Australia to reform automated aged care assessment system

The Australian federal government is facing pressure to reform the automated algorithm used in aged care assessments. Critics argue the system has failed seniors, drawing comparisons to the ‘Robodebt’ scandal. Reports from Council on the Ageing (COTA) Tasmania highlight systemic issues within the $11.5 billion Support at Home program, where technological glitches and automated decisions have left vulnerable individuals with insufficient care.

Specific cases include a rural Tasmanian senior with chronic leukaemia who received only 1.5 hours of weekly support due to an automated assessment, and an isolated pensioner with respiratory disease who lacked a digital pathway to request hardship assistance. These failures have caused significant delays and uncertainty for those relying on government-funded services to live independently.

In response, the federal government has announced plans for legislation to establish an escalation pathway. This would allow for cases where automated outcomes do not reflect an individual’s actual needs to be challenged and corrected through human intervention. To access these services, Australians must register with My Aged Care, which initiates the assessment process conducted by qualified health professionals.