Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) and a Single Assessment System | Gratitude In-home Care

The Path Towards a Better System

The Australian aged care sector is undergoing a significant transformation, with the aim of improving the quality of care and ensuring older Australians receive the support they need. A key part of this transformation is the introduction of the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) and the Single Assessment System.

What is the IAT?

The IAT is a new tool designed to assess an older person’s eligibility for government-subsidized aged care. It replaces the previous National Screening and Assessment Form (NSAF) and aims to gather more comprehensive information about an individual’s needs. This includes:

• Activities of daily living: such as dressing, bathing, and eating
• Cognition: including memory, thinking, and decision-making
• Psychosocial needs: such as social isolation and mental health
• Medical conditions: that may impact on an individual’s ability to live independently

The Single Assessment System

The Single Assessment System is a broader reform that brings together three different assessment workforces:

• Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT)
• Regional Assessment Services (RAS)
• Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC)

This system aims to streamline the assessment process, reducing the need for older people to repeat their story to multiple assessors.

What Does This Mean for Older Australians?

The IAT and Single Assessment System are designed to:

• Simplify and improve an older person’s experience as they enter and progress through the aged care system by:
  • a single assessment pathway for older people so they don’t have to change assessment providers as their needs change
  • ensuring older people only have to tell their story once
  • ensuring access to assessments in regional, remote and rural areas
  • reducing wait times to access an aged care assessment
• Improve the accuracy and consistency of assessments
• Reduce the burden on older people and their families
• Ensure that assessments are tailored to individual needs
• Improve access to appropriate aged care services

Key Features of the New System:

• Aged care needs assessment organisations will have a mix of clinical and non-clinical assessment staff and will be able to conduct 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.
• Aged care needs assessments will continue to be done in person, at their home, or in hospital if required.
• There will be no changes to aged care eligibility requirements.
• There will be no changes to the processes for:
  • applying for an assessment with My Aged Care
  • referrals to urgent services
  • in-hospital assessments
  • residential aged care funding assessments
  • reassessments

Looking Ahead

The IAT and Single Assessment System are expected to be fully implemented by 2025. This is a significant change for the aged care sector, and it is hoped that it will lead to better outcomes for older Australians.

For more information, you can view the in-home care december webinar update presentation slides here.

Get into contact with us for any in-home aged care requests and to make a referral, visit: https://www.gihc.com.au/referral/.

 https://gihc.com.au/
 1300 912 155, (03) 9863 6149
 info@gihc.com.au⁠