Commencing in early 2023, Bungree’s care finder Service provides specialist and intensive assistance to help ageing and older people understand, navigate and access aged care and connect with other relevant supports in the community.
care finder services are well suited to assist community members who may be socially isolated, have communication barriers, have difficulty processing information or those who are hesitant to engage with aged care.
Connecting clients to relevant community supports
The care finder service helps clients connect with other relevant supports in the community. The types of other relevant supports in the community that a care finder may help a client to connect with will vary depending on the circumstances and preferences of each person. Examples of other relevant supports in the community include:
• health services
• mental health services and supports
• social services and supports
• housing and homelessness services and supports
• drug and alcohol services and supports
• community groups.
Where appropriate, care finders may help a client to connect with other relevant supports in the community before they assist the client to access aged care (as well as at any other time). This recognises that other relevant supports in the community may enable people to improve their wellbeing before they access aged care and/or break down barriers that may impede their access to aged care.
Target Group
Ageing or older people who are eligible for aged care services and have one or more reasons for requiring intensive support to access the age care or other relevant community supports.
To be eligible for aged care services you must meet the following requirements:
- Need help with one or more everyday tasks
- Be aged
- 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) OR
- 50 years or older (45 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) on a low income and homeless or at risk of homeless.
Location of Services
Bungree’s care finder services will be available in the following Local Government Areas:
• Central Coast
• Lake Macquarie
• Cessnock
• Maitland
How to access care finder Services
You do not need a professional referral to access Bungree’s care finder services. The program can be accessed via:
- a direct enquiry to Bungree Aboriginal Association
- an intermediary (such as health professionals, aged care and disability sector professionals and people from within community and voluntary organisations)
- following assertive outreach and engagement and rapport building undertaken by Bungree staff
- referral by staff in the aged care system (such as aged care assessors and the My Aged Care contact centre).
Contact Bungree to find out more about the care finder service.