Care finder Service

Care finders support vulnerable people to learn about, apply for, and set up aged care services and other supports in the community.

Who can use the care finder service?

The care finder service is not available for everyone. It exists specifically to support older people, who have no one else who can support them, who need intensive support to access aged care services and support.

To receive care finder support, a person will likely:

• Have no carer or support person who can help them, or
• Not have a carer or support person they feel comfortable with, or trust to support them, and
• Be eligible for government-funded aged care.

To be eligible for government-funded aged care, individuals:

• Need help with one or more everyday tasks; and
• Be aged:
  • 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) OR
  • 50 years or older (45 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) on a low income and homeless or at risk of being homeless.

In addition, they may have one or more of the following reasons for needing intensive support:

• Have difficulty communicating because of language or literacy problems,
• Find it difficult to understand information and make decisions,
• Are reluctant to engage with aged care or government, and/or
• They may be in an unsafe situation if they do not receive services.

What help can care finders provide?

Care finders can help vulnerable older people navigate the aged care system and find support services to improve their quality of life. Care finders can help with both accessing services for the first time and changing or finding new services and supports.

Care finders can help with:

• Talking to My Aged Care on a person’s behalf and arranging an assessment,
• Attending and providing support at the assessment,
• Finding and short-listing aged care providers in their area,
• Completing forms and understanding aged care service agreements,
• Checking-in once services are up and running to make sure everything is okay, and
• Assisting individuals to connect with supports in the community (e.g. Health, mental health, housing and homelessness, drug and alcohol services and community groups).

Care finder organisations within the Hunter, New England and Central Coast regions

The organisations listed below provide care finder services in the Hunter, New England and Central Coast regions.

Some of these organisations have transitioned from the former Assistance with Care and Housing Program. Their focus is on working with older Australians who are homeless/at risk of homelessness over a limited number of LGAs.

Anglicare, Bungree and Wesley have been engaged to provide support to all individuals in the care finder target population.

Central Coast