Accessing Residential Aged Care
RSL Care SA has three government funded residential aged care (nursing home) facilities; the War Veterans Home in Myrtle Bank, Morlancourt in Angle Park and Romani at Murray Bridge. To access government funded services, such as respite and permanent care, you must first be approved for aged care by the Australian Government’s Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).
ACAT assessors are qualified professionals such as nurses and social workers. An ACAT can provide approvals for residential respite care, permanent residential care, and home care services. Depending on the types of services that are needed, ACAT will either conduct an interview over the phone, or will arrange a time to meet with the client in their own home.
Register for an ACAT assessment
ACAT’s are managed through the Australian government’s My Aged Care. There are three ways to register for an ACAT Assessment:
- Phone – Please call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and speak with a representative
- Online – Please visit the following link to make a referral online https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/referral
- GP – your GP or health care professional can provide a referral for an ACAT
ACAT assessments are FREE and a My Aged Care Client Record will be created. The initial referral can be made by anyone, however the person who the assessment is for will need to give their consent if a representative is required throughout the entire assessment process.
If you would like help in making a referral, please call RSL Care SA on 8379 2600 and a member of our admissions team will be happy to submit an online referral on your behalf. Your assessment results will not be provided to an organisation without your approval.
Many people have ACAT assessments done for peace of mind should there be a sudden change in their health or care needs. If you decide to apply for an ACAT assessment, there is no requirement to use the services that you have been approved for.
The ACAT Assessment process
- Make a referral (online or over the phone)
- ACAT will call the nominated contact person and arrange a time to conduct a short phone interview to assess the clients eligibility to access aged care services
- During the initial phone interview ACAT will ask for details of the clients medicare card number and GP. The client will need to be available at the phone interview to give consent for a representative to speak on their behalf
- At the conclusion of the phone interview ACAT will arrange a time for a formal assessment to take place in the clients own home
- At the home interview ACAT will ask lots of questions about the clients health, care needs and other concerns. Learn more about what happens during an ACAT assessment here
- Assessment results are usually processed within a few days (this can be done more quickly if the matter is urgent) and a letter will be sent to the client with information on the services they now have access to
The Aged Care Assessment Team can arrange for an urgent assessment for those who need it. Otherwise the entire assessment process usually takes about two-three weeks.
What’s Next?
To be offered a respite or permanent bed at an Aged Care Facility, or to be placed on a waiting list, the facility will usually ask to see a copy of the ACAT assessment. This is also known as a ‘My Support Plan’. At the back of the My Support Plan are referral codes that relate to each of the services a person has been approved for. Aged Care facilities can look up the My Support Plan online using these codes.
If you have had your ACAT assessment and would like to be placed on RSL Care SA’s residential aged care waiting list, please contact our admissions team on 08 83792600.
Our Admissions team are always happy to answer any queries you may have regarding ACAT assessments or care options, so please feel free to call (08) 8379 2600 during office hours – Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm.