
A trial helping the community to understand aged care services and how to access them has been extended for another year and will cover more locations.
Council on the Ageing Victoria’s Aged Care Navigator trial provide free one-on-one support to people needing assistance in understanding and accessing aged care.
Established by the federal government in 2019, the trial will now be extended to December 2022 and will be expanded to the southern metro and eastern metropolitan areas of Melbourne.
This will include Healesville and Warburton and around the eastern suburbs to south of the Yarra.
The trial is being expanded to the whole southern metro and eastern region from Healesville/Warburton, around the eastern suburbs to around the bay as far as south of the Yarra.
It currently runs in the Southern Metro and Loddon-Mallee (City of Greater Bendigo) regions.
Tina Hogarth-Clarke, CEO of COTA Victoria, said the trial will help create a more “streamlined and user-friendly approach” to aged care in Victoria.
“For many, identifying and sifting through the labyrinth aged care options can be confusing and daunting,” she said in a statement.
“The trial services are for people who need information about aged care options or help to access aged care support including older Victorians, their families, friends and other wan to link with aged care support.”
“For many, identifying and sifting through the labyrinth aged care options can be confusing and daunting.” – Tina Hogarth-Clarke, CEO of COTA Victoria
In 2019, COTA began its first trial in the regions of Dandenong and Casey-Cardinia, which ran until June 2021.
Ms Hogarth-Clarke said the success of the Dandenong and Casey-Cardinia projects will assist in the development of a model that addresses the specific needs of a local community.
“It will involve connecting with local community organisations… where appropriate, specialist support, such as interpreter services, will be sought to assist with individual needs,” she said.
“Around 10 volunteers will also be working on the trial expansion program and will assist with the logistics associated with the delivery of group information sessions.”
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When will a navigator be available for older people in Melbourne’s North and West? We work with a number of Maltese Associations many of whom have ageing members who struggle to use My Aged Care efficiently and will struggle even more when changes to home care happen.