Helping vulnerable older Australians who need intensive assistance to access aged care and other supports.
Care Finder assists vulnerable older people who would not be able to arrange services without intensive support and do not have family members or friends who can help.
Care Finder services in Western Sydney are fully funded through Western Sydney Primary Health Network.
What Does a Care Finder Do?
Care Finder services will connect a client with a care finder who will meet them, usually in person, at their home or another place they choose. The care finder will ask questions to understand the client’s situation and support them in working through the steps to address their needs.
Care finders can assist their clients with:
- Talking to My Aged Care on their behalf and arranging an assessment
- Helping them understand what aged care services are available
- Accessing services for the first time and changing or finding new services and supports
- 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
- Ensuring the client is okay once they start engaging in a service
- Solving other challenges and connecting to supports in the community, such as health, mental health, housing and homelessness, drug and alcohol services and community groups
Eligibility
To access Care Finder services, a person must be eligible for Government-funded aged care services and must either:
- Have no carer or support person who can help them, or
- Have no carer or support person they feel comfortable with or trust to support them
In addition, one or more of these factors must apply:
- Have difficulty communicating because of language or literacy barriers
- Have difficulty understanding information and making decisions
- Be reluctant to engage with aged care or Government services
- Be in an unsafe situation if they do not receive services
Care Finder Organisations
If a person is eligible for Care Finder services, a Care Finder organisation will connect them with a care finder.
Those who are calling on behalf of someone who needs to access a care finder must ensure there is consent from the person to provide their information to the Care Finder organisation.
| Organisation | Target Population | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|
| Aspire4Life | People living in the Blacktown and The Hills LGAs | P: 1300 012 056 E: carefinder@aspire4life.com.au |
| Your Side Australia | People living in the Cumberland and Parramatta LGAs | P: (02) 8405 4484 E: carefinder@yourside.org.au |
| HammondCare | Older people experiencing homelessness or risk of homelessness | P: 1800 776 112 E: HCAHCareNavigationService@hammond.com.au |
|
Wesley Mission: Wesley Community Services | Older people experiencing homelessness or risk of homelessness | P: (02) 9263 5177 E: carefinders@wesleymission.org.au |
HammondCare and Wesley Mission are Transitioning Assistance with Care and Housing (ACH) providers. If you would like support in deciding the most appropriate provider to contact or would like to switch providers, please contact our Commissioning team at commissioning@wentwest.com.au
Visit the NSW Health website to find your LGA.
What if Care Finder isn’t Right for Someone?
Most people who need aged care support should visit the My Aged Care website or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 244 to discuss their needs and arrange an assessment.
There are also Aged Care Specialist officers who give face-to-face help in 70 Services Australia service centres. Visit the Services Australia website to see where these are located or call 1800 227 475.
There are other available support services people can access:
- Advocacy support (OPAN) – 1800 700 600
- Carer support (Carer Gateway) – 1800 422 737
- National Dementia Helpline – 1800 100 500