New single pathway for aged care assessments

We have changed aged care assessments to make it easier for you to enter aged care and access different services as your needs change. 

As of 9 December, the new Single Assessment System for aged care will:  

• be simpler to navigate for you, your family and carers 
• ensure you only have to tell your story once 
• adapt to your changing needs, without having to change assessment provider 
• ensure access to assessments in regional, rural and remote areas 
• have shorter wait times for assessments. 

First Nations assessment organisations will also be rolled out from 1 July 2025. These organisations will provide culturally safe pathways for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to access aged care. 

What is changing? 

Previously, there were different assessment pathways. As a result, people often moved between assessment organisations as their needs changed. 

The new Single Assessment System workforce provides a single assessment pathway to enter and progress through the aged care system, which can adapt to your changing needs.

All organisations conducting aged care needs assessments are now able to do both:  

• home support assessments for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme 
• comprehensive assessments for the Home Care Packages Program, flexible aged care programs, residential respite and entry into residential aged care. 

Some assessment organisations conduct residential aged care funding assessments. This assessment works out your funding level once you have settled into an aged care home.

Will the process for applying for an assessment change?

No, the process for how you apply for an assessment has not changed. But the Single Assessment System aims to make this process smoother.

There are also no changes to aged care eligibility requirements or referrals to urgent services.   

I have an assessment/reassessment scheduled, do I need to do anything?

If you have already contacted My Aged Care to set up an assessment, you don’t need to do anything else. A local assessment organisation will call you to book your assessment. If you already have an appointment booked in, it will go ahead as planned. 

Your next reassessment may be with a different assessment organisation. But you will then keep the same one for all future reassessments.  

Aged care assessments will continue to be done in person, at your own home. If you need an assessment while in hospital, you will be allocated the next available assessor. 

More information 

• Read the Single Assessment System fact sheet for more information about what this reform means for you.  
• Read more about how to apply for an assessment.