Victoria

Palliative care organisations

• Palliative Care Victoria. Phone: (03) 9662 9644
• Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program, Royal Children’s Hospital
• Palliative Care Australia. Phone: (02) 6232 0700.

Carers support and respite

• Carers Victoria
• Brothers and sisters support (associated with Compassionate Friends VIC)
• Compassionate Friends VIC (Bereavement.) Phone: 1800 641 091
• Healthdirect lists resources for those caring for others as well as information on respite care and residential care
• Myagedcare website has some helpful information for carers. Phone: 1800 200 422.
• Victorian Government Carer Card Program. Phone: 1800 901 958
• Tandem represents Victorian mental health carers and produces a list of care support groups with meeting times and places.
• For young carers: Carers Victoria - Young Carers.
• Alfred Health Carer Services supports carers from Melbourne’s south.

Respite care

• Aged Care Guide has a list of respite services in your state
• Carer Gateway provides an easy way to find respite service providers in your area. Phone: 1800 422 737
• annecto is a not-for-profit organization offering a range of services including respite and other support for carer.s
• Commonwealth Home support Programme.
• Carer Gateway Australia has a Carer Counselling Program Freecall 1800 422 737, or go to the webpage and Request a Callback and they will ring you.
• Myagedcare provides an overview of respite care and eligibility and assessment Freecall: 1800 200 422
• Care Connect is a not-for-profit organisation which offers respite and other services. Phone: 1800 692 464

Health services

Aged care assessments

• The first step to access government-funded care services is to speak with My Aged Care services about arranging for an assessment by calling 1800 200 422. If you have been assessed and are ready to find a suitable local service provider visit Find a provider on the My Aged Care pages.
• Carers Australia: Information sheets on dealing with hospitals.
• Health Complaints Commissioner. Phone: 1300 582 113
• Home Care Packages Myagedcare
• Nurse-On-Call Freecall: 1300 60 60 24 is a new phone service that provides immediate, expert health advice from a registered nurse, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service, staffed by registered nurses, will be available from any landline in Victoria for the cost of a local call.
• Department of Health Service Finder
• GP helpline. For after-hours medical advice when you cannot access your usual GP, call the GP helpline on 1800 022 222 for assistance.
• National Health Service Directory.

Information and advice

• Palliative Care Advice Service. Phone: 1800 360 000
• Better Health Service Directory
• Carer Gateway
• Infoxchange Service Seeker
• Kids Help Line. Freecall: 1800 55 1800
• Victorian Legal Aid. Phone: 1300 792 387
• Lifeline. Phone: 13 11 14
• Mensline Australia. Phone: 1300 789 978
• Advance Care Planning Australia: Information on advance care planning
• Office of the Public Advocate, Victoria
• State Trustees. Freecall: 1300 138 672.

Equipment and supplies

• Independent Living Centre Victoria
• Victorian Aids and Equipment Program
• In some cases the Australian government also funds payments to help with the cost of running medical equipment at home, such as a dialysis machine or an oxygen concentrator.

Transport and travel

• Angel Flight Australia Coordinates non emergency flights for financially and medically needy people. Freecall: 1300 726 567
• Australian Transport for the Disabled. Car hire with disabled access and self drive vehicles.
• Disability parking information is available from Vic Roads. Application forms are available from Municipal Councils, find a Council in the online directory
• Disabled Person’s Parking. Application forms are available from Municipal Councils
• National Public Toilet Map
• Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS) (VIC)
• Public transport accessibility information.
• Taxi accessibility

Financial assistance

• Centrelink
• Carers' support and other payments
• Disability support pension
• Health care card
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs provides access to a range of services for veterans and war widow/widowers.
• State Trustees services include will preparation, Enduring Power of Attorney and financial counselling. Phone: 1300 138 672.

Help within your home

• The Commonwealth Government funds a range of services for older Australians. You can find details at the myagedcare website.
• The Australian Government Commonwealth Home Support Programme
• If you want to stay in your own home, but need some help with daily tasks, or require entry level care, the Commonwealth Home Support Programme may be able to help.
• Home modification: Better Health Channel provides a checklist for use when considering home modifications.
• Meals on Wheels
• Meals on Wheels Victoria
• State Government of Victoria - Making alterations to your home

Complaints process

• The Complaint Line website provides guidance on how to make a complaint about health practitioners, with the details for each state, for AHPRA and provides links to other health professional associations.
• The Australian Government Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission site gives consumers guidance on how to lodge a complaint or raise a concern. This website links to the official online complaint lodgement form which allows the complainant to choose the level of privacy of the complaint.