Creating a healthier, better connected Gippsland.

Care Finder Services

The Australian Government has funded Gippsland PHN to establish a network of care finders to provide face-to-face support to help people navigate and access aged care. The program is in response to a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

What is a care finder service?

Care finders support vulnerable older people who would not be able to arrange services without intensive support and do not have a family member or friends who can help. Care finder services are provided at no cost as they are fully funded through Primary Health Networks. See this factsheet for more information on when someone should be connected to a care finder and how the service works.

Why is care finder important?

Some older Australians need extra support to navigate the aged care system because of:

  • communication and language barriers
  • difficulty processing information due to cognitive decline
  • reluctance to engage with a need for support
  • reluctance to engage with government services.

The care finder program offers tailored, intensive support and will improve outcomes for people in the care finder target population, and integration between the health, aged care and other systems at the local level.

Who is care finder for?

The care finder program targets older Australians who are eligible for aged care services and require intensive support to:

  • interact with My Aged Care
  • access aged care services
  • access other relevant supports in the community.

This includes people who are, or are not yet, receiving aged care services or other relevant supports. Care finders support people who don’t have family, friends, a carer or a representative they are comfortable receiving help from to access aged care services and supports.

Who are the care finder agencies in Gippsland?

Latrobe Community Health Service (Gippsland)

Phone 1800 242 696

Email carefinders@lchs.com.au

Latrobe Community Health Service (Gippsland)

Phone 1800 242 696

Email carefinders@lchs.com.au

HAAG – Housing for the Aged Action Group (Gippsland)

Phone 1300 765 178

Email intake@oldertenants.org.au

Micare (Baw Baw and East Gippsland)

Phone 0499 885 043

Email gippslandcarefinder@micare.com.au

To find out more please go to www.health.gov.au/our-work/care-finder-program

Care finder supplementary needs assessment

Gippsland PHN care finder priorities have been identified. Download the Care finder program supplementary needs assessment here.

The main Gippsland PHN Health Needs Assessment 2022-2025 can be found here.

Access a summary of the Care finder needs assessment here.

Care finders will complement the existing three ways of contacting My Aged Care:

Call My Aged Care contact centre on 1800 200 422 (Freecall*).

  • Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm
  • Saturdays: 10am to 2pm
  • Closed on Sundays and national public holidays.

Aged Care Specialist Officers are now based in both Bairnsdale and Morwell to provide in-person support to older people in Gippsland with greater choice in how they access the aged care services they need.