The Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) Gold Card provides support for many Australians to remain in their chosen environment. As a therapist working in the DVA space however, I have identified different gaps in support provided, which may place individual’s health and safety at risk. My Aged Care is an Australian Government funded service, supporting adults over the age of 65 (or over the age of 50 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) to stay independent at home, or provide support to transition into care if they are no longer able to remain in their chosen environment. Pairing an individual’s supports from the DVA gold card, with My Aged Care services, can sometimes be enough for individuals to remain safe in their home environment.
At present, DVA offer supports with regular (weekly or fortnightly, depending on the level of support required) household cleaning, yearly window and gutter cleaning (where they can also clean internal ceiling fans, exhaust fans and change the batteries in the smoke alarm), or showering assistance, up to three times per week. DVA will shop for individuals by a list, however shopping is often a social outing for many individuals and not being supported to complete their shopping themselves, can result in social isolation. My Aged Care offer a service, where individuals can go shopping with the support of a carer, therefore reducing that risk of social isolation. DVA will also provide a once off gardening service, only to address any access concerns to an individual’s main entrance, it is then up to individuals to maintain this. Regular garden maintenance, however, is one of the main activities that individuals often ask for support in. This often initiates a referral to My Aged Care for regular gardening support.
Whether you are a gold card holder or not, you can get a meal preparation service, such as Meals on Wheels, by asking your GP to complete a referral form. At present, DVA is unable to provide support for meal preparation or meal delivery services. My Aged Care however have capacity to support individuals with cooking, by either arranging for meal delivery, or assisting individuals with the activity of cooking, to ensure they are getting a balanced diet and regular meals. This reduces the risk of malnutrition for individuals living alone.
Getting support under My Aged Care requires a referral. Individuals or family members can complete a referral by ringing My Aged Care (Ph: 1800 200 422) or going online to the My Aged Care website and completing a referral form. Occupational Therapists, GP’s, or other supporting Health Professionals are also able to complete this referral with individuals. The benefit of completing the referral with a health professional is it often allows an individual’s need for support to be better captured and articulated to My Aged Care.
Following the outcome of a referral, individuals can get approval for a face-to-face assessment at home through: