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Content last updated 22/08/2024

Care Finder

The Care Finder program, commissioned by Gold Coast Primary Health Network (GCPHN), is a free service for Gold Coast residents. It helps older, vulnerable people, who need intensive assistance to access aged care services at home. It is specifically for people who have no-one else who can assist them and are eligible for government-funded aged care.

Under the program, a dedicated Care Finder will visit people in their homes (or another place they would like to meet) and will ask questions to understand the person’s situation and support them to work through the steps to address their needs. The Care Finder program will help the resident to:

  • interact with myagedcare
  • access aged care services
  • access other relevant supports in the Gold Coast community

If you work in healthcare, please click here for additional information including referral details.

How does the service work? 
https://gcphn.org.au/community/older-australians/care-finder-organisations/#how-does-the-service-work Copied to clipboard

Care Finder can help people understand what aged care services are available, set up an assessment and find and choose services. They also help people with access to other supports in the community. They can help with both accessing services for the first time and changing or finding new services and supports.

They can help someone with:

  • talking to myagedcare on their 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 OK
  • 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.
Who can receive assistance from a Care Finder? 
https://gcphn.org.au/community/older-australians/care-finder-organisations/#who-can-receive-assistance-from-a-care-finder Copied to clipboard

Care Finder is not for everyone. They specifically help vulnerable older Australians who are eligible for aged care services and need intensive assistance to access services and supports.

To receive care finder support, a person must:

  • have no carer or support person who can help them, or 
  • not have a carer or support person they feel comfortable or trust to support them, and
  • be eligible for government-funded aged care

In addition, they should have one or more of these reasons for needing intensive support:

  • 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 or government
  • be in an unsafe situation if they do not receive services.

Local Services

If you need support, or you know of family, friends or community members that may need support, you can contact one of the three organisations on the Gold Coast that provide the Care Finder program. They are:

Footprints Community 

Website: https://www.footprintscommunity.org.au/services/care-finder/

Phone: 1800 FOOTPRINTS (1800 366 877) or 07 3252 3488

Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast and CÜRA 

Website: Care Finder (mccgc.com.au)

Phone:  07 5527 8011

Star Community Services 

Website: www.starcommunityservices.org.au

Phone: 07 3821 6699