STAR Care Finder
Intensive support for those who need it most.
The Care finder program targets older Australians who are eligible for aged care services and have one or more reasons for requiring 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 and who is willing and able to help them access aged care services and supports.
Do you know an older person who needs extra, intensive support to access aged care services and other supports in the community?
Connect them to STAR care finder service. STAR Care Finders are here to 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.
Who can receive assistance from STAR Care Finder?
STAR Care Finders specifically help vulnerable older Australians who need intensive assistance to access aged care and other supports.
To receive care finder support, a person must:
- have no carer or support person who can help them, or
- not have a carer of support person they feel comfortable or trust to support them, and
- be eligible for government-funded aged care.
In addition, they should have one or more of these reasons for needing intensive support:
- have difficulty communicating because of language or literacy problems
- find it difficult to understand information and make decisions
- be reluctant to engage with aged care or government
- be in an unsafe situation if they do not receive services.
How does the service work?
The STAR Care Finder will meet with the person requiring support, usually in person.
The care finder will ask questions to understand the person’s situation and support them in a variety of ways such as:
- talking to My Aged Care on their behalf and arranging an assessment
- attending and providing support at the assessment
- finding and short-listing aged care providers in their area
- completing forms and understanding aged care service agreements
- checking-in once services are up and running to make sure everything is OK
- solving other challenges and connecting to supports in the community, such as health, mental health, housing and homelessness, drug and alcohol services and community groups
For Brisbane South region, call STAR Care Finder Tina Farrimond on 0408 502 474.
For Brisbane South and Gold Coast regions call STAR Care Finder Kerri Paterson on 0481 182 092.
For Darling Downs and West Moreton regions call STAR Care Finder Natalie Perrett on 0448 895 642.
This Service has been made possible by funding from PHN Darling Downs, PHN West Moreton, PHN Brisbane South and PHN Gold Coast.