A Single Assessment System has brought together the different types of assessments including RAS and ACAT and will simplify and improve the assessment experience for older people as they enter and move through the aged care system.

This means all assessment organisations can do both assessments that are now called home support assessments (for Commonwealth Home Support Program [CHSP] services) and comprehensive assessments for home care packages, flexible care, residential respite and permanent care. More information about this change is available here.

We know that assessment organisations are working hard through this change to employ and train staff to do both assessments, and are also working on a backlog of assessments, so there may be delays in older people accessing assessments, and they may still be referred to as the previous names ‘RAS’ and ‘ACAT’ so the information on our webpage relates to assessments before the change.

The My Aged Care website has the most current assessment information.