Services Australia has developed a one-stop-shop to make it easier for senior Australians and their families to connect to aged care services.
Minister for Government Services, Linda Reynolds said the Agency, building on its My Aged Care website and call centre, would offer face-to-face support so people could access information about aged care, health and social services in one location.
Senator Reynolds said from next week (1 November), senior Australians in an initial 15 Services Australia locations would be able to access My Aged Care face-to-face support from specially-trained Aged Care Specialist Officers.
She said the initial Services Australia sites were in both rural and metropolitan centres and would be expanded to 80 sites by December 2022, with 10 Aged Care Specialist Officers providing outreach support to senior Australians in rural and remote areas.
Senator Reynolds said successful aged care navigator trials, led by Council on the Ageing Australia with 22 community organisations, had also been extended until to December 2022.
She said the trials were informing the design of the National Care Finder Program, to begin in January 2023.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt said the face-to-face services would make it easier for senior Australians and their loved ones to make decisions about care as they aged.
“Planning for aged care can be overwhelming for many senior Australians and their families,” Mr Hunt said.
“The new My Aged Care face-to-face service allows seniors and their representatives to sit down with a service specialist and talk through their aged care needs,” he said.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck said the aged care navigator trials had demonstrated how important it was to offer a face-to-face service.
“That support has been very well received, with more than 100,000 people getting help to understand, engage with and access the aged care system,” Senator Colbeck said.
“Alongside the introduction of the My Aged Care face-to-face service, we are extending the navigator trials with a greater focus on individual and intensive support from staff in local community organisations for isolated clients who could otherwise fall through the cracks,” he said.
