Navigating the complex aged care system made easy with Care Finders

Your Side and Sydney North Health Network are partnering to provide Care Finders aimed at helping older people in Northern Sydney access quality and appropriate aged care and other support services.

Your Side and Sydney North Health Network (Northern Sydney PHN) announced their partnership in delivering the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care’s new Care Finders program, set to launch in April 2023.

Care Finders aims to connect elderly individuals with quality and appropriate aged care services, particularly those who may face additional barriers such as homelessness, mental illness, alcohol or drug dependence, care leavers, people leaving incarceration and minority groups.

With the aged care system becoming increasingly complex and difficult to navigate, Care Finders is set to become a lifeline for the elderly in the Northern Sydney PHN region as part of a national network of care finders.

This service is designed to provide guidance on the necessary paperwork to register with My Aged Care and discuss various options offered by local service providers and can also provide assistance in navigating the assessment process, which may involve attending an assessment at home with a care finder who can help those who find the process challenging.

But Care Finders doesn’t just stop at aged care services. It also provides support in finding and connecting people to other essential services such as homelessness programs, mental health support, peer groups, alcohol and other drug programs, transport services, or social groups.

Care Finders is dedicated to ensuring that whoever needs help and whatever their needs are, Care Finders will be there to assist them.

“Your Side knows that for some people who have experienced trauma or other disadvantages in their life, accessing mainstream support designed to help everyone can be confusing, intimidating, or trigger past bad experiences with institutions. Care Finders will make sure that those most in need of the aged care services available to all can access that support,” Your Side CEO Danielle Ballantine said.

Lynelle Hales, CEO of Sydney North Health Network, added, “Our purpose is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare and other services for the local community, which we achieve through partnerships. Care Finders will locate the most vulnerable older people in the Northern Sydney region and connect them to meaningful and life-changing care.”

As the single-entry point for people to find out about and access aged care services, My Aged Care has been an essential resource for many elderly individuals. However, the community has asked for more localised and face-to-face support to help people navigate and access aged care.

With Care Finders, they can now receive the necessary guidance and support they need.

At Your Side, they believe that every life can be a good one and are passionate about supporting people to navigate and access the support they need to live independently and contribute to our community. Similarly, Sydney North Health Network is focused on people who are at risk of poor health outcomes and working to improve the coordination of their care, in the right place, and at the right time.

Ritchelle Drilon

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Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.

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