Legislative changes to assessment program

Posted August 10th 2009

by DPS

A number of legislative changes affecting aged care were made in December 2008, which aimed to reduce the number of Age Care Assessment Team (ACAT) assessments needed and improve timeliness in assessments.

These changes became effective on 1 July, 2009 and are summarised below.

There are some changes to the protocols for determining whether ACAT approvals have lapsed.

Care not received
All current approvals for residential respite care (high and low level), high level residential care, Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) and Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACH D), will not lapse if a person has not received this care (all approvals made for these care types on or after 1 July 2008 – and which were not time limited so that they expired before 1 July 2009 – will not lapse).

Approvals will continue to lapse for Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs) or low level residential care if a person is not provided with the care within 12 months from the date of approval.

Approvals will also continue to lapse for transition care if a person is not provided with the care within 4 weeks from the date of approval.

Break in care
All current approvals for people who have received high level residential care or residential respite care (high and low level) will not lapse irrespective of when the approval was made and even if there is a break in care. This was already the case from 20 March 2008 for CACPs, EACH and EACH D.

Approvals will continue to lapse for low level residential care if a person has commenced receiving care, and there is a break in care lasting more than 28 days which occurs after the lapsing period of 12 months (beginning on the day after approval) ends.

Approvals will also continue to lapse for transition care if a person has commenced receiving care, and there is a break in care of at least one day after the lapsing period of four weeks (beginning on the day after approval) ends.

From 1 January 2009, if a person is eligible to receive an EACH D package – the person is also eligible for an EACH package or a CACP as an alternative to an EACH D package; and if a person is eligible to receive an EACH package – the person is also eligible for a CACP as an alternative to an EACH package.