Meet our Service Connectors – connecting vulnerable clients

Our new team of Service Connectors includes Carrie, Michelle, Rebecca and Team Manager Jade (pictured chatting with Stephanie from our In Home Community Support team).

About Service Connection

Jade explains, “This is a new program initiated by the Primary Health Networks, engaging independent organisations to streamline health services for the elderly. As a team, we are aiming to connect with vulnerable people who are at risk of falling through the cracks. For example people over 65 years of age who aren’t yet engaged with My Aged Care or the Commonwealth Home Support Program or they may not understand what they are eligible for and how to access government funded aged care services. We are here to help them connect them to much needed services”, Jade reports.

New clients come from a range of unique backgrounds, some may have complex reasons for not accessing services sooner such as language or literacy barriers, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, cognitive impairment, or they may come from an era of not trusting government organisations and it may take a long time to build a rapport.

Patience and perseverance are key strengths of all the Service Connectors. “One of our connectors has spent five weeks contacting a very vulnerable client via phone and only met with them recently for the first time – so it has taken that long to build enough trust to step in the front door. We might build on that relationship for another three months before we can start to talk about services and easing into that connection; making sure our clients get the help they so vitally need is our long-term goal”, concludes Jade.

Service connector Michelle adds, “Our aim is to help our clients navigate and access government-funded aged care services across the five districts of Boroondara, Banyule, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, and the lower areas of Murrundindi. We have been increasing our outreach visibility through posters and speaking with local services such as community groups, police, ambulance, health practitioners, and even stockfeed and wood delivery stores for those in rural areas to ensure we are reaching everyone who may benefit from this service”.

“We are starting to get a range of people reaching out to us. It can be someone worried about their older neighbour, organisations concerned about unsafe living situation to assisting clients navigate the My Aged Care system”, says Jade proudly speaking of the program’s progress so far.

Being a Service Connector is certainly a complex role, gaining the client’s, or family’s consent to put necessary services in place can be challenging but it proves extremely rewarding when they share success stories of the significant improvements made to the quality of each client’s living.

Learn more about Service Connection

If you know of someone or feel you yourself would benefit from this service please see Service Connection or contact us and ask to speak to one of our Service Connectors on 9430 9100.