Mental health and social inclusion in aged care

This page explains the range of mental health and social inclusions supports available to residents with a DVA Veteran Card.

Open Arms – Veterans and Families Counselling

Open Arms - Veterans and Families Counselling Service (Open Arms) is a free and confidential 24/7, nation-wide counselling and support service for eligible serving and ex-serving members, and their families.

Note: Open Arms is unable to provide counselling to people with dementia or cognitive impairment.

Find out more at www.openarms.gov.au or call 1800 011 046.

Peer Support

The Open Arms community and peer program involves ‘lived experience’ peers. Peers work collaboratively with veterans, family supports, community agencies and mental health clinicians. Community and peer advisors complement our counselling and group program services. They provide a more holistic and therapeutic experience for clients.

Find out more on the peer support program page.

Veterans’ Supplement – understanding and using the Supplement

The Veterans’ Supplement for Residential Care (the Supplement) is available to residential aged care providers who care for veterans with service related mental health conditions.

The Supplement is designed to ensure a veteran’s mental health condition does not act as a barrier to accessing the right care and is paid directly to a residential aged care facility, on behalf of an eligible veteran. The Supplement is paid per day for each eligible veteran. The daily amount adds up to more than $2, 900 per client, per annum.

Some ideas of use of these funds include:

• to assist with covering the costs of training or other resources for your aged care home’s staff that would assist them to support the wellbeing of DVA clients
• transport for a veteran to attend commemorations at a local ex-service organisation
• food and/or drinks for a regular social or recognition event for DVA clients
• a device which allows the veteran to use a mental health self-management tool such as those available on the Open Arms website www.openarms.gov.au/get-support/self-help-tools
• potting mix, seedlings and gardening equipment for a veteran to grow vegetables or tend to flower beds or pots
• ingredients or equipment for a veteran with an interest in cooking
• paints, brushes, pencils, paper and canvases for a veteran interested in art therapy
• a musical instrument, sheet music or recording equipment for a veteran interested in music therapy
• kits for building ships or aircraft models for a veteran interested in model building.

Find out more on the Veterans’ Supplement for Residential Care page.

Ex-service organisations

DVA clients as members of the veteran community may invite representatives from ex-service organisations (ESOs) to visit them in your aged care home.

The home staff should help clients get in touch with their local ESO, but the team cannot provide a client’s personal details to an ESO without the client’s permission.

Alternatively, the client’s family or friends can contact the local branch to make the necessary arrangements.

Find out more and view the Advocate Register on the ‘what is an ex-service organisation?’ page.

We have also developed a ESO Contact Card that can be downloaded and printed from the aged care providers resource page. DVA clients can fill in this card so the details of ESOs they are connected with are easily available.

Aged Care Volunteer Visitor Scheme

The Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS) is available for people, including DVA clients, in government-funded residential aged care. If they are feeling lonely or isolated, a network member can match them with a suitable volunteer in the area to visit them regularly.

Find out more about the scheme on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's website request a visitor for a resident complete the online form.

Engage

Engage is an online portal that current, transitioning, and former ADF members, their families, and/or those involved in their support to help locate support services.

Engage simplifies the process of accessing support by providing information on not-for-profit services available from a range of service providers.

Find out more at https://engage.forcenet.gov.au/ or call the All-hours Support Line 1800 628 036.