Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing

Victorian Evaluation Unit

This ongoing project is funded jointly by the Commonwealth Department of Health and and the Victorian Department of Human Services. The Aged Care Assessment Program (ACAP) Evaluation has been carried out by the Lincoln Centre for Research on Ageing (Lincoln) since 1983. 

In its role as the Victorian state evaluation unit for the ACAS Program, Lincoln oversees the collection of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) on approximately 54,000 assessments carried out each year by Victoria’s 18 Aged Care Assessment Services (ACAS).  These data, collected consistently since 1988, are used to monitor trends in numbers and characteristics of ACAS clients and the care plans recommended for them, and to assist in program evaluation and planning of services for older people.

Each ACAS also provides yearly narrative reports that describe: highlights of the reporting period; team initiatives and issues; relationships with service providers and consumers; and availability of services in the ACAS catchments.

Lincoln also carries out specific research projects to provide additional information on the ACAP not available through the MDS. For example, periodic follow-up studies of ACAS recommendations are carried out to examine actual client outcomes following an ACAS assessment.

Lincoln evaluates the ACAP program on a quarterly and annual basis. Contact Karen Teshuva k.teshuva@latrobe.edu.au

Past research projects relating to the operation of the ACAP program in Victoria include: