The Aged Care Assessment Team, or ACAT for short, is a body who provide a report back to the government to outline whether or not an elderly resident is eligible for assisted living services.
ACAT assesments in Sydney are becoming more common with the average age in this region slowly increasing.
For those residents in the city who are making the transition to an aged care facility, nursing home or remaining at home with additional assistance, they will require a visit from one of these team members to avoid paying for the services in full.
For those carers, close family members of friends who are walking through this process with them, it is important to know a few key facts about the program.
What is the purpose of the assessments?
ACAT assessments in Sydney are issued by medical professionals or aged care contacts to examine the status of an individual and to see where the government can subsidize their living circumstances. Those circumstances where an elderly resident is receiving subsidies when they are in full health places added strain on public resources. It is in the event that these citizens require the care that the government can step into the breach, a process that necessitates an examination.
What elements are assessed by the professional?
There are a number of elements that are factored into ACAT assessments in Sydney for those recipients that want the assistance from the appropriate support networks. This will include an analysis of any social needs for the individual, from their own support networks including friends and close family members. It will take into account the physical requirements that determine mobility and ongoing medical needs. It will examine the psychological factors that are present with the mental and emotional aspects. There will finally be a gauge over other issues that can affect a person’s status, from language and culture to sexual orientation and religious beliefs.
The process is relatively straightforward and direct
The good news about ACAT assessments in Sydney is that they are not all encompassing where potential recipients have to travel long distances for appointments and take a number of hours out of their day. The actual arrival will take place approximately 6 weeks after it has been scheduled. When a team member arrives on location for the program, they will be on site from anywhere between 45 minutes to 75 on average. This will follow a period of approximately 2 weeks for the documentation and recommendation to be issued. If it is a successful assessment, that form can be used to engage with nursing homes, assisted living institutions and other bodies. For those that are not successful, there can be complaints lodged and new examinations booked.
Aged care recipients won’t be imposed upon
It can feel like a violation for aged care recipients to undergo ACAT assessments in Sydney. What should be acknowledged in this setting is that an open dialogue is established and any indication that an assessor is imposing something upon the assessed individual, then that can be quickly quashed. This is an ideal setting for the elderly to ask their core questions of the professional, giving them feedback about their own requirements and expectations. This is a collaborative effort that necessitates their input to be considered a successful endeavor.
The recipient is given pathways to assisted living care outlets
Rather than expecting individuals who have undergone ACAT assessments in Sydney to be on the hunt for assisted living care locations off their own accord, there are networks and recommendations passed on by the ACAT team member. They will write down in the report what is required for that client and then outline the appropriate settings that would be able to meet those conditions. That is going to the next step rather than just issuing paperwork, because each client needs to be able to know where they can apply and on what basis.