New aged care assessment tool raises concerns about access to care
A new aged care assessment system is raising concerns, with limited assessor discretion and fears some older Australians may receive less support than they need.
A new system used to assess how much aged care support older Australians receive at home is raising concerns across the sector. The issue centres on whether people are getting the care they actually need.
At the centre of the change is the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT), which uses an algorithm to determine a person’s level of funding based on their assessment.
The core problem: less room for human judgement
The biggest concern is not the technology itself. It is that assessors cannot override the result.
Even if a clinician believes someone needs more support, the final decision is set by the system, not their professional judgement.
That shift is causing unease among both assessors and families, who say the process can feel rigid and disconnected from real-life circumstances.
Why it matters
For older people, this directly affects:
- how often they receive care at home
- whether their needs are recognised as they change
- how long they can safely remain living independently
Providers are already reporting that some people are being approved for less support than expected, or struggling to access increases when their condition worsens.
What’s driving the change
The government says the new system is designed to improve consistency and ensure funding is allocated fairly, after concerns that services were previously over-allocated.
Critics argue that a more standardised approach can overlook individual complexity, especially for people whose needs do not fit neatly into a checklist.
What consumers should watch for
For older Australians and families navigating aged care, the key takeaway is simple.
The outcome of an assessment may now depend more on how information is entered into the system than on the assessor’s interpretation of your situation.
That makes it important to clearly explain needs during the assessment and to request a review if the outcome does not reflect the level of support required.
