Aged Care Assessment Program
Duration: 59 minutes
Program ID: 1002 | Purchase Price: $105.00 (DVD)
Australia has an ageing population. People are living longer and the birth rate has dropped. The proportion of the population aged 65 years and over is projected to rise from around 12% in 2010 to 25% by the year 2051.There is a higher proportion of older people living in rural areas. Older people often require support and assistance with the tasks of daily living, or they may need to make the difficult decision to enter an aged care facility. The ageing population has already had a significant impact on waiting lists for access to aged care services, some which require an assessment by an Aged Care Assessment Team.
The role of Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs, or ACAS in Victoria) is to assess the care needs of frail older people and to assist them to gain access to the most appropriate types of care, including approval for Australian Government-subsidised aged care services. In doing this, ACATs conduct multidisciplinary comprehensive assessments, taking account of the restorative, physical, medical, psychological, cultural and social dimensions of frail older people. Assessments are usually conducted in a community or hospital setting. Independent to service providers, ACATs make their decisions in consultation with the client and their carers, and are encouraged to involve the client’s General Practitioner.
As part of the 2006 Council of Australian Governments (COAG) health reform package, COAG agreed to a measure to strengthen the Aged Care Assessment Program and work towards providing more timely, consistent and quality assessments for frail older people. Following a National Review of ACATs undertaken in 2007, significant work has been undertaken by both the Commonwealth and the state and territory governments to address the Review recommendations.
This educational program explores aged care assessments in rural and remote communities, and the role of rural primary health care professionals in the comprehensive assessment of the needs of the ageing and their families. The program also highlights some of the challenges of ACATs in rural and remote Australia. The program will examine some strategies that have been developed to manage these challenges.
Program Presenters
- Chair: Dr Norman Swan - Presenter of the Health Report on ABC Radio National
- Dr Max Graffen - General Practitioner (Geriatrics) Wagga Wagga, NSW
- Dr Kate Smith - Occupational Therapist, Research Fellow, WA Centre for Health and Ageing, University of Western Australia
- Dr Jane Tolman - Geriatrician, Director Aged Care Department, Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania
- Ms Debra Tooley - Nurse Manager, Parkes and Far West Aged Care Assessment Teams, NSW
Learning Outcomes
- Undertake an appropriate referral to an Aged Care Assessment Team
- Describe the process and benefits of a multidisciplinary assessment by an ACAT
- Effectively manage the challenges of aged care assessment and referral in rural and remote Australia
- Describe recent developments and new initiatives in the Aged Care Assessment Program
Broadcast Dates
This program was first broadcast on the Foundation's satellite network on Tuesday 23 February 2010.
Funding Bodies
Funding has been provided by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Accreditation
This program is accredited or endorsed for CPD/CPE by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, the Royal College of Nursing Australia and the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
