You need to have a RAS assessment to access government-subsidised funding through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).
The CHSP is for people who need a little bit of help every week or fortnight with everyday tasks or activities, or a short burst of care for an immediate need.
A RAS assessor will contact you to make an appointment for an assessment within 2–3 weeks of your referral by My Aged Care.
Check how to get referred for an assessment.
What happens at the assessment
A member of your RAS team will visit you in your own home. They’ll work with you to identify your strengths, any areas of difficulty, and your goals.
Your assessor will do this as an ‘active’ assessment, which means they look at your:
- daily tasks – they’ll want to see how you are doing them now, and where you are finding things difficult
- carers and community – to understand your support system and needs
- goals and aspirations – what’s important to you?
- health and wellbeing – do you have any health concerns?
After this, your RAS assessor will develop a home support plan.
This plan is tailored to your individual needs. It will set out the types of services – short-term or ongoing – that will best help you live independently.
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What you should know
It might feel a bit nerve-racking to have an assessment but remember that it is all about getting you the support you need.
Your assessor can give you options for services in your area so that you can choose the right care for you – but this is your decision to make. If you want Silverchain to provide these services, you will need to request your referral code from your assessor.
The assessment will take between 45 minutes and 2 hours. You can:
- have a friend, relative or carer present if you would like
- ask My Aged Care for an interpreter to be present.