If you are a Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA) Gold or White Card holder, getting help to stay in your own home can sometimes involve navigating two systems – the DVA system and the home care package system. Here’s some advice on how to check what you’re eligible for and get the care you need.
Who’s eligible for DVA Nursing?
As a Gold or White Card holder, you will be eligible for the DVA Community Nursing Program to help meet your assessed clinical and personal care needs.
For Gold Card holders, DVA will fund all services to meet your assessed clinical and/or personal care needs, while for White Card holders, DVA will fund community nursing services required because of an accepted war or service caused injury or disease.
How does DVA Nursing work?
DVA Community Nursing is based on your assessed clinical care needs and funding is for those needs only. On your first visit, a registered nurse will assess your needs and determine, with your input, the number, type and frequency of your nursing and personal care visits.
To obtain DVA community nursing services, you need a referral from your GP, a treating doctor in hospital, hospital discharge planner or from the Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) Assessment Agency.
What extra support is available?
If you require extra support in the areas of domestic services, transport, social support, home and garden maintenance and home modifications, applying for a home care package through My Aged Care is also an option available to you.
Home Care Packages are assigned across four package levels from Level 1 for low care needs up to Level 4 for high care needs. Each package level gets a set amount of funding that you can then use to best help you meet your personal needs and goals.
How Envigor can help
As an approved Home Care and DVA Nursing provider, Envigor can help you navigate each system and get you the care you need. Envigor is passionate about helping you live the way you want, offering care appointments available 24/7 and we’re small enough to genuinely care. Envigor clients all receive the mobile number of their local care partner who knows them and is available to take their call.