AN-ACC and Good Care Documentation

The Australian National Aged Care Classification, or AN-ACC, is the model the Australian Government uses to fund the care component of residential aged care. It started on 1 October 2022 and replaced the older Aged Care Funding Instrument. Key points: AN-ACC groups residents into classes based on their assessed care needs, funding follows those needs, part of the funding is shared across a home and part varies with each resident's class, and the model is designed so that residents' care needs come before funding decisions.

Under AN-ACC, government contracted independent assessors assess each permanent resident and place them into one of 13 classes. Class 1 is for residents who enter care for planned palliative care at the end of life. Assessors ask the resident questions and may speak with staff, observe the person and read notes and care plans. A reassessment can be requested when a resident's needs change significantly, within criteria set by the department. Each home's care minutes target is also calculated from its residents' AN-ACC classes.

Good records do three jobs at once. They guide the care each resident receives, they keep residents safe by showing changes early and passing information between shifts, and they provide honest evidence of the care a resident needs and receives. Key points: care plans are built and reviewed from what is recorded, a missing note can mean a missed deterioration, records are legal documents that regulators and assessors may read, and accurate records protect residents, you and our organisation.

Everyone in the care team contributes to the record, and each role has a different part. Care workers record the daily care they give, what they observe and any changes, concerns or incidents. Enrolled and registered nurses record clinical assessments, care planning, medication and escalations. Clinical and care managers check the quality of records, oversee care plan reviews and, where criteria are met, request reassessments. Key points: record only what you did or saw, stay within your role, and tell the nurse about anything that needs clinical follow up.

A good note is factual, timely, objective, clear and complete. Write it as soon as practical after the care or event. Describe what you saw, heard and did, using the resident's own words where they matter. Avoid vague words such as fine, good day or aggressive without explaining what happened. Do not include your opinions about the resident or blame others. Follow our documentation policy for late entries and corrections: never erase, overwrite or delete, and always show who made a change and when.

Because records can influence funding, they must always reflect the real care a resident needs and receives. Never exaggerate a resident's needs, copy and paste notes, record care that did not happen, or change records to influence an assessment or a claim. The Code of Conduct for Aged Care requires workers to act with integrity, honesty and transparency. Falsifying records can harm residents and may be fraud. If anyone asks you to change a record in a way that is not true, say no and tell your team leader, a manager or use our whistleblower pathway.

This case study follows Grace Okafor, a resident who returns from a hospital stay needing more help to move than before. Her needs also change from day to day, with good days and harder days. The lesson shows how care workers record each transfer as it really happened, how the registered nurse reviews her care plan, and how the manager decides whether a reassessment request fits the criteria. Key points: record good days and hard days honestly, escalate changes on the shift you see them, and leave funding decisions to authorised staff.

This case study follows Rahul Mehta, a resident who is having an AN-ACC assessment with an independent assessor. The lesson shows how honest, up to date records make the visit straightforward, and how to answer an assessor's questions when you only know part of the picture. It also looks at the pressure some staff may feel to make needs look higher. Key points: keep records current every shift, answer only from what you have seen or recorded, point the assessor to the right person, and tell your team leader about any pressure to exaggerate.