only available if you use Best Practice, MedicalDirector, MedTech, Genie, Shexie, Zedmed or Communicare practice management systems (PMS).

To submit a referral via e-Referral:

1. Open the patient’s EMR in your PMS and select ‘My Aged Care Referral’ from the HealthLink Referred Services tab.
2. The e-Referral form will auto-fill key patient details, reducing the need for manual data entry.
3. Review the information, add any relevant notes or documents (such as GP letters or specialist reports).
4. Submit the referral securely to My Aged Care from within your PMS.

For help using My Aged Care e-Referral: 

• Watch the My Aged Care e-Referrals video on YouTube.
• See user guides and videos on the HealthLink website.

The Make a referral online form is available to all health and aged care professionals. In this tool, you can submit patient details and include supporting documents such as specialist reports when referring someone to My Aged Care. This form should only be used for a first-time referral, not for requesting a reassessment for someone already accessing services.  

You can also make a referral by calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. While the patient doesn’t need to be present during the call, you must have their consent to proceed before you make a referral. If you provide all the necessary information and have permission to refer on their behalf, My Aged Care can forward the referral directly to an assessment organisation – without needing to contact the patient first.

If you need to check whether your patient is already receiving aged care services before making a referral, you can contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. Please ensure you have your patient’s consent, as you’ll be asked to confirm both your details and theirs before any information can be shared.

You can request a Support Plan Review through your patient’s current provider if their needs, goals or circumstances have changed. Your patient can also request it through My Aged Care or from a Services Australia Aged Care Specialist Officer.  

A Support Plan Review may lead to:  

• no changes to the support plan as it meets the person’s needs  
• updates to the support plan to address changed needs; or
• a new assessment due to significant changes.

If not already scheduled earlier, a Support Plan Review may be routinely scheduled 12 months from the last assessment if your patient accesses ongoing services. A new assessment is only required for significant changes in care needs or circumstances since the last assessment.  

My Aged Care can provide information about aged care costs and tools, such as the Support at Home fee estimator and Aged care home fee estimator, to help your patient understand how much they will need to contribute to their care.

It is recommended that they get independent financial advice before deciding how to pay for their aged care. They can also check if they are eligible for financial hardship assistance.

Find out more about what aged care will cost your patients.

To support your referral, you can attach documentation such as health summaries, GP letters or hospital-based discharge summaries. You can also add support letters from other health professionals such as occupational therapists or physiotherapists when you make a referral.

You will receive a confirmation number once you submit the Make a referral form or GP e-Referral. You and/or your patient can use this number if you need to follow up on the referral.  

If all relevant information is included, it will be sent directly to an assessment organisation. Otherwise, you or your patient may be contacted to seek further information.  

The referral will generate a My Aged Care client record for your patient which will support the patient’s assessment process. When it’s time for their assessment, the patient will be contacted by an aged care assessment organisation.

Once your referral is received, an aged care assessment organisation will contact your patient to discuss their needs and arrange a time for the aged care assessment. A My Aged Care Welcome Pack will also be sent to the patient by mail.

Please ensure your patient is aware that they may be contacted by My Aged Care or an aged care assessment organisation as part of this process.

You can follow up on your referrals by calling My Aged Care on 1800 836 799.  

You will need:

• the confirmation number – if you made the referral online
• your details and your patient’s details.

Your patient’s support plan outlines what was discussed and agreed upon during their assessment, including their strengths, challenges, goals and service preferences. It details the care and services the assessor has recommended to support them and may also include activities that help them rebuild confidence and return to everyday tasks.

You can view the support plan on your patient’s My Health Record if they:  

• had an aged care assessment on or after 9 December 2024
• have agreed to make it available to you.

The wait times vary depending on what service your patient is recommended as well as the availability of the chosen aged care provider.