Australian Government Directory of Services for Older People 2012-2013
Accessing care
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Services
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (Flexible Program) funds organisations to provide high quality, flexible and culturally appropriate aged care to older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, close to their home and community. Service providers deliver a mix of residential and community aged care services in accordance with a community’s needs. Services funded under the Flexible Program are located mainly in rural and remote areas.
Phone: 1800 200 422 (National number for information on aged care)
Website: Department of Health and Ageing at www.health.gov.au
Age Page®
The Age Page® is a handy contact list of phone numbers and websites for health and aged care services. The Age Page® is located in the Numbers you need section of the White Pages® telephone directories. These pages are also available online.Website: Department of Health and Ageing at www.health.gov.au
Aged Care Assessment Teams
Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) (known as Aged Care Assessment Service in Victoria) generally comprise, or have access to, a range of health professionals including nurses, doctors, social workers, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. If you are no longer able to manage at home without assistance, an ACAT or ACAS will undertake a thorough assessment of your care needs and help you gain access to the most appropriate types of services for your care needs.Phone: 1800 200 422 (National number for information on aged care)
Website: Aged Care Australia at www.agedcareaustralia.gov.au
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Aged Care Australia
The Aged Care Australia website is a user-friendly, accessible online resource for people seeking reliable and accurate information about Australian Government-funded aged care services. The website provides a range of information from accessing help to stay at home, to finding an aged care home.Website: Aged Care Australia at www.agedcareaustralia.gov.au
Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres
Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres link you to a wide range of community, aged care and support services available locally or anywhere in Australia. Centres provide information about services for older people, people with disabilities and their carers. Centres also assist carers with options to take a break through short-term and emergency respite services.Phone: 1800 052 222 (Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres)
1800 059 059 (Emergency respitee - outside standard business hours)
Website: Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre at www.commcarelink.health.gov.au
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Community Visitors Scheme
The Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) provides one-on-one volunteer visitors to residents of Australian Government-subsidised aged care homes who are socially isolated and whose quality of life would be improved by friendship and companionship.The CVS is available to any resident of an Australian Government-subsidised aged care home who is identified by their aged care service as at risk of isolation or loneliness, whether for social or cultural reasons or because of disability.
The Scheme is operated by community-based organisations that receive Australian Government funds to recruit, train and monitor the volunteer visitors.
The Scheme is available to people living in Australian Government-subsidised residential aged care, and covers rural, remote and metropolitan areas.
For more details, contact your local Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre.
Phone: 1800 200 422 (National number for information on aged care)
Website: Community Visitors Scheme at www.health.gov.au/cvs
Crisis Assistance Program—veterans
This program has been developed to assist Vietnam veterans who are experiencing a crisis. It aims to reduce stress that might lead to domestic violence or family break-up. It provides counselling and support and short-term emergency accommodation for up to five days. A Crisis Information Pack is available for ex-service organisations, welfare or pension officers and veteran community volunteers.
Phone: 1800 011 046 (Australia wide)
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healthdirect Australia helpline
healthdirect Australia is a helpline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week providing Australians with convenient, non-urgent health advice and information. All calls are answered by a Registered Nurse who uses sophisticated computerised decision support systems to provide safe and consistent health information and advice. It is a free call from all landlines on 1800 022 222 (If you are using a mobile phone, charges may apply).healthdirect Australia can help you when you’re sick and not sure what to do, when you want information on a specific health condition, or when you need to know where to find a health-related service.
Callers with a speech or hearing impairment can use healthdirect Australia Australia through the National Relay Service (www.relayservice.com.au). Interpreter services are also available.
healthdirect Australia is funded by the Australian Government, and the governments of the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia. Residents of Victoria and Queensland can access a similar service through their own state-based helplines (see below).
healthdirect AustraliaAustralia also delivers a national GP helpline fully funded by the Australian Government. It provides after-hours health support (6 pm to 8 am Monday to Saturday, and 12 noon Saturday to 8 am Monday). You can contact the GP helpline from anywhere in Australia.
Phone: 1800 022 222 (healthdirect Australia)
Website: Health Insite at www.healthinsite.gov.au (Australia’s internet gateway to reliable health information online)
Health Direct Australia at www.healthdirect.org.au
If you live in Victoria, the helpline to call is NURSE-ON-CALL on 1300 606 024.
If you live in Queensland, the helpline to call is 13-HEALTH, or 13 432 584.
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Multi-purpose Services Program
The Multi-purpose Services Program is a joint initiative of the Australian Government and state/territory governments, which aims to deliver flexible and integrated health and aged care services for small rural and remote communities.A Multi-purpose Service is established when the local population is not large enough to support separate services such as a hospital, residential aged care service or home and community care services; and where there is poor access to essential health and aged care services. The range of health and aged care services provided through the Multi-purpose Services program may include acute care, accident and emergency, allied health, residential and community aged care.
Multi-purpose Services receive Australian Government funding for aged care and state/territory government funding for a range of health services. States and territory governments are also responsible for funding the infrastructure and capital requirements of Multi-purpose Services.
A Multi-purpose Service is established when the local population is not large enough to support separate services such as a hospital, a residential aged care service, home and community care services or where there is poor access to essential health and aged care services.
Phone: 1800 200 422 (National number for information on aged care)
Website: Department of Health and Ageing at www.health.gov.au
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Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care
The Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care program (PICAC) funds one organisation in each state and territory to equip aged care service providers to deliver culturally appropriate care to older people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. More specifically, the program aims to:- help identify the special aged care needs of people from CALD backgrounds
- improve partnerships between aged care providers and CALD communities
- enhance the capacity for aged care service providers to deliver culturally appropriate aged care.
Phone: (02) 4227 4222 (NSW)
(07) 4723 1470 (Qld)
(08) 8241 9900 (SA)
(03) 6221 0940 (Tas)
(03) 8823 7900 (Vic)
(08) 9381 0660 (WA)
1300 885 886 (WA country)
(02) 6244 3579 (ACT)
(08) 8941 1004 (NT)
1800 200 422 (National number for information on aged care)
Website: Department of Health and Ageing at www.health.gov.au
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Repatriation Private Patient Scheme—veterans
The Repatriation Private Patient Scheme relates to the provision of hospital care for Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Gold and White Card holders in a:- public hospital
- contracted private hospital
- contracted day procedure centre.
Phone: 13 32 54 (veterans—capital city callers)
1800 555 254 (veterans—regional callers)
Email: Department of Veterans' Affairs
Website: Department of Veterans' Affairs at www.dva.gov.au
Postal: Department of Veterans’ Affairs
GPO Box 9998
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Transition care program
Transition care helps older people complete their restorative process and optimise their functional capacity after a hospital stay, while helping them and their family or carer to make long-term care arrangements. Transition care is therapy-focused. The maximum duration is 12 weeks, with one possible extension of six weeks. The average duration of care is seven weeks.To be eligible, an older person must be an in-patient of a hospital and have completed their acute care and any necessary sub-acute care (such as rehabilitation). While still in hospital they must be assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT or ACAS in Victoria) as someone eligible for transition care. They must enter the program directly upon discharge from hospital.
Transition care provides a package of services that is tailored to the needs of the client and may include a range of low intensity therapy and nursing support or personal care. Examples of low intensity therapy services may include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics, podiatry, speech therapy, counselling and social work. Examples of personal care services may include assistance with, showering, eating, managing continence, transport to appointments, moving, walking and communication.
Transition care is provided in the older person’s home or a ‘live-in’ setting. A ‘Live in’ setting refers to facility-based accommodation with a more home-like, less institutional feel; with space available for therapy. This setting can be part of an existing aged care home or health facility, such as a separate wing of a hospital.
Phone: 1800 200 422 (National number for information on aged care)
Website: Department of Health and Ageing at www.health.gov.au
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