Care Finder program - Murray PHN

The Care Finder program is part of aged care reform in response to Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommendations, funded nationally through PHNs to improve integration between health, aged care and other systems at a local level.

Care finders support vulnerable older people who cannot arrange services without intensive support and who do not have family members or friends who can help.

The Care Finder program is fully-funded by Murray PHN and incurs no cost to the consumer.

In August 2022, Murray PHN prepared a supplementary health needs assessment using current census and health service data, evidence from literature provided by the Department of Health and Aged Care, and community consultation that identified the growing needs of ageing communities across the Murray PHN region.

In response to these findings, Murray PHN commissioned 12 Care Finder organisations to deliver services from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2025, across all 22 local government areas in the Murray PHN region.

Care Finder contact details:
- Hume region
- Loddon Mallee region
Care finders supplement My Aged Care. They provide face-to-face support for older adults who require assistance in accessing or navigating aged care services.

Local Care Finder organisations connect these older adults with a dedicated care finder to meet with them, usually in person, at their home or another place they choose. The care finder will ask questions to understand the person’s situation and support them to work through the steps required to address their individual needs.

Care finders are qualified and have relevant experience in social work, human services, health service or aged care. They have a detailed understanding of the range and eligibility requirements of aged care supports and services, and other supports in the local community.
Care finders can help people understand available aged care services, set up an assessment, and find and choose services. They also help people access other supports in the community, including accessing services for the first time or changing and/or finding new services and supports.

They can help people with:
- talking to My Aged Care on their behalf and arranging an assessment
- attending and providing support at the assessment
- finding and shortlisting aged care providers
- completing forms and understanding aged care service agreements
- checking-in once services are up and running to make sure everything is OK
- solving other challenges and connecting to supports in the community, such as health, mental health, housing and homelessness, drug and alcohol services, and community groups.
Care finders are not funded to act as advocates, however their role may involve discrete elements of advocacy, such as support to resolve a problem with a provider that the care finder has helped the client to engage with.
Care finders provide specialist and intensive assistance to a small proportion of people who are eligible for aged care services, but without intensive assistance may miss out on the support they need, when they need it most.

People who may be eligible for Care Finder:
- need help with one or more everyday tasks
- are 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; are homeless/at risk of being homeless; determined by the Care Finder agency to be ‘frail’ or ‘prematurely aged’ (defined as having a functional need for assistance with one or more basic or instrumental activities of daily living)
- have one or more reasons for requiring intensive support to interact with My Aged Care, access aged care services and/or other relevant supports in the community.
Reasons may include:
- isolation or absence of a support person
- communication barriers, including limited English language or literacy skills
- difficulty processing information to make decisions
- resistance to engage with aged care, where there are current or future concerns for a person’s safety, including possible homelessness
- hesitance to engage with government and institutions due to past discrimination or trauma.
A professional referral is not required to access Care Finder services, but they can facilitate the process with client permission. People requiring support (or a support person or representative) are encouraged to telephone a Care Finder organisation to make a referral, as this will allow intake staff to determine if the service is right for the person.

Care finders will also connect with their local community and undertake assertive outreach to proactively identify and engage people who may require intensive navigation support.

To find a local provider, visit My Aged Care or see the next section.
The following services are available to assist older adults who need aged care or other community supports:
- My Aged Care to discuss needs and arrange an assessment:
  - Call 1800 200 244 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 10am-4pm Saturday
  - visit myagedcare.gov.au
  - Visit any of the 70 Services Australia centre for face-to-face help, Services Australia website or call 1800 227 475 8am-5pm Monday to Friday for their locations
- My Aged Care – Support for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation – Trusted Indigenous Facilitators
- Help from a care finder: My Aged Care
- Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) or phone 1800 700 600 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 10am-4pm Saturday
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission or call 1800 951 822
- My Aged Care – services for GPs and health professionals
- Carer Gateway or call 1800 422 737 8am-5pm Monday to Friday
- Dementia Australia or call 1800 100 500, 24 hours a day/seven days a week
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) or call 1800 800 110
- Disability Gateway or call 1800 643 787
- Ability First Systems Coordinator or call 1800 771 663
- Visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website
- For queries relating to Murray PHN’s Care Finder program, email: carefinders@murrayphn.org.au