Northern Ireland Single Assessment Tool

Evidence suggests that many older people experience a wide range of assessment approaches by a variety of different health and social care professionals. These multiple and often disconnected assessments, not all of which are validated, fail to capture a complete picture of the older person and their care needs. Older people, their carers and those who advocate on their behalf have for a long-time called for a less bureaucratic, better co-ordinated and managed approach to the assessment of care needs; service delivery and review.

With this in mind the Department commissioned the development of a Single Assessment Tool which will be used to gather all the information necessary to plan home care services for people with complex needs so as to enable them to continue living at home, with appropriate home care support, or to make a decision regarding the need for nursing or residential home care.