The Christmas season is over – and unfortunately, over the holidays, people seeing their ageing relatives for the first time in a while may have noticed they weren’t coping as well as they used to.
If your Mum or Dad (or Grandma or Grandad) needs help, it may be time to consider the difficult choice of whether they should go into aged care. Fortunately, there is help available to determine if this is the case, and if so, the type and level of care that they need.
Before accessing aged care services, a person will need an assessment performed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT, or ACAS in Victoria). The ACAT assessment will look at your family member’s health and medical history, as well as physical requirements, psychological and social needs, and any special needs such as religious or cultural beliefs.
These free assessments can be booked through the Government’s MyAgedCare contact centre on 1800 200 422, or via referral from a GP or health professional. It can take up to six weeks to receive an assessment, which takes about 45 to 75 minutes.
From there, the team will determine what care would best suit your family member – be it residential aged care or home care – and give you a report and a list of recommendations, including for aged care providers in your area; this usually takes about two weeks to arrive.
Once you have your ACAT assessment, you will be armed with the information you need to start making the right choices for your loved one and ensure that they receive the best care possible according to their needs.
For more information and help with the aged care journey, visit AgedCare101.
