Community & Business
25 June, 2023
Care Finder program reaches milestone
A program which will provide face-to-face support for older people navigating and accessing health and aged care services has reached another milestone, with three lead providers announced for the region.
A program which will provide face-to-face support for older people navigating and accessing health and aged care services has reached another milestone, with three lead providers announced for the region.
Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) has announced that the three successful lead providers that will deliver the new Care Finder program across the Torres and Cape, Cairns and Hinterland, Townsville, and Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) regions will be Aged and Disability Advocacy (ADA) Australia, Flinders Shire Council, and Footprints Community which is teaming up with Better Together in Atherton.
NQPHN chief executive officer Robin Whyte said there had been long-standing calls for more localised and face-to- face support to help older persons navigate and access health and aged care services.
“The aged care system is already complex, and we know it can be difficult for older persons, particularly when they have limited social supports, to access the right health care services at the right time,” Ms Whyte said.
According to the NQPHN Health Needs Assessment 2022-2024, many older people in the region experienced a higher disease rate, contributing to increased demand for health services in the community, and an estimated 24.8 per cent of people aged 65 years and over in northern Queensland live alone.
“The aim of the Care Finder program is to establish a network of ‘Care Finders’ – that is, professionals in the community who can provide intensive, face-to-face support for older persons who are isolated, or have no support person, and who are experiencing barriers to receiving the necessary support,” Ms Whyte said.
Each of the lead providers would cover specific regions within the NQPHN catchment and would work with NQPHN to undertake a co-design process to implement the program.
“We look forward to working with the lead providers on the establishment and implementation of the Care Finder services to improve the health of older persons in our region,” Ms Whyte said.
Footprints Community chief executive officer Cherylee Treloar said the organisation was pleased to be part of the Care Finder program.
“We believe Care Finder promotes choice for older Australians. Footprints aims to assist people who are ageing to live independently in the community the lifestyles of their choice,” she said.
“Delivering the Care Finder program will help achieve this goal, while improving the wellbeing of older persons in the region.
“This program promotes quality of life for frail older people and is an integral service for our community, and one we know will have an impact on their health and lives.”
Better Together is partnering with Footprints to deliver the Care Finder program to the Atherton Tablelands region, building on its great reputation for delivering quality services.
“We are very pleased to see this service in our region,” Better Together chief executive officer John Russell said.
“It is an important part of the aged care sector reforms.
“Care Finder will meet an identified need in our community where isolated and vulnerable older people are finding it hard navigate the system and access the right services to support their independence.”
The Care Finder program is part of a suite of aged care reforms in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
