AN-ACC assessments involve a multi-step process which includes liaising with your facility, residents and direct care and nursing staff.
The process includes the following steps:
- The Department of Health and Aged Care advises APM your facility has either new residents to assess or residents who are eligible for reassessment.
- An APM scheduling team member calls your facility to arrange for assessor(s) to visit.
- A follow-up email confirmation will be sent, with helpful information attached about what to expect, frequently asked questions, and contact information.
- An assessor attending your facility will call 2-3 days ahead of time to confirm the best time for arrival.
- The assessor confirming the names and aged care identification numbers (ACIDs) of residents for assessment.
- The assessor sending a follow up email confirming the assessors attending the facility.
- Assessors attending the facility to complete AN-ACC assessments.
- Assessors uploading assessment data to the Department of Health and Aged Care.
- When the assessments are completed, the facility will receive an email survey from APM.
- The Department of Health and Aged Care provides AN-ACC outcomes.
Assessors use a range of sources, including speaking with staff and residents, observations, resident notes and care plans.
At least 5 days before the assessor arrives, complete the AN-ACC Assessor Pre-Entry Checklist provided by the assessment management organisation (AMO).
Before the assessor arrives, you should:
- Confirm how many residents will need to be assessed.
- Check the residents are available for assessment.
- Prepare your staff for the assessor’s visit.
When the assessor arrives, give the assessor:
- a suitable working environment that meets work health and safety standards
- immediate access to all necessary clinical systems
- records and relevant documentation, such as the resident’s National Screening and Assessment Form (NSAF), care plans, medical records and wound care or behaviour charts.
Assessment outcomes are uploaded directly to the Department of Health and Aged Care by Assessors, they are not stored on any APM servers or devices.
APM are unable to distribute any results of the AN-ACC assessments, and any notes assessors make are kept confidential and destroyed as soon as possible after completion.
Yes – speak to the Assessor about coming along to observe beforehand.
It is essential for the assessor to gather information directly. Please be mindful if you do observe an assessment, the interviews can be observed, but not interrupted or influenced.
The Department of Health and Aged Care provides outcomes of assessments to Residential Aged Care Facilities.
You can get more information about funding reforms, reclassification eligibility, pricing and dates for implementation by contacting the Department of Health directly.
Each assessor will be carrying a photographic APM name badge and a Delegate badge from the Department, which includes delegation authority from the Department of Health, indicating the following:
"The bearer of this card is a delegate of the Secretary of the Department of Health under subsection 96-2(15) of the Aged Care Act 1997 and may exercise powers and functions delegated under section 29C-3 of that Act to assess the level of care needed by care recipients for the purposes of classifying care recipients under Part 2.4A of that Act. An approved provider of aged care must, in accordance with the Accountability Principles 2014, allow the bearer of this card access to an aged care service to assess the care needs of care recipients."
The frequency of assessment visits will depend on how frequently new residents are moving into the facility and reclassification requests generated by residential aged care providers.
When the Department has referred a resident for assessment, the assessment is completed usually within approximately 28 days of referral.
There are allowances where in some instances where it may take up to 56 days to complete the assessment.
View the assessment process map provided by the Department.