Aged-care algorithm locks funding for frail seniors, sparking expert criticism
A computer-driven classification system used for Australian in-home aged-care assessments denied a higher funding level to 96-year-old Audrey Staniland, prompting concerns from experts and families.
When Audrey Staniland, 96, sought a reassessment of her in-home aged-care funding, a laptop-based questionnaire fed her information into a government-mandated classification algorithm, which left her support level unchanged. Her daughter Jan Helgeland described the process as a “tick and flick” and expressed shock at the outcome. Health-care algorithm specialist Kathy Eagar dissected the model, noting that crucial factors such as cognition and frailty are entered too late to affect the result and that most of the 500-plus questionnaire entries, including free-text notes, are ignored.
The Department of Health and Ageing maintains the system complies with the Aged Care Rules 2024, while the opposition and crossbench have introduced legislation to allow clinicians to overrule the algorithm, a proposal the government rejected. In the first five months, review requests have surged six-fold, yet only about 207 of roughly 900 reviewed cases were successful. Critics compare the appeals burden to the earlier Robodebt controversy, arguing the onus unfairly falls on vulnerable seniors.
Why it matters
The algorithm determines billions in aged-care funding, affecting the wellbeing of thousands of older Australians.
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