When should I encourage someone to contact a Service Connector?

At every opportunity, please encourage a vulnerable older person to contact a Service Connector, who can provide Service Connection at no cost.
This older person may be unable to arrange access to aged care and other services without intensive support and does not have a family member or friends who can help.

How does Service Connection work?

The dedicated Service Connector will meet with them, usually in person. This can be at their home or another place they choose. The Service Connector will ask questions to understand the person’s situation and support them to work through the steps to address their needs.

What can Service Connectors provide?

Service Connectors can help people understand what aged care services are available, set up an assessment and find and choose services. They also help people with access to other supports in the community. They can help with both accessing services for the first time and changing or finding new services and supports.

They can help someone with:

• 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
• 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.

They will ask some questions about why the person needs help from a Service Connector.

How do I support someone to speak with a Service Connector?

The person must give consent for you to provide any information about them. It is best if the person is with you or included when you make contact.

Eligibility

Service Connection program is available to those people living in the cities of Boroondara, Banyule, Nillumbik, Whitehorse and the lower areas of Murrundindi. 

To receive Service Connection 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 problem
• 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 can I contact a Service Connector?

To find out if you or someone you know is eligible for Service Connection, it’s best to contact our team at service.connection@healthability.org.au or call 0414 272 411.

Our friendly team is also available in person at the following locations, and anyone is welcome to come along and have a chat about the service:

Hurstbridge Hub - 50 Graysharps Road, Hurstbridge 
First Thursday of each month, 9am-12pm

Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House - 6 McMahons Road, Kinglake
Second Wednesday of each month, 12pm-2.30pm

Toolangi Castella Community House - 1715 Healesville-Kinglake Road, Toolangi 
Last Tuesday of each month, 11am-2pm

What if Service Connection is not right for someone?

Most people who need aged care should call My Aged Care on 1800 200 244 or visit myagedcare.gov.au to discuss their needs and arrange an assessment.
If someone would like help to talk to My Aged Care or to use the website they can go to any Services Australia centre. There are also Aged Care Specialist officers who give face-to-face help in 70 Services Australia service centres. Visit Services Australia website to see where these are located or call 1800 227 475.

Other supports are:

• Advocacy support – OPAN 1800 700 600
• Carer support – Carer Gateway 1800 422 737
• National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500

Download our Service Connection brochure

This initiative is delivered in partnership with Access Health and Community and funded by the Australian Government under the PHN program.