The Short Answer
From requesting an ACAT assessment to receiving the outcome letter, expect 2–6 weeks in most cases. The assessment visit itself typically takes 1–3 hours. Urgent assessments (hospital discharge, safety concerns) can be arranged within days.
The timeline has three main stages: waiting for the visit, the assessment itself, and processing the outcome.
Timeline Breakdown
| Stage | Typical timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Request the assessment | Same day | Call My Aged Care (1800 200 422) or register online. GP can also make a referral. |
| 2. Wait for scheduling | 1–4 weeks | Depends on location and demand. Metropolitan areas are often faster. Priority cases can be seen within days. |
| 3. Assessment visit | 1–3 hours | Conducted in your home, hospital, or current care setting by a trained assessor. |
| 4. Outcome letter | 1–2 weeks after visit | Specifies approved care types and levels. May be communicated verbally first, with written confirmation following. |
Total: approximately 2–6 weeks from first contact to written outcome. The most variable stage is the wait for scheduling.
What Happens During the Assessment
The ACAT assessment is a face-to-face evaluation conducted by a trained assessor (usually a nurse, social worker, or allied health professional). It covers:
- Physical health: Mobility, continence, chronic conditions, medications, pain management, recent hospitalisations.
- Cognitive function: Memory, orientation, decision-making capacity. May include a brief cognitive screening test (e.g., Mini-Mental State Examination).
- Daily living activities: Can the person independently manage bathing, dressing, cooking, eating, toileting, housework, shopping, and medication?
- Social and emotional wellbeing: Social isolation, depression, anxiety, behavioural concerns.
- Home environment: For home-based assessments — safety hazards, accessibility issues, carer availability.
- Current support: What informal care (family, neighbours) and formal services (CHSP, private care) are already in place.
How to Prepare
Being well-prepared can make the assessment more thorough and help ensure the right outcome:
- Write down daily challenges. Keep a diary for a week noting what the person struggles with — missed meals, falls, confusion about medications, difficulty getting dressed, wandering at night.
- Gather medical information:
- List of all current medications (name, dose, frequency)
- GP contact details
- Recent hospital discharge summaries
- Specialist reports (geriatrician, psychogeriatrician)
- Medicare card
- Have a family member present. The assessor will want to speak with both the person being assessed and a family member or carer who can provide context about daily challenges.
- Be clear about what you want. If you are seeking residential care approval, say so. If you want a Home Care Package, specify the level you believe is needed. The assessor considers your preferences alongside their clinical assessment.
- Note any safety incidents. Falls, leaving the stove on, getting lost while driving, medication errors — specific incidents carry more weight than general statements about declining function.
Urgent and Hospital Assessments
When care is needed urgently, the standard 2–4 week wait can be shortened:
Hospital-based assessment
If your parent is in hospital and cannot safely return home, the hospital social worker or discharge planner can request an in-hospital ACAT assessment. These are typically conducted within 2–5 business days because hospitals need to free up beds.
To get a hospital assessment started:
- Speak to the ward nurse or social worker as early as possible
- Ask them to make an ACAT referral
- Provide any existing My Aged Care registration details
- Be available for the assessor to contact you
Priority community assessment
If the person is at home but there are serious safety concerns, call My Aged Care and clearly explain the urgency. Situations that may trigger a priority assessment:
- Recent falls with injury
- Carer breakdown or sudden loss of carer
- Wandering behaviour in someone with dementia
- Inability to manage medications safely
- Risk of self-harm or neglect
Respite care as a bridge
If the assessment outcome is for residential care but a permanent place is not yet available, residential respite care can bridge the gap. Up to 63 days per financial year is government-subsidised. Ask My Aged Care about respite availability while the permanent placement is arranged.
After the Assessment
Once the assessment is complete, you receive an outcome letterspecifying:
- Approved care types: Residential care, Home Care Package (Level 1–4), respite care, transition care, or a combination.
- Recommended actions: Next steps such as applying for a Home Care Package, contacting facilities, or completing a financial assessment with Services Australia.
What to do with the outcome:
- For residential care: Use the approval to approach facilities. You can contact any approved provider. You are not limited to a specific facility or area.
- For Home Care Packages: You are automatically placed in the national priority queue. Wait times for Level 3–4 packages can be 6–18 months.
- Complete the financial assessment: Lodge the financial assessment with Services Australia (forms SA457, SA485/486) to determine your means-tested fees. This can be done before or after choosing a facility, but must be done to avoid being charged the maximum fee.
If You Disagree with the Outcome
If you believe the assessment outcome does not reflect the person’s true care needs:
- Request a review. Contact My Aged Care (1800 200 422) and ask for the decision to be reviewed. Provide any additional medical evidence or documentation supporting a higher level of care.
- Provide additional evidence. A letter from the GP, geriatrician, or specialist outlining care needs and recommending a specific level of care can strengthen your case.
- Request a reassessment. If circumstances have changed since the original assessment (deterioration, new diagnosis, hospitalisation), you can request a new ACAT assessment. There is no limit on how many assessments can be requested.
- Escalate if needed. If the review process does not resolve your concerns, you can contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (1800 951 822) or the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
Changes from 2025
The new Aged Care Act (effective 1 July 2025) introduced changes to the assessment system:
- The assessment process is being unified under a single assessment framework, replacing the separate RAS and ACAT assessment pathways over time.
- The Support at Home program replaces the Home Care Package and CHSP programs for new entrants from 1 July 2025. People already on existing packages continue under the old system.
- Assessment for residential care continues through the ACAT pathway, though the assessment tools and processes are being updated.
For people currently seeking residential aged care, the ACAT process described above remains the primary pathway. For more on the 2025 changes, see our 2025 Aged Care Act Changes guide.