We provide a range of community engagement programs and activities to meet the changing needs of our community.
Community Engagement
Home Care Check-In Project
Home Care Check-In Project is a pilot project in the Hunter New England area offering proactive, preventive advocacy support to older persons with complex needs and/or higher risk of experiencing harm. This service includes face to face and phone check ins, pre-emptive intervention referrals and information provision.
Our Home Care Check-in Advocates provide older people with options to maintain their independence and well-being. The service is consent driven and utilises a rights-based approach within a proactive and preventative model to ensure older people are aware of their rights and options.
In consultation with the older person, the service seeks to identify risks and assist with linking them to services and support.
How does the Home Care Check-in service work?
The Home Care Check-in team is part of a national network of aged care advocates committed to upholding the rights of older people and ensuring that they feel empowered and respected throughout their care journey.
Our Home Care Check-in Advocates establish rapport through regular communication by visiting the older person at home and connecting by phone. By understanding the circumstances that affect an older person’s well-being, we can refer them to services that can assist them to live a connected life.
- A Home Care Check-in Advocate will listen genuinely to the older person and ensure they feel valued.
- Understand what is important to the older person and identify their priorities to reduce isolation.
- Provide information about appropriate services to address overall well-being.
- Consider both local and broader community activities based on the older persons’ preferences.
- Support the older person to make the changes they need to achieve their goals.
Our goal is to increase the older persons confidence in accessing aged care and community services. We recognise every person is different; we work with the older person to suit their individual circumstances and determine the frequency of our service.
Who is eligible for the Home Care Check-in service?
Our Home Care Check-in service is designed to assist older people, eligible for home-based aged care services, to maintain or improve their independence and well-being.
Currently the Home Care Check-in is a trial project limited to residents of the Hunter New England region of NSW.
Eligibility for the Home Care Check-in service depends on factors such as location, specific needs and any risk factors that may be present. Our Advocates will work with the older person to assess their needs and determine if our service is a good fit for their requirements.
Potential risk factors may include:
- An older person living alone and reliant on only one carer or provider service.
- Experiencing grief or loss.
- Does not have family or friends who regularly check in on them.
- Lives with cognitive impairment and are unable to problem solve or speak up.
- Has difficulty communicating or being understood.
- Has mobility issues.
- Has lost the ability to drive.
We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to receive the support and care they need, and our Home Care Check-in service provides personalised and compassionate care to all eligible vulnerable older people.
View and download the Home Care Check-in brochure
How do I connect with a Home Care Check-in Advocate?
Talk to us on 02 9281 3600 or email hcci@SeniorsRightsService.org.au
Home Care Check-in is a trial project limited to areas in the Hunter New England region of NSW and other locations in Australia.
Community Network Development project
Our Community Network Development project increases awareness of referral pathways to advocacy services for older people. Focusing on raising awareness of aged care advocacy services via community based activities and events, as well as the promotion of an Aged Care Self-Advocacy Toolkit.
The Self-advocacy toolkit equips older Australians with the skills, information and resources they need to speak up for better aged care. It aims to provide the right information to get the care and support needed and covers topics including:
- Your aged care rights
- Your aged care options
- Solving common aged care problems
- Protecting yourself from harm
- Help with decision making
- Aged care costs
Planning for Diversity Workshop Series
We work with OPAN to deliver the Planning for Diversity workshop series to aged care providers. The project offers practical information and tools to make aged care services more inclusive of older people from diverse and marginalised groups.
The series is available to all aged care providers. Planning for Diversity helps you to:
- differentiate your service to better engage older people and families from diverse groups
- identify and address barriers for older people in your aged care planning region who would like to access your services but are missing out
- demonstrate you are working towards Aged Care Quality Standards and your commitment to the Charter of Aged Care Rights
- identify specific actions and embed diversity within Continuous Improvement Processes
Register for upcoming workshops at OPAN’s website.
Webinar: Who’s missing? Diversity and inclusion in aged care.
Hear from our panel about the importance of embedding diversity in aged care services and learn more about the Diversity Education Program. Aired 7 June, 2022.
