For GPs & Health Professionals
Quick reference for aged care referrals and resources. Designed to be used during a consultation or shared directly with patients and their families.
Aged care referral — the quick version
When a patient or their family asks about aged care, the entry point is always My Aged Care. You don’t need to make a formal referral in most cases — the patient or family can contact them directly.
The process in 60 seconds
1. Patient or family calls My Aged Care (or applies online) to register.
2. My Aged Care arranges an assessment — usually at the patient’s home.
3. Assessor determines eligibility and assigns a funding classification under the Support at Home program (8 levels, from ~$11k to ~$78k/year).
4. Patient chooses a provider and services begin.
For urgent situations (e.g. unsafe discharge), the process can be expedited. Hospital social workers can assist with urgent referrals.
When a GP referral helps
While patients can self-refer to My Aged Care, a GP referral or supporting letter can strengthen the case and speed things up. Consider providing one when:
The patient has complex or multiple health conditions affecting daily function. There’s a cognitive concern (suspected or diagnosed dementia). You believe the patient needs a higher level of care than they might self-report. The patient or family is finding the system difficult to navigate.
You can make a referral directly through the My Aged Care health professional portal, or write a supporting letter for the patient to include with their application.
💡 Clinical tip: Patients and families often understate difficulties during assessments. Encourage them to describe their worst days, not their best. A written summary from you highlighting functional limitations, falls history, cognitive concerns, and medication management issues can significantly help the assessor.
What changed in November 2025
The new Aged Care Act and Support at Home program came into effect on 1 November 2025. Key changes relevant to GPs:
Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages
8 funding classifications instead of 4 levels. Quarterly budgets. Clinical services (nursing, allied health) are fully funded with no patient contribution. Care management capped at 10%.
New assessment tool
The Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) replaced the old ACAT/RAS system. It’s been controversial — some clinicians have raised concerns about its accuracy. Your supporting documentation is more important than ever.
Enforceable rights
Patients now have a legislated Statement of Rights, including the right to make their own decisions (including risk). This has implications for capacity assessments and advance care planning conversations.
Key resources
RACGP Silver Book
Guidelines for preventive activities in older people. Comprehensive clinical reference.
Open →My Aged Care Online Application
Direct link for patients to apply for an aged care assessment online.
Open →Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Report concerns, check provider compliance, and access quality standards.
Open →Find a Provider
Search tool with star ratings, pricing, and services for any aged care provider in Australia.
Open →Support at Home — Official Info
Government page with full program details, funding classifications, and provider guidance.
Open →OPAN — Patient Advocacy
Free, independent advocacy for patients. Refer families who need help navigating complaints or rights issues.
Open →CAPS & Continence — GP Guide
CAPS, MASS (QLD), and NDIS continence pathways for clinicians. Eligibility checker, application steps, and product guidance. Our sister site AskMyGP.
Open →A note on advance care planning
The aged care conversation is often a good moment to discuss advance care planning if it hasn’t happened already. Under the new Act, patients have stronger rights to make decisions about their own care — including the right to take personal risks.
Having an Advance Care Directive in place before care needs escalate makes everything smoother for the patient, their family, and their providers.