Your DVA patients may benefit from Veterans’ Home Care referral
Health providers including GPs, hospital discharge planners, community nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists may have veteran patients who can benefit from Veterans’ Home Care (VHC).
Similar to the Commonwealth Home Support Programme, VHC is designed to assist eligible DVA clients who need a small amount of practical help to continue living independently in their own home. VHC is not designed to meet complex or high-level care needs.
Depending on an assessment of a client’s individual needs and eligibility, services may include (but are not limited to):
- Personal care - bathing, dressing, eating, moving about the house.
- Domestic assistance - house cleaning, meals, bill paying, shopping.
- Safety-related home and garden maintenance.
The program also assists eligible carers with respite services, in recognition of the vital role they play in the veteran and defence community. These include:
- In-home respite care
- Residential respite care
- Emergency short-term home relief
For DVA patients who are enrolled in the Coordinated Veterans’ Care (CVC) programme, they can also access limited short term social assistance, with a referral from their GP.
DVA clients who have a Gold Card or White Card are eligible for an assessment for VHC services, which can be done over the phone.
The client can contact the VHC Assessment Agency directly themselves or another person can contact the Agency with the client’s consent, including General Practitioners, hospital discharge planners, allied health providers, family members, carers and friends.
A care plan will be developed for the client and sent to the provider who is contracted to undertake the VHC services.
Co-payments of $5 per hour apply for VHC services, except for respite care which has no co-payment. The co-payments are capped at $10 per week for personal care, $5 per week for social assistance, $5 per week for Domestic Assistance and a maximum of $75 in a 12-month period for home and garden maintenance. Clients who are having difficulties can seek a waiver of these co-payments.