Older persons health

Care Finder Service

The national care finder program commenced 1 January 2023. It's a free service that supports eligible vulnerable older people - who have no one else who can support them – to learn about, apply for, and access aged care services and other community supports.

Who is eligible to use the care finder service?

To receive care finder support, a person must:

• have no carer or support person that can appropriately assist them

• need help with one or more everyday tasks

• be aged 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) OR 50 years or older (45 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) on a low income and homeless or at risk of being homeless

• be eligible for government funded aged care support.

The care finder service is not available for everyone. Learn more about eligibility criteria here

What help can care finders provide?
Care finders can help vulnerable older people navigate the aged care system and find support services to improve their quality of life.

Which care finders are available in the Brisbane South region?  
Check the map and accompanying list of service providers in the Brisbane South region.

You can refer your client to a care finder organisation by completing a referral form via the links below, or contacting the organisation directly via telephone.

For more information, visit the My Aged Care website.

---

My Aged Care

The ‘My Aged Care’ website is the Australian Government’s online portal to support older people with their health care needs. It provides information about finding and accessing government-funded aged care services that can help people live independently at home, provide short-term care, or provides assistance to moving into an aged care home.

Phone 1800 200 422

My Health Journal

In 2023, data from Dementia Australia shows an estimated 1.5 million people in Australia are involved in the care of someone living with dementia.

Coping with the diagnosis and managing the complexities of dementia can be challenging for patients, as well as their families and carers.

The My Health Journal aims to help reduce some of these challenges by assisting people to communicate their health needs, preferences and values with their health care professionals.

Developed through intensive community consultation, the journal has been designed for people with mild to moderate symptoms of dementia who still reside within the community.

The journal can help people living with dementia to:

• Make notes before, during and after appointments with their GP

• Access helpful advice and contacts on seeking information on living with dementia

• Access local support networks close by to their home (including networks for carers and family)

• Keep a detailed record about their current medications

• Keep prescriptions and any other important documents in a handy pocket.

The My Health Journal provides a structured, easy-to-use format to organise and access crucial details.

Get your free copy of My Health Journal by emailing agedcare@bsphn.org.au with the subject: My Health Journal

We can post a journal to you free of charge. Bulk orders can also be placed by general practices, community centres, and other health service providers.

Healthy Ageing Hubs

Brisbane South PHN are supporting community organisations in the region through Healthy Ageing Hubs. Healthy Ageing Hubs create local links to primary health care and empower older people, their families and carers, to confidently manage their own health and wellbeing in the community.

A number of organisations are currently involved in the Healthy Ageing Hubs program:

• Gunya Meta

• Inala Wangarra Inc

• Amputees and Families Support Group QLD Inc

This program is designed to allow older people, their families and carers to access health information and support in convenient and familiar places that are culturally safe and appropriate. Through our Healthy Ageing Hubs, we aim to provide more opportunities for older people to make the most of existing services in their own communities and help them to access reputable health and aged care information.

Support for families and carers

The ‘Carer Gateway’ website is the Australian Government’s online portal to provide practical advice and access to supports for family members and friends caring for people with health conditions that demand a lot of support from their carer. These conditions include a disability, dementia, mental illness, chronic illness and life-limiting illnesses. Family and Carer services include assistance to connect with health services, free phone counselling, carer coaching and connection to other carers.

Advance care planning

The ‘My Care, My Choices’ website is the Queensland Government’s online portal promoting the important processes of advance care planning and providing information and resources to the health professionals and the community. 

Advance care planning involves informing and educating your patients about their ongoing health care options specific to their needs, then supporting their decision making. Advance care planning may be general or require specific advice about an Advanced Health Directive, Enduring Power of Attorney, Statement of Choices or forms to revoke these documents. 

General practice quality improvement (QI) measures for older patients

The following quality improvement toolkits are available to support your care of older people: 

• Quality Improvement Toolkit: Older People 

• Quality Improvement Toolkit: Advance Care Planning 

The toolkits are designed… 

• to support medical practices to make easy, measurable and sustainable improvements 

• to provide best practice care for their patients  

• to assist practice’s to complete Quality Improvement (QI) activities using the Model for Improvement 

• to assist practices to meet the Practice Incentive Program Quality Improvement Incentive (PIP QI). 

For more information on how Brisbane South PHN supports quality improvement in general practice, click the button below.

Older People’s Health and Wellbeing (OPHW) Joint Action Plan 2023-2025

Brisbane South PHN and Metro South Hospital and Health Service are committed to working together to improve older people’s health and aged care journey. Both organisations are working in partnership and have developed the Older People’s Health and Wellness (OPHW) Joint Action Plan 2023-2025 to address the needs of older persons, their carers, and for the workforce across Brisbane South Region 

While the Action Plan acknowledges existing initiatives by both BSPHN and MSH, its focus is to outline opportunities and actions that can be advanced jointly, in collaboration between the two organisations and shared local partners, to provide a level of synergy, efficiency and a values-based outcomes approach.

As part of the joint action plan, four key action themes have been identified:

• Safe and autonomous ageing: Navigating care services in complex environments

• Effective, person-centered care: Delivering care with dignity and respect

• Inclusive health solutions: Responding to priority health conditions of the vulnerable

• Strengthened support networks for older persons: Elevating workforce proficiency and carer supports

Care Finders Supplementary Needs Assessment

Brisbane South PHN is delivering the national care finder program through the Department of Health and Aged Care from January 1 2023. 
 
The Supplementary Needs Assessment was approved on 25 November 2022 and outlines the priority areas for older people in our region.

Yellow Envelopes 

The Yellow Envelope is a communication tool used in clinical handover when residents of aged care facilities are transferred to and from hospital. Its aim is to improve patient safety and the quality and continuity of care.

Supply 

Residential aged care services and hospitals can order a supply of Yellow Envelopes on 1300 467 265 or email agedcare@bsphn.org.au. 

Alternatively, you can also download the yellow envelope template here. 

Support materials 

Flow chart 

The clinical information flow chart illustrates how the Yellow Envelope supports clinical handover between settings of care and between care providers. 

A copy of the flowchart can be downloaded here. 

Online module for residential aged care and hospital services 

An online module is available to support the implementation and adoption of the Yellow Envelope in practice.
Residential Aged Care and hospital staff can access the module through DiscoverPHN. 

Alternatively, if you would like to embed the module into your own facility’s online professional development or Learning Management System, please contact us at agedcare@bsphn.org.au.