Changes to aged care assessment process

Published on 01 July 2024

While AccessCare is no longer contracted to deliver aged care assessments as of today, Council and our dedicated team remains as committed as ever to providing aged care services to our community.

The changes to the assessment process are part of the Commonwealth Government’s ongoing reforms in the sector, with the assessments for support in Kingston now to be handled by three companies - Access Care Network Australia, APM (Serendipity) and Aspire 4 Life after a recent tender process, and under a new single assessment system covering both the Regional Assessment Service (RAS) and the Aged Care Assessment Services (ACAS).

Up until now Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care engaged the Department of Health in Victoria to deliver the RAS in this state. The Department subcontracted this responsibility to various agencies in Victoria, including the City of Kingston.

Mayor Jenna Davey-Burns said that we remain deeply committed to supporting our older residents to live with dignity, independence and the care they deserve.

“Whilst these changes have come abruptly, Kingston has made sure our staff are available to help with the transition by the Commonwealth Government away from Council led AccessCare services,” Cr Davey-Burns said.

“AccessCare will continue to take on new clients, and our team is also still available to support members of the community to navigate My Aged Care and arrange an assessment.

“Kingston is the largest provider of aged care services of any local council in Victoria, and we remain dedicated to providing home care services for our community, a service our clients rely on for their quality of life.

“As leaders in this vital space, it is our absolute duty to invest in supporting our older residents, delivering high quality home care services and ensuring Kingston remains a city where people can age well into the future.

“We are passionate about doing everything we can to support our treasured older generation and help everyone of them to feel valued, supported and connected.”

AccessCare currently supports more than 6,000 community members with home and community care services.

If you have any questions about the assessment process or the ongoing aged care reforms, we encourage you to contact our team on 1300 819 200.