Australia Reviews Aged Care Algorithm After Concerns

Australia is taking a hard look at how it decides who gets aged care support first.

After families shared concerns about wait times under a new assessment system launched last November, the federal government quietly began a rapid review. The review focuses on how an algorithm prioritizes cases after assessors complete surveys of older Australians' needs.

The system, called the Integrated Assessment Tool, was designed to standardize how support is allocated. Assessors conduct detailed surveys, input findings into an algorithm, and receive automatic recommendations for funding levels and priority rankings.

But some families say the priority rankings haven't matched the urgency of their situations. Lynne Meehan's 91-year-old father was assigned a 10-month wait despite receiving high-level funding approval. He died before his support package arrived.

"I worked in intensive care for 28 years and have never seen anything so complicated," said Meehan, who advocated for her father through letters to the aged care minister.

Aged Care Minister Sam Rae acknowledged the family's experience. "We've always said that we would continue to review and refine the assessment tool," he said in a statement.

The Bright Side

Starting June 29, people can request corrections if there's a clear error in how their survey was entered. The government expects recommendations from its rapid review within three months.

Experts like Emeritus Professor Hal Swerissen from La Trobe University say standardized processes help, but assessors should have override authority when algorithms make mistakes. That kind of flexibility could be part of future improvements.

The review represents listening to families and adapting systems that affect vulnerable Australians.