Advocare is now providing care finder services under the Australian Government care finder program network that commenced in January 2023. The service supports eligible older people to understand and access aged care and connect with other relevant community supports. We have care finders working in Perth’s south and north, and in the South West and Wheatbelt regions.
The care finder service was established in response to a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and announced in the 2021-2022 Budget as part of the, ‘Connecting Senior Australians to Aged Care Services’ measure. By providing a face-to-face support to particularly vulnerable older people, the program helps people who would otherwise fall through the cracks of the aged care and health systems.
The aged care system can be difficult to navigate and this can be particularly challenging for individuals who don’t have someone to support them and face additional barriers to accessing support. Our care finders offer intensive assistance to eligible people to understand and access aged care and connect them with other relevant supports in the community.
In the short time the program’s been running, the team has already generated remarkable results with our clients. This has included assisting a client in moving out of residential care back into the community, and helping several others navigate through My Aged Care, and connecting them with aged care and health services, and other community supports.
By connecting people with services like these, the care finder service provides significant benefits to the individuals we work with as well as the wider community. We know if people need aged care services but aren’t receiving them there can be a significant increase in their risk of falls, hospital visits, or health deterioration.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible to receive support from the care finder service, a person must:
- Be eligible for aged care services and
- Have one or more reasons for requiring intensive support to interact with My Aged Care
Reasons for requiring intensive support may include:
- difficulty communicating due to language or literacy problems
- difficulty understanding information and making decisions
- reluctance to engage with aged care or government
- being in an unsafe situation if they don’t receive services
- having no carer or support person.
Since launching the service in May Advocare has received over 50 eligible referrals and delivered nearly 400 hours of services to individuals. Referrals have come from direct calls to Advocare, hospitals, health services and other community service organisations. We’re very pleased to be able to offer such a valuable service to assist the most vulnerable older people in our communities to attempt to enjoy a better quality of life.
People needing this support or wishing to make a referral are encouraged to call Advocare on 08 9479 7566 or email carefinders@advocare.org.au
This service has been made possible through funding provided by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care under the Primary Health Network Program.