Ongoing Assessment in Aged Care
Published: 21 April 2024
Published: 21 April 2024
Older people receiving aged care services typically do so for a length of time in which their health status may change or deteriorate.
In order for aged care providers to adjust to these changes and ensure older people are receiving an appropriate level of care, regular re-assessment of their condition, needs and goals is essential.
Standard 3: Care and Services - Outcome 3.1: Assessment and Planning of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards (Action 3.1.2) requires aged care providers to partner with older people and communicate with them on an ongoing basis in order to perform assessments and plan their care and services (ACQSC 2024).
Additionally, Action 3.1.5 requires care and services plans to be regularly reviewed. This includes when:
(ACQSC 2024)
Upon the commencement of a person’s care, providers should undertake an initial assessment in order to identify their needs and gain baseline data for the person.
The goal of assessment is to gain a multi-dimensional understanding of the person by exploring their medical, physiological, social and psychological functioning. By taking the time to thoroughly examine each aspect of their life, you will be able to identify any issues, minimise risks and maximise their quality of life (Health.vic 2015).
The Victorian Department of Health has developed a template for conducting a comprehensive assessment of older people in health and aged care. This assessment includes:
(Health.vic 2014)
Each one of these assessments should be performed comprehensively. Further risk screening and assessment may also be completed during the initial assessment, such as a falls risk, malnutrition risk and pressure injury risk assessment. It’s important that each of these areas are also part of the ongoing assessment with the person.
Once care has commenced, the client should continue to be assessed on a regular basis in order to identify any changes in their condition, needs and goals.
Aged care providers should have regular conversations with older people in order to determine the appropriate level of care required for each individual. The goal of these discussions is to:
(DoHaAC 2020)
The following topics should be discussed in these conversations:
(DoHaAC 2020)
The results of these discussions should be documented in the person’s agreements (DoHaAC 2020).
Your organisation may use some of the following documentation in order to maintain information about older people and their needs:
(Quality Aging n.d.)
Your facility may utilise a ‘resident of the day’ program to assess whether each person’s needs are being appropriately met. Generally, each person would be reviewed at least every month (Quality Aging n.d.).
When conducting a reassessment, you may notice that the person is eligible for additional funding under the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC).
When assessing an older person’s needs, it is important to keep the following in mind:
(Health.vic 2015)
When conducting assessments, it’s important to consider the elements of effective clinical decision-making:
(Health.vic 2014)
Therapeutic communication involves prioritising the person’s wellbeing by providing them with support and information while maintaining professional distance and objectivity. It comprises a range of techniques, including:
(Rivier University 2017)
Practising person-centred care is a key component of the assessment process, as older people should be empowered to actively participate in future planning and decision-making. Older people should be provided with adequate information and opportunities to ask questions so that they can make informed decisions about the direction of their care. Utilising person-centred care improves care recipient satisfaction and the quality of the services delivered (ACSQHC 2019; Better Health Channel 2015).
The ongoing assessment of older people’s needs is an essential component of care. In order to provide an appropriate level of care, it is important for aged care providers to work closely with older people to regularly discuss and evaluate whether the services being provided are adequate.
Question 1 of 3
Which one of the following is NOT a recognised technique of therapeutic communication?