FAQ

Access Care Network Australia (ACNA) is a Not for Profit organisation. We support Australians to access the government support and services they need to live good lives.

ACNA works on behalf of My Aged Care as a Regional Assessment Service.  As a Regional Assessment Service or RAS, we are responsible for assessing the needs of people that need a low level of support to keep living independently in their homes. These support services are delivered through the Australian Government’s Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP). 

There are a few reasons why we may have contacted you. The most common reason is to let you know that we have received a request from My Aged Care to visit your home and determine whether government subsidised services, equipment and / or technique recommendations would help your independence.

No, but we are similar.

ACNA is what is known as a Regional Assessment Service organisation. We perform Home Support Assessments.

A Home Support Assessment is when we visit a person’s home to assess their support needs.  

Home Support Assessments are for people who are mostly independent, yet may need some information, strategies or assistance with tasks around the house to remain independent. 

Assessments performed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) are for people who have more complex needs or are needing to move into residential aged care.  

A Regional Assessment Service, such as ACNA, is an organisation that has been approved by My Aged Care to perform Home Support Assessments.

The Commonwealth Home Support Program is for people who are mostly independent but need some support to continue living at home.  These assessments are conducted by a Regional Assessment Service organisation, such as ACNA. 

A Home Care Package is for those who need a lot of care and assistance in order to remain living at home.  Assessments for Packages are conducted by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). 

When hospitals arrange care, it’s usually only short term. You will need a Home Support Assessment if you require longer term support.  

When we are advised by My Aged Care, our team will contact you to select a day convenient for you. Assessments generally occur between the hours of 9 am and 2 pm, Monday to Friday. 

We will try to let you know the name and expected arrival time of your Assessor during our phone call with you.  If we are unable to let you know during our initial phone call, one of our Assessors will get in touch the day before or the day of your assessment to introduce themselves and confirm an arrival time with you.

Your Home Support Assessment will take between 60 and 90 minutes.

Your assessment will be conducted by one of our professional Home Support Assessors. We will try to let you know the name and expected arrival time of your Assessor during our phone call with you.  If we are unable to let you know during our initial phone call, your Home Support Assessor will get in touch to introduce themselves a day before or day of your assessment. 

Our assessors carry photo ID with them. Please make sure to sight this before letting them into your home. 

No, a Home Support Assessment is performed in your home. It is important that we see how you manage in your home environment before making any recommendations.

Let us know if you have concerns about an assessor visiting your home. 

If you do not have a permanent home, we are happy to meet you in another location such as a local café, library or office. We cannot perform assessments in hospitals or rehabilitation centres.  

If you have concerns about an assessor visiting your home, please let us know.  

We will need to see two points of identification, such as a Medicare card and one other form of ID - a DVA card, driver's licence, healthcare card, or passport before commencing your assessment.

You may want to consider having contact details for your GP or other health professionals for your assessor. 

Yes! You never have to be alone in this process. If you choose, a family member, friend or carer can be with you during your assessment. 

Remember to prepare any questions you may have for the assessor.

The Home Support Assessment is an active assessment. That means your Assessor will ask you to show them how you perform tasks in and around your home. 

The active assessment is the best way to ensure you get the right supports, that is, the type of supports that align with your personal needs and goals. 

During the assessment, your assessor will also show you tips and tricks on how tasks around the home can be managed more easily. The assessor will also discuss strategies that you might use to achieve to regain/retain your independence in and around your home.

No. We do not need any financial information from you. 

If you are eligible for services under the Commonwealth Home Support Program, the service provider that delivers your support may need a financial co-contribution towards your service. They will discuss this with you in more detail. 

No, we do not require doctor’s letters or health records to conduct your assessment.

Help at home looks different for different people. It may mean getting help with shopping and cooking. Or it could be receiving personal care to bath, dress, and get in and out of bed. It may even mean getting modifications to improve your safety and movement around the house. 

Your assessor will consider and discuss a full range of aged care services provided and funded by Commonwealth, State and local governments, voluntary agencies, private providers enterprise and informal supports from family/friends.

It is important that you discuss this with your service provider. If you haven’t heard from your service provider within two weeks following your assessment, please give us a call on 1300 972 920 and we will follow it up for you.  

Services provided under the Commonwealth Home Support Program are subsidised by the Federal Government. The service provider that delivers your support may require a financial co-contribution towards your service. They will discuss this with you before you agree to commencing services. 

If you have been referred for a nursing service, this is often short term. A Home Support Assessment will need to be completed to continue your nursing service under the Commonwealth Home Support Program.

There are a few reasons why we contacted you for a Support Plan Review. The most common reason for a review is that your circumstances have changes since your last assessment, and you may need additional help around your home.  Other reasons include a recent hospital admission, moving house or a change in your carer arrangements. 

We will contact you to discuss what has changed since your last assessment. 

Should you need additional CHSP funded support, we will provide you with a referral code or send a referral to your chosen Service Provider.  We may also provide you with techniques or equipment recommendations based on your individual needs and circumstances. 

A Support Plan Review is conducted over the phone with a Telephone Assessor and will take around 20 minutes.  

A Support Plan Review is typically conducted over the phone.

If there has been a significant change in need or a long period since your last assessment, the Telephone Assessor may, with your consent, refer you for a rehome Support Assessment.  This new assessment will occur face to face in your home with a Home Support Assessor. 

No, you do not need to prepare for your Support Plan Review. However, if you would like a family member to speak on your behalf, contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to add them as your nominated representative.

It’s important that your care plan matches your needs. At the end of the Support Plan Review, the Telephone Assessor may recommend new services or supports, or in some cases, a new Home Support Assessment. 

Your Telephone Assessor will discuss these options with you at the time of the assessment.