Before You Start Looking for Aged Care (ACAT Assessment)

Before you start looking for aged care or home care, the person who will be cared for needs to have their care needs assessed. 

This assessment is referred to as an ACAT assessment (or ACAS in Victoria), and the majority of nursing homes and aged care services won’t offer you a place in their facility until you have one.

How Do I Get One?

You will most likely be able to get a referral for an ACAT assessment from a GP, social worker or community nurse. However you are able to contact ACAT directly and arrange an assessment yourself.

A useful tool is the Aged Care Assessment Team Finder which can be used to locate the closest ACAT team in your area.

To organise an Aged Care Assessment, you'll need to register with My Aged Care by calling 1800 200 422.

What Happens During an Assessment?

During an ACAT assessment you will be visited by one or two members of an ACAT team, who will go through the activities that you find difficult to manage.

They will discuss with you your care options and inform you how to access these services.

Search for residential aged care in: