DVA FACTS
HSV16

Health Care

Community Nursing Services

 

Purpose

This fact sheet describes how you can access community nursing services.

 

What is community nursing?

Community nursing is the provision of clinically necessary nursing and/or personal care services to eligible members of the veteran community, in their own home. Community nursing helps to restore or maintain the maximum level of health and independence at home and helps to avoid premature or inappropriate admittance to hospital or residential care.

 

Community nursing services are provided by a mix of personnel including registered and enrolled nurses, who work within the framework of the relevant national standards, and nursing support staff.

 

Who is eligible?

If you have a Repatriation Health Card – For all conditions (Gold Card) and you have a clinical need for community nursing, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) will pay for all of your assessed community nursing care.

 

If you have a Repatriation Health Card – For specific conditions (White Card) DVA will pay for your assessed community nursing care if you have a clinical need for community nursing directly associated with:

·        an accepted war or service-caused injury or disease;

·        malignant cancer (neoplasia), whether war-caused or not;

·        pulmonary tuberculosis, whether war-caused or not;

·        posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), whether war-caused or not; or

·        anxiety and/or depression, whether war-caused or not.


How do I obtain this service?

You need a referral to access community nursing and/or personal care services, which you may obtain from:

·        your Local Medical Officer (LMO – a DVA-contracted general practitioner);

·        another general practitioner;

·        a treating doctor in hospital;

·        a hospital discharge planner; or

·        a Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) Assessment Agency.

 

A community nursing referral is valid for 12 months. 

 

How many services can I have?

The DVA-contracted community nursing provider that receives your referral will arrange for one of their registered nurses to assess your clinical need for nursing and/or personal care services. The registered nurse will determine, in consultation with you, the number, type and frequency of nursing and/or personal care that you need.

 

Do I need to pay?

The community nursing provider will bill DVA directly for the care provided to you. Advise DVA immediately if you receive an account for your community nursing care, and do not pay the account.

 
On your first visit

The following table describes what happens when the registered nurse visits you for the first time.

 

Stage

Description

1

The registered nurse will:

  • assess your clinical need for nursing and/or personal care;
  • if you are assessed as requiring 1.5 hours or less of personal care per week, and you have no clinical need for nursing care, refer you to the Veterans’ Home Care program for the provision of personal care;
  • if you are assessed as requiring more than 1.5 hours of personal care per week, and/or if you require any level of nursing care, arrange for the community nursing provider to provide all the nursing and personal care you need; and
  • in consultation with you, and your carer if present, prepare a written community nursing treatment plan.

2

You will be asked to sign a copy of the treatment plan, and the registered nurse will give you a copy of your treatment plan to keep in your home.

Note: If you are unable to sign the treatment plan, a member of your family or the registered nurse may sign on your behalf.

 

Other fact sheets

Other fact sheets related to this topic include:

·       About Veterans’ Home Care:  HCS 01

·       Your rights and responsibilities:  HCS 04

·       Domestic Assistance:  HCS 06

·       Home and Garden Maintenance:  HCS 07

·       Personal Care:  HCS 08

·       Aged Care – Carer Support Programs:  HSV 40

·       Repatriation Health Card – For All Conditions (Gold):  HSV 60

·       Repatriation Health Card – For Specific Conditions (White):  HSV 61

·       United Kingdom Veterans:  HSV 62

·       Other Commonwealth and Allied Veterans (excluding United Kingdom):  HSV 63

 
More information

All DVA fact sheets are available on request from any DVA office or on the DVA web site at www.dva.gov.au/factsheets/default.htm.

 

If you need more information about this topic, contact your nearest DVA office or visit the DVA web site at www.dva.gov.au.

 

DVA telephone numbers:

 

General Enquiries
Connects callers from anywhere to their capital city State office.

13 3254

Non-metropolitan Callers
Connects non-metropolitan callers only to the capital city State office.

1800 555 254

Dialling from interstate
Allows callers to contact any State office via a series of voice prompts.

1300 13 1945

Local Veterans’ Affairs Network (VAN) offices
Connects callers with their nearest VAN office.

1300 55 1918

Note:     *If you use a mobile phone, calls may be more costly. You are advised to use a landline phone when ringing these numbers.