Steve* a 97-year-old resident of Mornington was referred to the Care Finder by concerned neighbours. They reported that Steve was living in neglect, wore the same outfit covered in food and urine stains each time the neighbours visited him, and they were concerned about his diet.
Mary* is a 88 year old single woman living alone in a private rental property. She has a severely autistic grandson living nearby and she does not wish to move away from her son and the grandson. She has no other source of income or savings except for the Age Pension which is approximately $1,200 a fortnight. Her rent was increased recently, and she is now paying $490 per week in rent.
Harold* is an older man with disability in his late 70s. He is a wheelchair user living in a rooming house with a private room and a bathroom and shared kitchen. He has lived in the same property for 13 years and considers it his home. The Community Housing Provider that manages the rooming house referred Harol to HAAG’s Care finder service.
Housing and care are inextricably intertwined and should be seen as two parts of a holistic framework that needs to be put in place to support our elders to age in place and prevent premature admission into a residential facility. Therefore, Federal Government should fund additional, tailored specialist housing support services for older people by increasing funding and geographical availability of services such as Care finder. It is also critical to ensure that the focus of Care finder service remains on assisting people at risk of homelessness with care and housing.
HAAG welcomes the provision in the Aged Care Bill Exposure Draft that the aged care system offers accessible, culturally appropriate, trauma-aware and healing-informed funded services.
We recommend that protections for diverse population be strengthened, that housing be recognised as a human right, and to fund specialist housing support services through the Care Finder program.
Since January 2023, HAAG has transitioned from our long-term Assistance with Care and Housing (ACH) program into becoming a care finder. We explain what the changes mean for our service, and what care finder can do for you.
Finding Care - new Care Finder program at HAAG and end of the ACH era
11 Jan 2023
Shane talks to Steph and Kobi about the new Federal Government program Care Finder, which is replacing the Assistance with Care and Housing program nationally.
Changes to federal funding for the Assistance with Care and Housing, as well as the Aged Care System Navigator, will effect what services will be delivered to older renters and people at risk of homelessness
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort."