Aged Care Act 2024

The aged care needs assessment must be undertaken by the approved needs assessor using an assessment tool prescribed by the rules and in accordance with any other requirements prescribed by the rules.

An individual must have an eligibility determination for an aged care needs assessment under section 57 in effect before an aged care needs assessment can be undertaken for the individual.

The aged care needs assessment must include:

a discussion with the individual about what the assessment has identified in terms of funded aged care services the individual may require access to and may assist the individual to maintain the individual’s independence; and

a discussion with the individual about the individual’s preferences and goals, the next steps in terms of the individual’s application for funded aged care services and how the individual will be informed of the outcome of the application; and

any other thing prescribed by the rules.

When undertaking the aged care needs assessment, the approved needs assessor must:

consider the individual’s rights mentioned in subsection 23(1) (independence, autonomy, empowerment and freedom of choice); and

to the extent possible, make the individual aware of, support them to understand, and empower them to exercise, the individual’s rights under the Statement of Rights; and

involve the individual’s carer, family member, advocate or other person in the discussions mentioned in subsection (2), if that is the individual’s will and preference.