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, Alice Springs, Katherine, East Arnhem | 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 |
| Catholic Care Northern Territory | Phone: (08) 8962 3065 Email: tennantcreek@catholiccarent.org.au |
Tennant Creek | Aboriginal and 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?
To be eligible for care finders, a client must be eligible for aged care services. Clients must:
- need help with one or more everyday tasks and
- be aged 65 years or older
- be aged 50 years or older if they are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, or homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Clients should have one or more reasons for requiring intensive support to navigate the aged acre system:
- difficulty communicating because of language or literacy problems
- difficulty understanding or making decisions
- reluctance to engage with aged care or governance services
- be in an unsafe situation if they do not receive intensive support.
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