GPs are often among the first people to recognise that an older person's ability to manage safely at home is changing.
The issue may be clinical—such as a wound, medication-management difficulty or deterioration in a chronic condition—or it may involve increasing difficulty with personal care and everyday activities.
SA Community Support provides a local point of contact for Community Nursing and, where appropriate, Support at Home services delivered under our associated-provider arrangement with Vitalcare Support Pty Ltd, the registered Support at Home provider.
When to consider Community Nursing
A community nursing referral may be appropriate where your patient requires clinical care at home, such as:
wound assessment or management
medication management or administration
diabetes-related nursing support
continence or catheter care
skin and pressure-injury management
health assessment or clinical monitoring
appropriate PEG/enteral-feeding support
post-hospital nursing
education or support relating to ongoing clinical needs.
Government aged-care guidance describes nursing care at home as qualified nursing support to manage and monitor medical conditions, including wound care, medication assistance and health assessment. My Aged Care
When to consider an aged-care assessment
A My Aged Care referral may be worth discussing when an older patient is increasingly having difficulty managing safely and independently at home.
My Aged Care advises that GPs and other health professionals can refer patients for an aged-care assessment, with the patient's consent. You can refer through its referral tool, by telephone, or through compatible GP e-Referral systems. My Aged Care
An assessment considers the person's health, how they manage at home, existing supports, difficulties with everyday activities, safety and their goals and preferences. My Aged Care
What to include in a referral to us
Please provide enough information for us to understand the patient's needs without creating unnecessary paperwork.
Particularly useful information includes the reason for referral, relevant diagnoses and medical history, current medication information, specific nursing requirements, recent hospitalisation, risks or safety concerns, current services, relevant treating professionals and the urgency of the request.
Attach relevant clinical documentation where appropriate.
Not sure which pathway is appropriate?
You don't need to identify every service before contacting us.
Send the referral with the patient's needs and concerns or call us to discuss the situation. We can clarify whether the request appears relevant to our Community Nursing services or whether Support at Home arrangements need to be explored.
For access to government-funded aged care, eligibility and service approvals are determined through the applicable aged-care assessment process—not by SA Community Support. Dept of Health, Disability & Ageing
Refer a patient
Office: 08 6388 0982 Dial # 2
Clinical Care Manager: 0494 722 663
Email: connect@sacommunitysupport.com.au