People who are 'socially disadvantaged' and the role of the aged care assessment team: a case example.

Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT) were developed as part of the aged care reforms that have been implemented in Australia over the last twenty years (Howe1997). Their role includes completion of comprehensive assessments, clarification of client needs, identification of care options to meet needs and assistance to access to services (CDH&AC 2000). They are described as having a coordinating role for clients with complex care or special needs (McCallum et al 1992, Gray 2001) and it is people with special needs, specifically those with social disadvantage, that are the focus of this paper.