What is an ACAT Assessment and How Do I Prepare?

Once you have registered for a Home Care package by calling My Aged Care or by visiting their website, they will arrange an appointment with you to assess how much home care you will need. There are four levels of home care from Level 1-4. Levels 1-2 are low care needs and Levels 3-4 are high care needs.

A member of the ACAT Assessment team will visit you at home to talk about your personal circumstances, how you are managing at home and what sort of help you need.

The ACAT Assessment is a great opportunity to discuss and plan your future needs at home

There is no need to get nervous about an ACAT Assessment. In fact, the ACAT Assessment is an excellent opportunity to define exactly what sort of help you need at home and to make sure that you receive home care that will best support your needs.

You can have a member of your family or a friend with you to help. You can also request a representative from ARAS (Aged Rights Advocacy Service) on 1800 700 600 if you prefer someone completely independent.

Gone are the days when you would sit down with a government official and be told what sort of care you needed. Under the Consumer Directed Care (CDC) model of delivery, you make the choice of how, when and by whom your home care services are delivered. The power of choice is in your hands.

Preparing for the ACAT Assessment meeting

Although you will be answering questions at your ACAT Assessment meeting, it is also a good time for you to consider what help you will be needing in the future and use this time to gather information for yourself. Before the appointment, here are some things to consider in preparation:

  1. What tasks are you finding more challenging at the moment?
  2. What time of the day do you need some help the most? Is it in the morning, afternoon or evening?
  3. Are there times that you require 24x7 care?
  4. Do you need help going to medical appointments?
  5. Do you need help with your medications, either reminders to take them or picking up prescriptions?
  6. How are you going with your meals? Are you eating well and regularly?
  7. Have you been staying at home more recently? Do you need some help with staying socially involved in your community?
  8. Do you need some help with the shopping and groceries?

In answering these questions, you are preparing yourself for the ACAT Assessment and will have a much more valuable conversation with the assessor who will allocate the best level of home care for your needs.

Answering these questions will also provide you with an honest appraisal of your own situation and help you steer the home care system to suit your needs.

The sooner you start home care, the longer you will continue to live at home independently

Instead of seeing home care as potentially losing your independence, see it as an opportunity to get some extra support and live a happier life at home as you age. At St Louis, our priority is your wellbeing and we want you to stay at home for as long as possible if not for the rest of your years.

For any questions about your ACAT Assessment and how to prepare for one, please call the St Louis Home Care team on 1800 011 946. We are here to help you navigate the maze of home care services so that you end up with the ideal home care package for your needs.

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