Getting assessed through My Aged Care: a plain guide

If you want government-funded aged care services, the first step is an assessment. It works out what help you need and what you are eligible for. That could be a few hours of cleaning, help with showering, equipment, a short respite stay, or a place in an aged care home.

Since the new Aged Care Act started on 1 November 2025, assessments use one system for all types of aged care. You have one assessment, and the result covers whatever you are eligible for. If your needs change later, you can ask for a review or a new assessment.

Having an assessment doesn’t commit you to anything. It simply opens the door, so help is ready when you want it.

There are three ways to apply. You can apply online on the My Aged Care website, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes and needs your Medicare card. You can call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. Or you can make an appointment to see an Aged Care Specialist Officer at a Services Australia centre by calling 1800 227 475.

A family member, friend or carer can apply for you, as long as you agree. Your doctor or a hospital can also make a referral.

When you apply, you will answer some questions about your situation. Based on your answers, you are referred to an assessment organisation and given a priority, which tells them how quickly you need to be seen. If you need help in another language, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask for My Aged Care.

After you apply, the assessment organisation will phone you, or a person you choose, to arrange a time. Most assessments happen in your home, with a trained assessor. They can also happen somewhere else, by video, or over the phone.

The assessor will ask whether you agree to the assessment, and whether they can talk with people who support you, such as family or your doctor. They use a standard set of questions for everyone, called the Integrated Assessment Tool. This helps keep the process fair and consistent.

Expect questions about your health and medical conditions, how you manage everyday tasks, your memory, how you are feeling, safety at home, the support you already have, and the things you enjoy. Together, you will put together a support plan that records your strengths, your difficulties and your goals.

The assessment usually takes some time, so plan for a relaxed visit rather than a quick chat. The assessor can correct an answer if something was recorded wrongly.

Here is the kindly blunt part. Many people play down their difficulties on the day. They tidy the house, dress up for the visit, and tell the assessor “I manage fine”. It is a natural thing to do. But the assessor can only go on what they see and hear, and the help you get depends on it.

Before the visit, think about a typical week, including your bad days, not just your good ones. Write down what has become hard or worrying. It can help to jot notes over a week or two beforehand.

• Your Medicare card and one other form of ID, such as a driver’s licence, Seniors Card, pension card or DVA card
• Any referrals from your doctor, and contact details for your GP and other health professionals
• A list of your medicines and health conditions
• Details of any help you already get, from services or from family
• Notes on what’s hard: falls or near misses, trouble with stairs, showering, cooking, shopping, medicines, money, or memory
• Your questions, such as what services are available locally and what the waiting times are

You can have someone with you at the assessment: a family member, friend, carer or registered supporter (a person registered to help you with aged care decisions and information). You can ask for an interpreter at any time. Someone supporting you can also give the assessor information before the visit.

For families: if you can, be there. You can gently fill in the gaps, especially if your parent tends to say they are fine. Agree beforehand how you will do this, so it doesn’t feel like you are talking over them. The assessment is about their life and their wishes.

If you don’t have anyone to bring, a care finder may be able to help. Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can have an Elder Care Support worker attend. The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) also gives free help and information on your rights. Call 1800 700 600.

After the visit, the assessment organisation checks your assessment. This can take up to two weeks, depending on your needs. You will then receive a letter, sometimes called a Notice of Decision, by post or email. It tells you what you are eligible for and why, and includes your support plan. You can also see these in your My Aged Care Online Account.

If you are eligible for help at home through the Support at Home program, your letter will show your classification (one of eight funding levels) and your priority. If you are eligible for an aged care home or respite, your support plan includes a referral code. You give this code to the provider you choose so they can start arranging services.

If you are not eligible, the letter will explain why. You can still ask for a review, look at services you pay for yourself, or apply again if things change.

There are two waits to be aware of. The first is the wait for the assessment itself, which depends on the priority you were given when you applied. The second is the wait for services after you are approved. For help at home, people with more urgent needs are generally served first. For aged care homes, it depends on whether a home has a room available.

If you haven’t heard anything two weeks after your assessment, call your assessment organisation, or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. If your situation gets worse while you wait, for example after a fall, tell your assessment organisation or My Aged Care straight away. Urgent help may be available. Carers can get support through Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737.

If you don’t agree with the outcome, start by talking to your assessment organisation. Their details are in your letter. A friend, family member or supporter can help you with this.

You can also ask for a free review of the decision. You must ask within 28 days of receiving your letter, by filling in the Request for an Internal Review of a Decision form or by writing to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Someone can write on your behalf. A reviewer checks your answers and may arrange a further assessment, and the department will tell you the result within 90 days.

The assessment system is still being adjusted. In October 2026, Parliament passed changes that include a new way to escalate concerns about assessment results, and the government announced a review of the assessment tool. Check My Aged Care for the latest, and call OPAN on 1800 700 600 if you would like free help to challenge a decision.