The Benevolent Society is part of a network of organisations delivering the care finder service, which provides vulnerable older people with free, specialised support to find, access or change their aged care services.
Some examples of the types of services that our care finders can provide include:
- Talking to My Aged Care and booking an assessment
- Joining people at My Aged Care assessments
- Finding out what care services are available in the local area
- Completing forms and helping people understand aged care service agreements
- Checking-in once services are up and running to make sure everything is okay
- Connecting people to other supports in the community, such as health, mental health, housing and homelessness, drug and alcohol and other community groups.
“The Benevolent Society has a range of aged care services to help older people live their best life and we’re proud to be servicing the Australian Government’s new care finder program in the LGAs of Cabonne, Forbes, Orange and Parkes” said Joanne Fitzgerald, Director of Aged Care Services at The Benevolent Society.
“The care finder program is a welcome initiative to help older people access the care support they need. We understand that age is no barrier to living an active and independent life, but sometimes support is needed to make the most of every opportunity.”
Who can receive assistance from a Care Connector?
“We provide support to vulnerable older people who fall into the criteria below. Additional to this, the person must have no support person who is willing or able to help them” says Sally Panagopoulos, Aged Care Services Manager at The Benevolent Society.
To receive support from a Care Connector, a person must:
- Have no support person who is willing or able to help them or that they are comfortable supporting them
- Be aged 65 or older (50 years or older if you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander)
- 50 years or older (45 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) on a low income and homeless or at risk of being homeless
The reason(s) for needing support may be because a person:
- Needs help with reading, writing and understanding English
- Needs support when choosing services
- Finds it difficult to understand or remember information and make decisions
- Is in an unsafe situation or at risk of ending up in a crisis situation
- Is worried about contact with the government.
How do I contact a care connector at The Benevolent Society?
If you need more information or would like to speak to us about how we can help you, phone us on 1800 236 762 or send an email to [email protected].
You can also make an online referral here.
What are the alternatives to Care Finder services with The Benevolent Society?
Most people who need aged care should call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au to discuss their needs and arrange an assessment.
“If the person is not eligible for care finder, they may be eligible for CHSP or a Home Care Package which will allow them to choose their own services after a thorough assessment of needs,” says Sally.
Alternatively, they can go to a local Services Australia office where they can receive face to face help to access My Aged Care. To contact Services Australia, call 1800 227 475.
Other supports available include:
- Carer support – call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737
- Advocacy support – call OPAN on 1800 700 600
- National Dementia Helpline – call 1800 100 500
For more information, go to www.myagedcare.gov.au/help-care-finder or call us on 1800 236 762.