The Commonwealth Ombudsman is investigating Australia's Support at Home program, which assesses older people's needs for home-based care funding. Critics argue the algorithm-based system is flawed, leading to inadequate care for some individuals.
The Integrated Assessment Tool, a digital assessment, uses 11 validated tools to determine funding levels. However, experts claim there is no evidence that the tool accurately predicts actual service levels and outcomes.
Despite expert advice, the Commonwealth removed the power to manually override the algorithm's allocation, leading to potential consequences, including underestimation of complex care needs.
Appeals are increasing, with 800 older people requesting a review of their assessment since the system's introduction. The Older Persons Advocacy Network reports a 50% increase in requests for information and advocacy.
Experts, including one of the system's designers, Lynda Henderson, are calling for transparency, fairness, and human oversight in the algorithm-based system.
The recommended approach is to use the algorithm as a guide and allow assessors to override it when circumstances warrant. Systems-level data should be used to refine the algorithm and provide guidance to assessors as the system matures.
