Care Forward Home Support Services

Care Forward is a not-for-profit, locally owned and operated Tasmanian community service provider.

We’ve been helping people across Tasmania live well at home since 1999. Care Forward adopts a ‘wellness’ approach in all that we do. Our philosophy of care is to maintain independence, encourage active participation and enable or re-enable our participants to make the most of their life at home.

We do this by working with you to get the best out of life.

How to access Support at Home with Care Forward

When you’ve been approved or assigned Support at Home care, one of our Liaison Officers will help you to start the process. You’ll be appointed a Clinical Care Partner who will visit you at home to conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs based on your Single Assessment Service outcome. It may take more than one visit to complete this clinical assessment. We encourage your carer or a friend or family member to be present at these visits.

Our difference

• Our Care Partners are nurses or equivalent professionals meaning you can be confident in the clinical oversight of your support.
• We work with over 100 service providers throughout Tasmania allowing you to choose the most appropriate organisations or individuals in your area.
• We celebrate the diversity of all members of the community.
• We work closely with you to ensure that all services provided respond to your personal circumstances.
• We employ allied health professionals to provide specialist services & programs to improve your health and wellbeing at home.

We listen and learn from you

Care Forward holds regular Forums with our participants. This helps us to guide our practise to best support the Tasmanians we care for, as well as learn where we can supply better information and understanding. We also provide a newsletter to keep you up-to-date with changes in the aged care sector and to connect you to opportunities to live your very best life at home.

The Care Forward Allied Health team provides specialist services and programs to encourage active participation and enable you to improve your health and make the most of your life at home.

Care Forward employs:

• occupational therapists,

• exercise physiologists,

• dietitians, and

• social workers.

Subsidised services are available through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (including the Home Independence Program), Tasmanian Home and Community Care (including the Post Hospital Program), and Support at Home participants. Private services are also available. Medicare will fund these services if you are referred by your GP via a GP Management plan or Team Care arrangements. You may also be eligible to claim from your health insurance fund.

At Care Forward we work hard to serve Tasmanians wherever they live, however, a lack of workers or associate providers (contractors) in some rural/remote areas may mean we are unable to provide services to those areas.

Occupational Therapists (OTs)

OTs can work with you to improve your independence, safety and confidence.

Services offered by Occupational Therapists include:

• Home Modifications such as the installation of grab rails or access ramps

• OTs work with you to recognise and overcome risk factors for falls

• Low Vision and Safety

• Mobility and aids - Equipment prescription includes; dressing aid, sock aid, shower chair/stools, toilet seat raisers and other aids and equipment to enhance mobility

• Strategies for coping with memory loss includes; cognitive & sensory cueing, memory assistance, problem solving, education, provision of equipment and environmental adaptations

• Chronic Disease Management

• OTs incorporate activity modification techniques into daily activities such as work simplification, energy conservation and continence management

Exercise Physiology (EPs) EPs

deliver clinical exercises and health modification programs for people with a range of chronic and complex medical conditions. They work with you to support your independence and wellbeing through individually tailored programs that can:

• Increase mobility and strength (reducing the risk of falls)

• Support your breathing and manage chronic conditions

• Increase your confidence

• Assist you to maintain and strengthen your capacity to continue your activities of daily living and social engagement

• Maximise your general health and well being

• Rehabilitation after an injury, accident or surgery

Up & About Exercise Program

Exercise has been shown to give significant benefits to people of all ages, even the frail and elderly, in pain reduction, increased muscle strength, improved physical function, balance and wellbeing. Up & About is a 12-week program of individually tailored exercises and health education in a group setting. All participants receive an individual health assessment conducted by one of our Accredited Exercise Physiologists and a tailored exercise program to suit their personal needs and abilities.

Classes are held weekly in each region and include exercise and information sessions on a range of health topics such as understanding diabetes, nutrition and falls prevention.

At the end of the 12 weeks participants receive a final health assessment to measure the changes and benefits experienced. Participants may then choose to participate in the Up & Running Program.

The two twelve-week programs are available through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), however there is a small client contribution for each assessment and class. Classes are available for private clients and those clients who have completed the subsidised programs and wish to continue privately.

Dietitian Services

Dietitians can help with diabetes, heart disease, malnutrition, obesity, anaemia, liver disease, allergies and kidney disease.

They can:

• Provide information on healthy eating, shopping for food, eating out and preparing food at home

• Provide tailored advice to assist with the prevention and management of many medical conditions

• Provide individual consults involving diet and lifestyle assessments

• Provide nutritional education and counselling

• Develop personalised eating plans that consider medical conditions and personal circumstances

• Undertake nutrition and food research

Social Work

Social Workers support people who are undergoing difficulty or change. Care Forward Social Workers are qualified to help you with many things, including:

• Counseling

• Planning and goals

• Skills training

• Linkages to Services

• Adjustment to change and loss

• Advocacy

• Stress management

• Group therapy / skill building

• Assistance with Housing and entering Care

• Working with families and carers