Accessing DVA supports and services in aged care

Details how DVA is able to help you, your family and carers better understand the health and wellbeing support available from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) while you are living in an aged care home.

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.

Veterans’ supplement for residential care

The Veterans’ supplement for aged care is available to residential aged care providers who care for veterans with service related mental health conditions.

The supplement is designed to ensure a veteran’s mental health condition does not act as a barrier to accessing the right care and is paid directly to a residential aged care facility, on behalf of an eligible veteran. The supplement is paid per day for each eligible veteran. The daily amount adds up to more than $2,900 per client, per annum.

For more information visit the Veterans’ supplement for residential care page.

Aids and equipment

While your aged care home is funded to provide you with standard and non-standard aids and equipment to meet your needs, eligible veterans and war widow(er)s with a clinical need may access DVA funded customised and personalised products through the RAP.

For more information visit Getting equipment and home modification webpage and to find out which items DVA may fund, visit the RAP in residential aged care list webpage.

Hearing devices

Hearing loss and tinnitus are two of the most common conditions experienced by veterans.

Veteran Gold Card holders or Veteran White Card holders with hearing loss or tinnitus as an accepted condition can receive assistance, advice and high-quality devices through the Hearing Services Program (HSP), DVA’s Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP) and the Tinnitus Program.

To find out more, download or order a copy of The veteran’s guide to better hearing by visiting the hearing service information for providers webpage.

Medication and wound care

Aged care homes are expected to manage your medications and wound care needs for you. This includes helping you with ordering, reordering, reminding and helping you take your medications. A registered or enrolled nurse will provide the appropriate wound care including the ordering of any wound care products.

The Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) provides eligible people with access to a wide range of medicines and wound care items at a concession rate. The RPBS may help you access more items than are available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). For more information you can visit the Concessional medicines under the RPBS webpage.

Diabetes products

If you are living with diabetes, you can access a range of equipment and products to assist with managing your condition. Products can be obtained through the Rehabilitation Appliance Program (RAP).

For more information on accessing these diabetes products visit the Diabetes products webpage.

Clients can also continue to get a limited range of diabetes consumables through the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) through their local pharmacy. DVA funds the co-payment for Veteran Gold Card holders and Veteran White Card holders with diabetes as an accepted condition.

For more information visit the NDSS webpage or call their helpline 1800 637 700.

Medical Grade Footwear

The Medical Grade Footwear (MGF) Program provides eligible DVA clients access to footwear when readily available everyday footwear cannot be used or modified due to your foot structure or clinical reasons. The MGF Program includes related services, such as footwear modification and repairs.

For more information you can visit the Medical grade footwear webpage.

Stoma products

The Stoma Appliance Scheme provides free stoma appliances to you if you have a stoma (ostomates), through a stoma association. All the items subsidised under the scheme are listed on the Stoma Appliance Scheme Schedule (SASC).

For eligible DVA clients requiring stoma products, DVA funds your annual membership fees to your local stoma associations and the delivery costs for these products. 

The scheme schedule specifies a maximum monthly quantity for each product. If you need more than this limit for a clinical reason, an authorised health professional (stomal therapy nurse, registered nurse, nurse practitioner or registered medical practitioner) can authorise additional supplies using the Application form for additional supplies. This authorisation lasts 6 months. If you have had a stoma for 6 months or more your health professional can order 2 months’ supply of products at a time. 

Find out more at the Stoma Appliance Scheme webpage, call (02) 6289 2308 or email stoma@health.gov.au.

Accessing medical services

Many aged care homes have arrangements with local GPs and other health providers. Depending on your circumstances you may wish to use one of these GPs and other health providers or you can choose to continue seeing your own GP, specialist/s and health providers, if they are still local to you and the aged care home.

It is expected the aged care home’s team will help you to make appointments and access a GP, health providers and/or the specialists of your choice. These appointments can be either offsite or at the aged care home.

Veteran Gold Card holders can use their card to access all medical appointments, including admission into hospital. If you are a Veteran White Card holder, you can only use your card for medical appointments, including admission into hospital, when it relates to your DVA accepted condition. For transport to and from offsite medical appointments, Veteran Gold and White Card holders and their travel attendants may be able to access travel assistance through DVA. The aged care home can arrange this for you. If they need help with arranging transport they can call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).

Please note that some health providers will not accept DVA treatment cards. It is a good idea to check whether your preferred provider will accept your treatment card while you are booking your appointment.

Dental services

Good oral health is an important part of your overall health. If you have a Veteran Gold Card, or if your treatment is for a DVA accepted condition and you have a Veteran White Card you can access clinically required dental services including:

• regular check-ups and cleaning (6 monthly)
• prevention of tooth decay
• treatment for cavities
• dentures including re-line (every two years) and replacement as clinically require (usually every 6 years)
• treatments for dental injuries or conditions.

In most cases you won’t need to pay for your dental treatment. However, for high-cost items such as bridges and crowns an annual calendar year limit applies and you may need to make a co-payment. For more information visit the Dental services webpage or by call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).

Optical services

Optical services improve a person’s vision. Eligible DVA clients living in residential aged care who are over 65 years may access two (2) appointments with an optometrist or ophthalmologist every year. DVA will fund 1 pair of glasses with multifocal lenses or 1 pair of reading glasses and 1 pair of distance glasses.

Note: Clients can choose any frames within DVA price limits and quality standards. If they choose frames above the price limit DVA will not reimburse them for this extra amount.

For more information visit the Optical services webpage or call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).

Allied health services

Your aged care home is funded to provide you with access to the allied health care services you require for health and fitness therapy programs. However, sometimes you may have a clinical need for allied health services that are beyond the allied health services the aged care home provides. DVA will fund these allied health services for eligible clients. Your clinical need for more allied health services may relate to a stay in hospital, a chronic health condition, an injury or a surgery which requires further or ongoing rehabilitation.

The aged care home’s team will help you make these appointments with the allied health care provider/s and if transport is needed to attend the appointment, they can arrange this with you by calling 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) to check your eligibility for DVA’s transport assistance.

Travelling for treatment

DVA clients and their travel attendant may be eligible to access funded transport assistance to and from medical treatment. Transport assistance varies depending on your eligibility and if the medical treatment is approved by DVA.

Coverage for travel for treatment can be through:

Booked Car with Driver service

DVA may arrange taxi transport for eligible clients. Your aged care team will need to call the Booked Car with Driver (BCWD) service on 1800 550 455 to check your eligibility and to make a booking.

Reimbursement

For DVA clients not able to access BCWD, you can receive full reimbursement of taxi, community transport, public transport fares, or an allowance for private vehicle travel, meals and accommodation when travelling for approved treatment. For assistance with claiming a reimbursement, please call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) or your nominated representative can visit the local Veterans’ Access Network (VAN).

Emergency and non-emergency ambulance

DVA will pay for ambulance transport in a medical emergency for Veteran Gold or White Card holders in relation to a DVA accepted condition. DVA will pay for non-emergency ambulance transport in specific circumstances when medically required.

For more information on travel assistance, including access to BCWD, ambulance and information on lodging transport claims, go to the Travel for treatment webpage or call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).

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.

Other pages we think may interest you

• Aged care resources
• Supporting you in aged care
• Accessing mental health support and staying connected
• Carer support
• Raising an aged care concern
• The new Aged Care Act
• Understanding residential aged care costs
• Residential aged care means testing