RSL Care WA


Veteran Home Care Packages

The Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) program provides low level home care services to eligible veterans and war widows and widowers to maintain their health and well being and remain living independently in their own homes. VHC services include domestic assistance, personal care, safety-related home and garden maintenance and respite care.

As RSL Care WA moves forward in developing community care throughout Western Australia, in 2007 the organisation commenced its new status as a service provider of Veterans Home Care in regional Geraldton, Kalgoorlie/Boulder and the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia.

Domestic assistance This includes assistance with domestic chores, such as help with household cleaning, dish washing, clothes washing and ironing. Domestic assistance may include help with meal preparation if this service is not being provided separately. In rural and remote areas, domestic assistance may also include activities such as collecting firewood. Domestic assistance is not to replace tasks veterans are capable of doing themselves. Active participation in domestic activities has been shown to have a beneficial health effect, even for the frail and very elderly.

Personal Care

Personal care includes assistance with daily self-care tasks, such as eating, bathing, toileting, dressing, grooming, getting in and out of bed and moving about the house.

Home and Garden Maintenance

The focus of home and garden maintenance is to minimise environmental health and safety hazards that impact on the veteran. To keep the home safe and habitable, it may involve minor maintenance or repair work, which may be carried out by a handyman, but that does not require a qualified trades person. Tasks may include changing light bulbs and tap washers, installing batteries in smoke alarms, gutter or window cleaning, general yard clean up where a safety hazard presents, or other tasks within the approved hours of service and as agreed between the veteran and the service provider.

Home and garden maintenance does not include major repairs or services requiring a qualified trades person such as gutter replacement, major landscaping or garden tasks such as tree-felling or tree removal. Garden tasks such as branch lopping, lawn mowing and pruning, can only be undertaken if an environmental health or safety hazard exists. Routine, cosmetic or ornamental gardening services such as weeding and maintenance of flower beds and regular lawn mowing, or pruning of roses are not available. Home and garden maintenance does not include provision of materials. The maximum amount of home and garden maintenance you can receive is limited to 15 hours of service per year.

Respite Care

Respite Care is temporary assistance where a substitute carer provides supervision and assistance to the care recipient. Respite care services may be provided in an appropriate accommodation setting or at home (including overnight or emergency care) or a combination of these.

Under Veterans Home Care, respite care is provided to:

  • the carer of a veteran or war widow/widower; or
  • a veteran or war widow/widower who is a carer.

VHC provides in-home and emergency respite care, and a referral service for residential respite care.

How To Access Veterans Home Care Services

Access to VHC services is not automatic. Services are provided on the basis of assessed need and in accordance with set criteria. Veterans and war widows/widowers are expected to pay a small co-payment for all services provided through VHC, except for respite care.

To access services, eligible veterans and war widows/widowers may:

  • talk to their doctor or other health professional who can refer them to their regional assessment agency/coordinator;
  • contact their regional assessment agency/coordinator directly by phoning 1300 550 450;
  • contact the Department of Veterans' Affairs on:133 254* - general inquiries or 1800 555 254 - non-metropolitan callers .

Note: *If you use a mobile phone, calls may be more costly. You are advised to use a normal phone (i.e. a landline phone) when ringing these numbers.

Source: Department of Veteran Affairs

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