Help with personal care
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On this page

  1. Nominating a representative
  2. What we can help with
  3. Who is eligible?
  4. Veterans’ Home Care
  5. Attendant Care
  6. Community Nursing
  7. Which DVA service is right for me?
  8. Need more help?
  9. Using DVA and other aged care services
  10. Help accessing aged care services
  11. Other pages we think may interest you

Services to help you with personal care in your home.

The veteran’s guide to living independently booklet has been developed to help you understand the services and supports available. You can view this online or order a hardcopy to be delivered to your home, from the aged care resources page of the website.

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Nominating a representative

You may choose to authorise someone to be your nominated representative when dealing with us. A nominated representative can be a partner, adult relative, trustee, agent, legal representative or organisation. You can set up a nominated representative using MyService or by completing this form - Appointing a third party to represent a DVA client. For more information visit the nominated representative webpage.

Please note that this form only authorises representation with DVA. Other government departments or services may require you to create other arrangements. Information on representation arrangements for other departments can be found on the Help accessing aged care services page.

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What we can help with

We provide help with personal care to assist you to remain independent. These services are supplied to eligible clients on a needs basis and may include:

  • bathing/showering
  • toileting
  • dressing/grooming
  • eating

Depending on your circumstances you may be able to access help through Veterans’ Home Care (VHC), Attendant Care or Community Nursing. See below for more information on each service.

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Who is eligible?

You may be eligible for DVA funded help with personal care if you have a:

More detail regarding eligibility for each program is provided below.

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Veterans’ Home Care

We provide help with personal care services to look after yourself at home through VHC, subject to certain limits.

You may be eligible for an assessment to receive services through VHC if you are a:

  • Veteran Gold Card holder assessed under the Veterans Entitlement Act 1986 (VEA)
  • Veteran Gold Card holder older than 70 with approved qualifying service
  • Veteran Gold Card holding war widow/er
  • Veteran White Card holder
    • with accepted conditions under the Veterans Entitlement Act 1986 (VEA); and/or
    • receiving treatment under Non-liability Health Care (NLHC) may receive services related to the NLHC condition.

To access VHC, follow the steps below:

Process Box 1 - Call the VHC assessment agency on 1300 550 450;<br /> Process Box 2 - A VHC assessor will conduct an assessment with you;<br /> Process Box 3 - If services are required, a VHC care plan will be provided to you and a service provider;<br /> Process Box 4 - The service provider will call you to establish services;<br /> Process Box 5 - VHC assessment agency undertakes a reassessment every 6 months.

What to ask when you call – “I am a Gold/White Card holder and I need help with personal care at home. Can you please complete an assessment to determine what I need and what I am eligible for?”

More information

You can find more information about available services, service limits and costs on the Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) webpage.

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Attendant Care

We provide compensation payments to veterans who are unable to complete regular personal care tasks, because of an accepted, service-related injury or condition.

You may be eligible for Attendant Care if:

  1. you require assistance with personal care due to service-related injury or condition accepted under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA); and
  2. an Activities of Daily Living Assessment confirms your need for services is due to your accepted service-related condition under the DRCA or the MRCA.

To access Attendant Care, follow the steps below:

Process box 1 - Download the D1351 - Claim for Attendant Care Services from DVA or MyService;<br /> Process box 2 - You and your GP complete claim form and return to DVA by mail or email;<br /> Process box 3 - If eligible, DVA will refer you for an Activities of Daily Living Assessment;<br /> Process box 4 - If approved, a claim determination will detail eligible services and financial limits;<br /> Process box 5 - You choose your service provider and arranges services.

Upon completion of the form, you can scan and return it via email to hhs@dva.gov.au or by post to:

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs
GPO Box 9998
Brisbane, QLD, 4001

If sending via post, please ensure that you take copies of all materials being sent in case documents are misplaced in the mail.

More information

You can find more information about available services, how much compensation is available and more on the Attendant Care webpage.

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Community Nursing

Sometimes the services you need for your personal care in the home might be greater than what Veterans’ Home Care or Attendant Care services are able to provide. In these circumstances, we can provide a higher level of personal care through our Community Nursing program.

The Community Nursing program funds clinically required nursing and personal care services provided in your home by DVA contracted community nursing providers and their staff. Community nurses can help you with personal care services such as hygiene, showering and dressing.

You may be eligible for community nursing services if you are a:

  • Veteran Gold Card holder with an assessed clinical need for nursing and personal care services; or
  • Veteran Gold Card holding War Widow/er with an assessed clinical need for nursing and personal care services; or
  • Veteran White Card holder with an assessed clinical need for nursing and personal care services that relates to your DVA accepted condition/s.

If you are eligible for these services, there is no cost to you, as DVA will fund the community nursing provider for these services.

To access Community Nursing services, follow the steps below:         

Process Box 1 - Speak with your GP, specialist, treating doctor or nurse practitioner to obtain a referral to a DVA contracted provider;<br /> Process Box 2 - If you are a white card holder the provider will confirm your eligibility for services with DVA;<br /> Process Box 3 - The provider will conduct a comprehensive assessment and develop a care plan for you;<br /> Process Box 4 - The provider will commence delivering services in your home.

More information

You can find more information on the Community Nursing webpage or by reviewing these resources for veterans, family members and carers:

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Which DVA service is right for me?

You may be able to access services through one or more DVA programs depending on your eligibility and care needs. Eligibility for some services depends on the type of Veteran Card you hold and/or which legislation your service-related condition has been accepted under.

To check whether your service-related condition has been accepted under the VEA, DRCA or MRCA, follow the steps on How to check your legislation on MyService, or contact 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).

What to say when you call – “Hi I need help with personal care at home but I am unsure if I need services through Veterans’ Home Care, Attendant Care or Community Nursing. Can you tell me which service I am eligible for and/or provide a “Confirmation of my Accepted Conditions” letter?

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Need more help?

What if you’re not eligible for services through DVA or we are unable to provide you with services that cover all the help you need? You may be able to receive help through other Australian Government programs such as:

These programs are available to help people over 65* remain living independently. To apply for these services, you will first need to arrange an aged care assessment through My Aged Care. You can do this:

  • online on the My Aged Care website by completing the Apply for an assessment form
  • over the phone by calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422
    (Weekdays – 8am to 8pm, Saturdays – 10am to 2pm, Closed on Sundays and public holidays)
  • in-person by booking an appointment with an Aged Care Specialist Officer in selected locations. To arrange an appointment, call 1800 227 475 (Monday to Friday – 8am to 5pm) or visit any Services Australia service centre for general My Aged Care support.

You are encouraged to get this done as early as you can as it can take time to get your assessment completed and services set up. 

These programs may need an assessment of your income and assets to work out how much you will pay. For more information and details on how to access in-home aged care through other government departments, you can visit the Other in-home aged care programs and DVA webpage or the Assessing your in-home aged care costs webpage. You can also find information on the My Aged Care website or call My Aged Care directly on 1800 200 422.

You may also consider checking what is available through state and territory health services and local government community supports.

*The eligibility is 50 years or over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. For more information visit Am I eligible? | My Aged Care web page or call 1800 200 422 to discuss your situation.

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Using DVA and other aged care services

As a DVA client 65 years or over* you can speak with both DVA and My Aged Care for assistance with accessing aged care services. DVA supports access to a range of aged care services. However, when your care needs become more complex, veterans may also use mainstream services organised through other government departments, provided there is no duplication of services.

This means you can receive DVA services alongside other support, as long as the services do not overlap. For example, if you receive DVA funded cleaning services that fully meet your assessed need, you cannot access additional cleaning services through other aged care programs. However, if you are receiving DVA services that only partly meet your needs, you can apply for an assessment through My Aged Care to determine if additional in-home aged care services can be provided.

It is important you consider all government-funded aged care services. This will allow you to select individual services or a combination of services that best suit your overall support needs. Your eligibility for services is determined based on your age and care needs.

What to say when you call – “I need an aged care needs assessment as I need help with [insert the tasks] at home. Can you please organise this for me?”

*The eligibility is 50 years or over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. For more information visit Am I eligible? | My Aged Care web page or call 1800 200 422 to discuss your situation.

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Help accessing aged care services

It’s no secret aged care can be confusing and it’s often difficult know where to start. You don’t have to do it alone. There are many services available through the government as well as independent services that can support you on your aged care journey.

The Help Accessing Aged Care Services page provides information on available support. There are also further support services to help you understand and navigate aged care. You can explore these options by visiting the Getting support in aged care webpage on the My Aged Care website.

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Other pages we think may interest you

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