About Veterans' Home Care (VHC)
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About Veterans' Home Care
Veterans' Home Care (VHC) is a Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) program designed to assist those veterans and war widows/widowers who wish to continue living at home, but who need a small amount of practical help. VHC is part of a broader Australian Government strategy to ensure veterans and war widows/widowers maintain optimal health, well-being and independence.
VHC services include:
- domestic assistance
- personal care
- safety-related home and garden maintenance
- respite care.
In addition, limited social assistance services are provided through VHC as part of the Coordinated Veterans' Care (CVC) program.
VHC is part of a range of DVA services provided to eligible members of the veteran community. These include community nursing, allied health services, for example physiotherapy and podiatry, counselling services, transport for health care, home modifications and appliances through the Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP) and the HomeFront falls and accident prevention program.
VHC is similar to the Home and Community Care (HACC) program.
Access to VHC services is not automatic. If you are eligible, you must be assessed as needing home care assistance before receiving these services.
Veterans and war widows/widowers are asked to pay a small copayment for all services provided through VHC, except for respite care.
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Eligibility for Veterans' Home Care
Who is eligible
Members of the veteran community are eligible to be assessed for VHC services if they are:
- an Australian veteran or mariner or
- a war widow or widower of an Australian veteran or mariner;
and have
- a Repatriation health card - for all conditions (Gold Card)^ or
- a Repatriation health card - for specific conditions (White Card^).
^Only Gold Card holders are eligible for CVC social assistance. White card holders are not eligible for this particular service. Please speak to your GP if you are a Gold Card holder to establish if you fit the eligibility criteria
Who is not eligible
Veterans from other countries are not eligible for VHC services through DVA. They can be assessed to receive similar services under the HACC program in the same way as any other Australian citizen.
Limited eligibility
Veterans of Commonwealth and Allied forces
Commonwealth and Allied veterans who have a White Card are eligible to be assessed for respite care. They are not eligible for other VHC services, however, they can be assessed to receive similar services under the HACC program.
Australian participants in the British nuclear tests program
With effect from 1 July 2010, the Veterans’ Entitlement Act 1986 (VEA) will recognise participation by Australian servicemen and women in the British Nuclear Test program during the 1950s and 1960s as non warlike service. This means that if you were accepted as an Australian participant in the British nuclear tests program and you have a White Card, you will be eligible to be assessed for the full range of VHC services.
Partners and carers
Partners and carers may receive respite care if they are caring for an eligible veteran or war widow/widower. They are not eligible for other VHC services unless they have their own Gold or White Card. However, the needs of the household are considered as part of the assessment process. Services have a flow-on benefit to partners and carers to assist them in their caring role.
Partners and carers are eligible to be assessed to receive similar services under the HACC program.
Home care & support information
A range of home care and support services are available to eligible veterans.
See: Home care & support page
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Services offered under Veterans' Home Care
VHC services are provided on the basis of assessed need.
The following range of home support services may be available to eligible members of the veteran community:
Domestic assistance
This includes assistance with domestic chores, such as household cleaning, dishwashing, bed making, clothes washing, ironing, shopping for the veteran and bill paying. Domestic assistance may include help with meal preparation if this service is not being provided separately. In rural and remote areas, domestic assistance may also include activities such as collecting firewood.
Domestic assistance is not to replace tasks veterans are capable of doing themselves. Active participation in domestic activities has been shown to have a beneficial health effect, even for the frail and very elderly.
See Factsheet: Domestic assistance (HCS06) (PDF 98 kB)
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Personal care
Personal care includes assistance with daily self-care tasks, such as eating, bathing, toileting, dressing, grooming, getting in and out of bed and moving about the house.
See Factsheet: HCS08 Veterans' Home Care (PDF 98Kb)
Safety-related home and garden maintenance
The focus of home and garden maintenance is to minimise environmental health and safety hazards that impact on the veteran. To keep the home safe and habitable, it may involve minor maintenance or repair work, which may be carried out by a handyman, but that does not require a qualified tradesperson. Tasks may include changing light bulbs and tap washers, installing batteries in smoke alarms, gutter or window cleaning, general yard clean up where a safety hazard presents, clearing of debris following natural disasters, or other tasks within the approved hours of service and as agreed between the veteran and the service provider.
Safety-related home and garden maintenance does not include major repairs or services requiring a qualified tradesperson such as gutter replacement, major landscaping or garden tasks such as tree-felling or tree removal. Garden tasks such as branch lopping, lawn mowing and pruning, can only be undertaken if an environmental health or safety hazard exists. Routine, cosmetic or ornamental gardening services such as weeding, maintaining flower beds, regular lawn mowing, or pruning of roses are not available.
The maximum amount of safety-related home and garden maintenance is limited to 15 hours of service per financial year.
See Factsheet: Home and garden maintenance (HCS07) (PDF 102 kB)
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Respite care
Respite care is designed to provide relief for a carer who has the responsibility for a person requiring ongoing care, attention or support and may be used in times of unavailability of the carer for any reason. It gives the regular carer a chance for some much needed rest and relaxation.
Respite care may be provided in different ways depending on the individual situation. Care may be provided:
- in-home
- in an Australian Government-funded residential aged care facility or
- as emergency respite care in the home.
See Factsheet: Respite care (HSV06) (PDF 133 kB)
Respite is also available in community-based day programs or facilities, such as Day Clubs. These programs are not funded directly by DVA.
See: More information on day clubs
Coordinated Veterans Care (CVC) social assistance
CVC social assistance is a one off short term intensive service (generally up to 12 weeks) to assist veterans and war widows/widowers who are CVC participants, to become engaged in community activities.
If appropriate for you, your GP will refer you to a Veterans’ Home Care assessment agency for a social assistance assessment. The program recognises the benefits of social inclusion in supporting good health and encourages you to participate in community activities, such as groups through local clubs and associations on an ongoing basis.
See Factsheet: Coordinated Veterans Care (CVC) Social Assistance (HCS10)
How to access Veterans' Home Care services
Access to VHC services is not automatic. If you are eligible, you must be assessed as needing home care assistance before receiving these services.
To access services, eligible veterans and war widows/widowers may:
- talk to their doctor or other health professional who can refer them to the DVA-contracted VHC assessment agency or
- contact the DVA-contracted VHC assessment agency directly by phoning 1300 550 450^, for the cost of a local call.
^Calls from mobile phones cannot be connected to the correct/nearest office. Callers are advised to ring from a standard landline phone.
Transferring from Home and Community Care (HACC) to Veterans' Home Care
Members of the veteran community who are receiving services from Home and Community Care (HACC) may choose to transfer to VHC or continue to receive services under HACC. Veterans and war widows/widowers who transfer to VHC will have their need for services assessed by their regional VHC assessment agency. VHC copayments will apply.
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