After you’ve applied for
My Aged Care
What to do before an assessment
Easy Read version
How to use this guide
The Australian Government Department of Health
and Aged Care (the Department) wrote this guide.
When you see the word ‘we’, it means the Department.
We wrote this information in an easy to read way.
We use pictures to explain some ideas.
We wrote some important words in bold.
This means the letters are thicker and darker.
We explain what these bold words mean.
There is a list of these words on page 28.
This Easy Read guide is a summary of another
document. This means it only includes the most
important ideas.
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You can find the other document on our website.
www.myagedcare.gov.au/resources
You can ask for help to read this guide.
A friend, family member or support person
may be able to help you.
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What’s in this guide?
What is this guide about? 5
After you apply for an assessment 7
During your assessment 9
While you are waiting 14
After your assessment 21
What support can carers get? 24
Word list 28
Contact us 31
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What is this guide about?
My Aged Care is:
• a website
• a phone number
• an in person service.
My Aged Care’s contact details are on page 31 of
this document.
My Aged Care supports older people to find and use
the aged care services they need.
This includes their families and carers.
You need to do an assessment before you can get
aged care services.
An assessment helps someone work out
what support you might need.
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In this guide, we explain what happens after you:
• apply for an assessment
• find out if you can use aged care services.
We also explain what support carers can get.
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After you apply for an assessment
A trained assessor will contact you if you can
get an assessment.
A trained assessor is someone who has
the skills and knowledge to do an assessment.
They will contact you within 2 to 6 weeks.
If they don’t contact you in this time, you can call
My Aged Care.
1800 200 422
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It’s good to have your My Aged Care ID card
with you.
It was included in your Welcome Pack letter.
If you don’t have your My Aged Care ID card, that’s ok.
My Aged Care can still help you.
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During your assessment
The trained assessor will only do your assessment
if they have your consent.
When someone gives their consent, they say
it’s okay to do something.
When they have your consent, the trained assessor
will visit your home.
Then they will look at your care needs.
And tell you if you can receive aged care services.
If they say you can receive aged care services,
they will work with you to make a support plan.
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Your support plan will include what:
• support you need
• services you need
• goals you have.
You can ask someone you know to be with you
during this visit.
This could be a friend, family member or
support person.
You can also ask the trained assessor to have
an interpreter with you.
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An interpreter is someone who:
• speaks your language
• helps you understand what someone is saying.
You can also ask to have an Auslan interpreter
with you.
People who are deaf or don’t hear well might use
Auslan to communicate.
An Auslan interpreter is someone who uses Auslan
to help you understand what someone says.
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You need to have 2 types of documents
to prove who you are.
It’s a good idea to bring your:
• Medicare card
• driver’s license or passport.
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If you bring someone with you, they also need to
have 2 types of documents to prove who they are.
This only includes people who will help you
make decisions.
If you bring someone with you for support,
they don’t need to bring documents to prove
who they are.
You should also bring information about:
• the aged care services you might want
to talk about
• other support you already get.
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While you are waiting
After your assessment, we will look at all
the information.
We will decide if you can get aged care services.
While you are waiting for our decision, you can
create your My Aged Care Online Account.
You can use your Online Account to:
• update your personal information
• upload documents
• see information about your assessment.
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You can get to your Online Account through myGov.
myGov is a website where you can find:
• your tax information
• your medical information
• other government services.
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You need to sign into your myGov account online.
www.my.gov.au
Then you need to make sure My Aged Care
is linked to your myGov account.
If you need help, you can visit the
My Aged Care website.
www.myagedcare.gov.au/access-your-
online-account
Or you can call myGov.
13 23 07
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How to get updates
You can get updates about your assessment by:
• text
• email.
To make sure you get these updates,
you need to sign into your myGov account.
Then select ‘My Aged Care’.
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Go to ‘your profile’.
Click on the pencil button next to
‘Contact details and notification preferences’.
Make sure your contact details are up to date.
This includes your:
• mobile number
• email.
Use the drop-down menu to select how
you want My Aged Care to contact you.
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Use the scroll bar on the side of the page to
go to the bottom of the form.
And tick the box to receive updates.
Select how you want to receive this information.
To do this you need to tick the box for:
• email
or
• SMS – text messages.
You can also choose to tick the box for both of
these options.
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Select ‘save changes’.
If you select ‘SMS’, you need to confirm
your contact details.
Select ‘verify’.
Enter the code you receive on your phone.
It should be 6 numbers.
Select ‘verify’ again.
If you need support, you can call My Aged Care.
1800 200 422
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After your assessment
After your assessment, you will find out:
• if you can receive aged care services
• what type of services you can get.
Then you need to choose your aged care provider.
A provider supports other people by
delivering a service.
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You can use a tool on the My Aged Care website.
www.myagedcare.gov.au/find-a-provider
This tool can help you find an aged care provider
in your local area.
You can also get help to find a provider.
Your trained assessor can help you.
My Aged Care can also help you.
You will need to talk to your provider about
the services they can offer you.
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You can use a tool on the My Aged Care website
to find out how much services cost.
www.myagedcare.gov.au/how-much-will-i-pay
The Australian Government provides funding
for the cost of aged care services.
But they might not pay for all of it.
Funding is money from the Australian Government
to pay for supports and services.
If you can afford it, you might need to pay for:
• some of the services you use
• all of it.
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What support can carers get?
Unpaid carers can get help and support.
An unpaid carer:
• takes care of a family member or friend
• is not paid any money.
But they might get money or support from:
• the Australian Government
• other organisations.
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Carer Gateway
Carer Gateway provides services and support
to unpaid carers across Australia:
• in person
• over the phone
• online.
Carers can call Carer Gateway for free.
1800 422 737
Carer Gateway is available from
8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday.
Select option ‘1’ to speak to someone.
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Carers can also visit the Carer Gateway website.
www.carergateway.gov.au
They can talk to carers to work out their needs.
And help them find services to support them.
Dementia Australia
Dementia Australia has a program called
the National Dementia Support Program.
This program supports carers who look after
someone who struggles with the way they:
• think or make decisions
• remember
• talk.
This includes people with dementia.
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The program provides services and support to carers:
• in person
• over the phone
• online.
You can call the National Dementia Helpline:
• 7 days a week
• 24 hours a day.
1800 100 500
For more information, you can visit our website.
www.myagedcare.gov.au/caring-someone
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Word list
This list explains what the bold words in this guide mean.
Assessment
An assessment helps someone work out
what support you might need.
Auslan interpreter
People who are deaf or don’t hear well use Auslan
to communicate.
An Auslan interpreter is someone who uses Auslan
to help you understand what someone says.
Consent
When someone gives their consent, they say
it’s okay to do something.
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Funding
Funding is money from the Australian Government
to pay for supports and services.
Interpreter
An interpreter is someone who:
• speaks your language
• helps you understand what someone is saying.
myGov
myGov is a website where you can find:
• your tax information
• your medical information
• other government services.
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Provider
A provider supports other people by
delivering a service.
Trained assessor
A trained assessor is someone who has the
skills and knowledge to do an assessment.
Unpaid carer
An unpaid carer:
• takes care of a family member or friend
• is not paid any money.
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Contact us
You can call My Aged Care for free.
1800 200 422
You can call My Aged Care from:
• 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday
• 10 am to 2 pm, Saturday.
They are not available on:
• national public holidays
• Sunday.
You can visit My Aged Care’s website.
www.myagedcare.gov.au
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You can call Services Australia for free to make
an appointment with someone who works in
aged care services.
You can call them to find out if there’s a staff member
close to where you live.
1800 227 475
You can call Services Australia from
8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday.
They are not available on:
• national public holidays
• weekends.
If you need to talk to someone in a language
other than English, you can call the Translating
and Interpreting Service (TIS).
131 450
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Ask the interpreter to call My Aged Care for you.
You can visit the Deaf Connect website if you:
• are deaf
• are both deaf and blind
• have a hearing or speech impairment.
Deaf Connect can provide services to support you.
www.deafconnect.org.au
If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment,
you can also call the National Relay Service.
1300 555 727
Ask for a relay to 1800 200 422.
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The Department of Veterans’ Affairs supports
veterans. We call this department DVA.
A veteran is a person who served in the military.
If you want support from DVA, you can call them
for free.
1800 838 372
You can call DVA from
8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday.
The Information Access Group created this Easy Read guide using
stock photography and custom images. The images may not be reused
without permission. For any enquiries about the images, please visit
www.informationaccessgroup.com. Quote job number 4747-B.
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