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Content last updated 27/07/2023

Care Finder Program

If you are not a health care worker please click here to visit our community member page for the Care Finder program

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 My Aged Care
  • access aged care services
  • access other relevant supports in the Gold Coast community

 

Intended Outcomes
https://gcphn.org.au/patient-care/older-persons/care-finders/#intended-outcomes Copied to clipboard

improve outcomes for people in the Care Finder target population, including:

  • improved coordination of support when seeking to access aged care services
  • improved understanding of aged care services and how to access them
  • increased rates of access to aged care services and connections with other relevant supports
  • increased rates of staying connected to the services they need post service commencement

improve integration between the health, aged care and other systems at the local level

Target Population
https://gcphn.org.au/patient-care/older-persons/care-finders/#target-population Copied to clipboard

The Care Finder target population is people who are eligible for aged care services and have one or more reasons for requiring intensive support to:

  • interact with My Aged Care (either through the website, contact centre or face-to-face in Services Australia service centres) and access aged care services; and/or
  • access other relevant supports in the community.

Reasons for requiring intensive support may include:

  • isolation or no support person (e.g. carer, family or representative) who they are comfortable to act on their behalf and/or who is willing and able to support them to access aged care services via My Aged Care
  • communication barriers, including limited literacy skills, difficulty processing information to make decisions
  • resistance to engage with aged care for any reason and their safety is at immediate risk or they may end up in a crisis situation within (approximately) the next year
  • past experiences that mean they are hesitant to engage with aged care, institutions or government
Referral Process
https://gcphn.org.au/patient-care/older-persons/care-finders/#referral-process Copied to clipboard

Although people will not need a professional referral to access Care Finder services, referral templates for general practice and other health care professionals have been developed to streamline the intake process and can be found here.

It is expected that the majority of people will access Care Finder:

  • via an intermediary (such as health care professionals, GPs, aged care and disability sector professionals and people from within community and voluntary organisations); or
  • following assertive outreach and engagement and rapport building undertaken by Care Finder.

Please see the Care Finder policy guidance for further program details.

Resources 

Care Finder Fact Sheet

Referral Pathways to Navigate and Access Aged Care Support

Care Finder My Aged Care Portal: Help from a Care Finder | My Aged Care 

If you’d like to see the document that has informed the Care Finder program, please click here. 

Care Finder organisations by PHN region: Help from a Care Finder | My Aged Care