Assessment with a member of an Aged Care Assessment Team is required for a person needing the following;

• access to aged care services through any type of Home Care Package
• receive services through the Transition Care Program
• receive certain respite services
• enter into a government subsidised aged care home

An ACAT will discuss the person's current situation and work out if they are eligible to receive government subsidised aged care services.

If a person can receive aged care services, an ACAT assessment will assist in accessing the right services for the care that is required.

An ACAT assessment is not required for aged care services that are not subsidised by the government. Examples might be services offered by volunteer groups and charitable organisations.

ACAT assessment is not necessary to receive aged care services through some government funded programs such as Home and Community Care, Day Therapy Centres and the National Respite for Carers Program as these organisations deliver these services that have their own, less formal, assessment procedures.

Note: An Aged Care Assessment Team is referred to as an Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) in Victoria. Where there is reference to the term ACAT, it intends the Victorian term ACAS to be interchangeable.