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 compensation
  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 page.

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.

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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

Personal Care provides assistance with daily self-care tasks to help maintain appropriate standards of hygiene and grooming.

Those eligible for an assessment must hold a:

  • Veteran Card
  • live at home; and
  • have difficulty performing activities of daily living without help due to Functional Limitations.

To access VHC, follow the steps below:

vhc-assessment-agency-to book-an-appointment-infographic

What to ask when you call – “I am a Veteran Card holder and I need help with personal care at home. Can you please help me organise 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) page.

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Attendant Care compensation

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 compensation if:

  1. you require assistance with personal care due to an accepted service-related injury or disease; and
  2. an Activities of Daily Living Assessment confirms your need for services is due to your accepted service-related injury or disease.

To access Attendant Care compensation, follow the steps below:

download-claim-attendant-care-form-information-infographic

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 compensation page.

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Community Nursing

Sometimes you may need for a higher level of personal care than can be provided through Veterans’ Home Care or Attendant Care. In these circumstances, you may be able to access 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 Card – All Conditions holder with an assessed clinical need for nursing and personal care services; or
  • Veteran Card – Specific Conditions 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 page 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 program depending on your eligibility and care needs. Eligibility for some services depends on the type of Veteran Card you hold and the service-related condition accepted by DVA.

To check whether your DVA service-related conditions have been accepted, follow the steps on the how to find your accepted conditions page 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 whether Veterans’ Home Care, Attendant Care or Community Nursing may be suitable for me. Can you explain the support available through each program and provide information that will help me understand my options, including 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:

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 DVA page or the assessing your in-home aged care costs page. 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 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 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 page on the My Aged Care website.

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Other pages we think may interest you

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