Uncovering how aged care works
It can often be difficult to navigate your way through a plethora of information, but for the past year, South Australia’s free aged care information centre, Agedcare Alternatives has made the process easier.
It can often be difficult to navigate your way through a plethora of information, but for the past year, South Australia’s free aged care information centre, Agedcare Alternatives has made the process easier.
Almost one year since opening in Adelaide’s east, Agedcare Alternatives has fielded about 1,000 enquiries from people wanting to find out how the aged care system works and how to access the care and support available for older South Australians.
Agedcare Alternatives coordinator, Franco Parenti, tells DPS News the service was established after findings of some research uncovered there was a “gap” in the area of providing essential face-to-face information to clients seeking assistance with aged care material.
Sponsored by Resthaven, Agedcare Alternatives is staffed primarily by volunteer ‘Option Guides’, who provide free face-to-face information and support to those wishing to navigate the aged care system.
“Anyone can call in or phone and speak with an Options Guide to help them navigate their way through the plethora of information that is available, but often difficult to find,” Mr Parenti says.
Clients are able to sit with the Options Guide and discuss the information they need. According to Mr Parenti, clients are able to take as much time as they like and ask as many questions that are needed.
“They can take away with them as much information as they need to take the next steps,” he adds.
Mr Parenti says services like Agedcare Alternatives is important because when the aged, or even carers, are faced with the need to make life-changing decision “it can be quite difficult”.
“Aged care is not an easy place to navigate; it can be quite difficult to understand. This is where people have the opportunity to come to us in a place that is very friendly,” Mr Parenti says, adding it gives people the ability to “plan ahead” and leaves them open to a range of options in order to take a “proactive approach” in life.
Mobile Agedcare Alternatives centres have also been set up in Adelaide’s northern suburbs at Tea Tree gully and the eastern suburbs at Unley and Goodwood libraries.
Agedcare Alternatives centres are open during normal business hours. For more information, phone (08) 8271 3888 or email info@agedcarealternatives.net.au.
