The aged care algorithm replacing human judgement

There can come a point in growing older when staying in the home you love depends on someone helping you out of bed, making a meal, or making sure you’ve taken your medication. 

That care can mean holding on to your independence, to familiar surroundings, and to a life that still feels like your own. 

But now, the government is using an algorithm to determine home care funding – replacing assessors’ judgement with a formula that can overlook the complexities of someone’s life. And assessors can't override its decisions – even when they believe they're wrong.

Today, aged care expert Professor Kathy Eagar, on the human consequences of handling those decisions to an algorithm, and the people whose needs are not being met as a result. 

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Guest:  Aged care researcher at UNSW, Professor Kathy Eagar

Photo: Michaela Rehle/Reuters

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