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Help to stay at home for veterans
Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) (more information) services are similar to Home and Community Care (HACC) (more information) services. They include domestic assistance, personal care, home and garden maintenance and respite care.
- Eligibility
- Cost
- Rights and responsibilities
- Standards of care
- Do you want to make a complaint?
- Extra help for war veterans
Eligibility
You may be eligible for VHC services if you are:- a veteran of the Australian defence forces, or
- a war widow or widower of the above,
- a Repatriation Health Card (more information) for All Conditions (Gold Card), or
- a Repatriation Health Card for Specific Conditions (White Card).
You can access both HACC and VHC for services, but not for the same service from both programs at the same time.
Cost
Veterans and war widows or widowers are expected to pay a small co-payment for all services provided through Veterans’ Home Care, except for respite care (more information).Rights and responsibilities
Community care service providers are expected to comply with obligations under laws such as the Aged Care Act 1997. Under these laws you have the right to be treated respectfully and be informed and consulted about your care.Read more: Rights and responsibilities
Standards of care
The Australian Government sets standards to ensure you receive quality care. For example, these community care standards ensure that you receive a service that meets your individual needs and you have access to complaints procedures should you require them.Read more: Standards of care
Do you have a complaint about HACC?
If you have any worries about the care being provided, it’s often best to raise them first with the service provider. But if you’re unable to resolve the issue, or prefer not to complain directly to the service provider, the Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme is a free service that seeks to resolve your complaints about your health, safety and/or welfare – and it’s available to your relatives, guardians or representatives as well.Read more: How to make a complaint
Do you have a complaint about Veterans Home Care?
If you have any problems with the services you receive you should talk to your Veterans' Home Care service provider or your Veterans' Home Care Assessment Agency to try to resolve the problems. Your Agency can give you advice on how to handle difficult situations.If you need more information about Veterans' Home Care, contact your nearest Department of Veterans' Affairs' office by phoning 13 32 54 and ask for Veterans' Home Care, or visit the Veterans' Home Care website.
Extra help for war veterans
If you’re a war veteran you can also get help from:- HomeFront – a falls and accident prevention program that offers free annual assessments to identify safety hazards in your home, and
- the Veterans’ Home Maintenance Line, which gives you property maintenance advice over the phone and refers you to suitable tradespeople.
Common questions on this topic:
- Mum is a war widow. Shecan't get on buses any more, and I live 600 kms away. How is she going to get to her medical appointments?
- Mum has a War Widow's pension but the home says she is not a pensioner and must pay higher fees. Is this right?
- What payments are available for carers?
See more common questions on this topic | See all common questions