Care finder
Navigating aged care system can be challenging. The care finder program is designed to assist vulnerable older Australians in the Northern Territory in accessing the essential support they need.
Overview
The care finders program supports vulnerable older people who need intensive support for accessing My Aged Care and other relevant community services.Â
It is a free service funded through Northern Territory Primary Health Network.Â
Care finders in our region
You can refer to the care finder program in different ways and there’s no need for a special assessment or medical referral. If there are multiple providers in your area, let the client know and ask them to choose their preferred organisation. Although each care finder may specialise in helping a certain group, they are all trained to assist people from any background.
| Organisation | Referral phone / email | Locations served | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anglicare NT | Phone: (08) 8985 0000 Email: Darwin and surrounds: dwncarefinder@anglicare-nt.org.au Katherine and surrounds: kthcarefinder@anglicare-nt.org.au Alice Springs and surrounds: aspcarefinder@anglicare-nt.org.au | Darwin, Palmerston, Litchfield, Alice Springs, Wagait, Coomalie (Batchelor only), Belyuen, Katherine | People who are homeless, people who are at risk of homelessness, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people |
| East Arnhem Regional Council | Phone: (08) 8986 8986 Email: info@eastarnhem.nt.gov.au | East Arnhem | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people |
| Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation | Phone: (08) 8985 6811 Email: agedcare.manager@larrakia.com | Darwin, Palmerston | Aboriginal an Torres Strait Islander people |
| Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation | Phone: (08) 8951 4213 Email: carefinder@tangentyere.org.au | Alice Springs | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people |
Frequently asked questions
How does the care finder service work?
If someone requires care finder support, then a local organisation can connect them with a dedicated care finder.Â
The care finder will visit them, usually in person. This can be at their home or another place they would like to meet. They will ask questions to understand the person’s situation and support them to work through the steps to address their needs.Â
Benefits of care finders
Care finders can help vulnerable older people navigate the aged care system and find support services to improve their quality of life. Care finders can help with both accessing services for the first time and changing or finding new services and supports.Â
Care finders can help with:Â
- Talking to My Aged Care on a person’s behalf and arranging an assessment
- Attending and providing support at the assessment
- Finding and short-listing aged care providers in their area
- Completing forms and understanding aged care service agreements
- Checking-in once services are up and running to make sure everything is okay
- Assisting individuals to connect with supports in the community (e.g. Health, mental health, housing and homelessness, drug and alcohol services and community groups).Â
Who is eligible?
The care finder service is not available for everyone. It exists to support older people who have no one else who can support them, who need intensive support to access aged care services and support.Â
To be eligible for aged care, a person must:Â
- Be 85 years and over, or 50 years and older for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person
- 50 years or older (45 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and on a low income and homeless or at risk of being homeless
- Require help to undertake one or more task of daily living
- Are frail or prematurely aged and are experiencing housing stress/not having secure accommodation.
To receive care finder support, a person must:
- Not have a carer or support person who can help them
- Not have a carer or support person they feel comfortable with or trust to support them
- Be eligible government-funded care servicesÂ
In addition, the person should have one or more of these reasons for needing intensive support:Â
- Have difficulty communicating because of language or literacy problems
- Find it difficult to understand information and make decisions
- Be reluctant to engage with aged care services
- Be in an unsafe situation if they do not receive services.Â
Contact us
If your organisation and staff frequently make referrals as part of their roles and need more help, contact our team at regionalhealthpartnerships@ntphn.org.au for additional resources on referral pathways to navigate and access aged care.Â
