Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

In-home nursing and care is something many Australians avail of each and every year. Seniors who have limited mobility, people living with a disability, individuals recovering from an injury and more often seek the professional senior in-home care services.

Another sector of the Australian population that sometimes needs assistance and clinical care in the home is veterans. With this in mind, let’s discover how the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) is incorporated into the home care system and just who is eligible to receive assistance via this service.

What Is DVA?

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs is a governing body that was established in 1976 to provide assistance to veterans and their families. This also includes war widows. In other words, Australians who have served in the armed forces and the defence of the nation.

DVA provides a broad spectrum of support services to veterans and the families of veterans and the program has been of enormous help to many Aussies since its inception. There are branches of DVA and approved care providers in each state and various cities, such as DVA Sydney.

The Role Of DVA In the Home Care System

One of the facets of the DVA is its Community Nursing Program. The purpose of the program is to ensure war veterans, war widows and the families of veterans gain access to quality health care and any services related to health care. This not only includes assistance programs targeted at a clinical environment, but also in-home assistance as well when required. In other words, eligible persons can access veterans’ home care and community nursing services.

One of the most important goals and outcomes of this program is to help veterans and their families enjoy a higher quality of life and independence. If a veteran and their loved ones require ongoing care and support but wish to receive it in the comfort of their own homes rather than in a health care facility, home nursing services provide the solution. Quality of life is vastly improved when individuals can receive the care they need in their own home rather than in a hospital or some other sterile environment.

The DVA Community Nursing Program guarantees that veterans, war widows and entitled persons receive all the clinical care and support they require while enjoying a far more comfortable and rewarding lifestyle.

Who Is Eligible For DVA-Assisted In-home Care?

As previously mentioned, to take advantage of in-home assistance offered through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, individuals must be considered “entitled persons”, as viewed by the DVA. An entitled person needs to be the holder of a DVA Gold Card to be ensured of acceptance into the help program. Those who hold a DVA White Card can still qualify for assistance, provided it can be shown the care they require is directly connected to a war-related injury or condition.

If you’re unsure about your eligibility status, get in touch with the DVA directly to confirm eligibility, or to discuss your situation and your options.

How To Go About Getting Assistance

If you are an entitled person, the first thing you must do before you can access any in-home care services provided by the DVA is to visit your general practitioner and get a referral to the program. Once you have a referral in hand, you can then start discussions with an in-home nursing and care service that has been approved by the DVA. A second option for getting a referral is for patients who are hospitalised at the time and receive a referral from a Hospital Discharge Planner.

As you commence discussions with your approved care service provider, it will be established exactly what care you require, as well as discuss your wishes and goals. This way, both clinical care and the needs of the individual can all be incorporated into the home care plan.

Obviously, different people will require different services, so the services an individual receives will be based on the initial assessment by the care provider.

In Conclusion

If you are a veteran or a war widow and you feel you need professional in-home care, get in touch with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs or one of their approved care providers to discuss your eligibility and options.

By admin