Assessment Models

New Aged Care Models – Productivity Commission Research

Client Productivity Commission, the Australian Government’s independent research and advisory body on a range of economic, social and environmental issues affecting the welfare of Australians
Project Requirement TThrough the Productivity Commission, the Australian Government undertook a major review to develop detailed options for redesigning Australia’s aged care system to ensure it can meet future challenges. AACS was engaged to design an overall assessment model and framework for the aged care system and to determine a method for the relative resource allocation for aged care services that could be provided in residential and community care settings.
Why did they choose AACS? AACS provided aged care system experience and understanding of the assessment and classification framework models that could be adopted for the aged care system in Australia. It had conducted a number of major projects for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing regarding aged care system frameworks and assessment models. In particular, AACS had conducted projects on client assessment for the Veteran’s Home Care Program, Community Care Clients assessment systems (care recipient and carers) and a system to cover the gap between residential and community care assessment (CACFI)
Skills Demonstrated
  • Ability to collaborate and work proactively with the aged care industry
  • Research and analysis skills to background the problem and come up with innovative solutions
  • Practical, implementable models for future aged care systems and consumers
  • Content expertise in assessment, measurement, classification methodology
  • Understanding of operational issues necessary to frame workable community care models
  • Developing the broad requirements of a model that incorporated best practices, assessment and measurement principles, and the features required of a classification model for an aged care program that would provide services across community and residential settings

The ‘New Aged Care Model Options’ paper for the national inquiry into Aged Care developed by AACS is available here.

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Nationally Consistent Assessment for Australian Community Care

Client Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA)
Project Requirement A nationally consistent assessment model that offered:

  • A simplified system that shared data, thereby reducing the number of assessments a client might have to undergo
  • Nationally comparable data that provided information for all stakeholders
  • Tools and information for Governments so that they could manage and target resources in an equitable and sustainable manner
  • A broad (comprehensive) and shallow needs identification approach for community care programs
  • Potential to enhance and extend the reach of the assessment software system
  • Integrated assessment of eligibility and unmet need across different groups of people receiving community care services
Why did they choose AACS? AACS provided experience and understanding of the assessment and classification framework models that could be adopted for the aged care system in Australia. It had conducted a number of research projects for the DoHA describing aged care system frameworks and assessment models, particularly a project on a common assessment approach and tool to cover the gap between residential and community care assessment (CACFI). AACS had also developed the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) assessments and checklists, all documentation including relevant manuals, funding domains and dollar allocations and complimentary audit system.
Skills Demonstrated
  • Robust research and evaluation design
  • Project management
  • Consultation and workshops covering the current process and changes required to the business process
  • Development of revised assessment tools
  • Community Care assessment expertise
  • Development of training materials
  • Provision of training for the program
  • Literature reviewing
  • Development of evidence based decision making and referral systems
  • Report writing
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Carers’ Eligibility Needs Assessment – A New Approach to Carer Assessment and Support

Client Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA)
Project Requirement DoHA required a Nationally Consistent Assessment Process System for Community Care that included carers as a central element. Carer assessment had been typically undertaken through a separate process to that applied to care recipients (the primary person receiving direct community services, eg. meals).
Why did they choose AACS? AACS had already developed a community care assessment tool and software system for use in the Access Point pilot project for DoHA. AACS had also developed the ACCNA-R suite of assessment tools.
Skills Demonstrated
  • Consultations and workshops with services agencies
  • Research and analysis skills to background the problem and come up with innovative solutions
  • Practical implementable models for future aged care systems and consumers
  • Ability to review an existing system and design a more flexible, consumer focused practical approach
  • Content expertise in assessment approaches for carers
  • Understanding of operational issues necessary to frame workable community care models within an existing service system
  • Developing the broad requirements of a model that incorporated best practices, assessment and measurement principles
  • Ability to develop a coherent self-assessment model based on carefully researched principles
  • Report writing
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Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) Assessment Instrument Development & Validation

Client Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA)
Project Requirement The project had two main requirements:

  1. To review the draft revised VHC Assessment Instrument and suggest amendments for improvement. This review examined the instrument’s structure, appropriateness and sequencing of questions, and its ability to meet the requirements of the VHC model. The VHC assessment tool was evaluated for validity and its overall ability to collect appropriate assessment information to allow for a broad description of client care needs.
  2. To produce an Assessment Framework document that includes domains and business rules, and translated (where appropriate) the content of this document into a paper-based format, titled ‘draft enhanced VHC Assessment Instrument’. This Instrument is to be in a paper-based form that can be tested by Assessors.
Why did they choose AACS? AACS had completed development of the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) for residential care and a new community care assessment framework and tool set for the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA). DVA wanted to benefit from this experience and expertise and develop their new assessment approach in a way that while different, was complementary to the general community care assessment model.
Skills Demonstrated
  • Analysis of DVA program models, principles and guidelines
  • Community care assessment experience and expertise
  • Understanding assessment methodology, assessment tool development
  • Analyse and critique of current assessment approaches and tools
  • An understanding the requirements and skill base of staff undertaking the assessments
  • Providing an approach that would dovetail in with the latest national health assessment models.
  • Workshop presentation skills
  • Program model development using a consultative approach; AACS worked with DVA, VHC assessors and VHC agencies
  • Web Survey development and analysis
  • Recommendations for new assessment model and instrument
  • Validation of a draft paper-based tool
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