Aged Care, Older People and Palliative Care - August 2025

Country SA PHN is pleased to share exciting changes with care finder program provision across country South Australia.  

What is the care finder program and who is it for?

The service is not for everyone; care finders provide support to people who require intensive support to access My Aged Care and other community supports. The experienced and compassionate care finders are experts at building trust with people who are especially vulnerable, who without care finder support would likely never access the aged care system.

If you are seeking help from a care finder for yourself, someone you know, or you are a health professional, the following organisations and care finders are ready to assist! You can phone, email or complete an online referral form, and a care finder will be in touch.

Who to contact in country South Australia

The care finder program is supported by funding from Country SA PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.

For more information view our care finder webpage or contact Helen Morley, Program Lead – care finder program on 08 8303 7710.

Elder Care Support Program

If you are an Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander person, or supporting someone who is, the Elder Care Support Program is available to you should you prefer. For more information, and who to contact locally across country South Australia, visit the Aboriginal Health Council of SA Elder Care Support program webpage or call them on 08 8273 7200.

Care finders and Elder Care Support Program connector staff work across country South Australia, know each other and will liaise when needed, to make sure whoever they are supporting gets the right help from the person and organisation they choose to receive it from.

The housing and homelessness sector can be complex to navigate, especially if it’s not your usual line of work. You may be working with a community member, a patient, or be a case manager, and just need a bit more knowledge to provide the right support, but you are not sure where to start.

Care finders across Country South Australia experienced this first-hand while assisting people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness and desperately in need of My Aged Care services. Together, care finders and Country SA PHN discussed what would assist to fill this knowledge gap, improve confidence and give better outcomes for the people they support.  

The end result was the launch of the Housing and Homelessness Education module, designed by GPEx, with subject expert input from Country North Homelessness Alliance and reviews by care finders. Country SA PHN was delighted with the result.

If you are an allied or health professional in regional or remote communities in South Australia, this free education module is just for you. The module will provide an overview of where to start with onward direction for you. A certificate of completion is provided at the end of the module. Feedback has been positive from a broad range of professionals.

• “A great resource and relevant to client work in this space” - a care finder
• “A very thorough course with helpful and relevant information” - a Housing Sector Worker
• “This is great - very comprehensive and excellent downloadable resources for future reference” - an Allied Health Worker
• “Well-designed and useful resources I can share with colleagues and people in the community based on their specific needs” - a NDIS worker

Don’t hesitate, hop on to register and complete the course in your own time. It’s free! Register today

This activity has been supported by funding from Country SA PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.

For more information contact Helen Morley, Program Lead – care finder program on [email protected] or 08 8303 7710.

Country SA PHN facilitates a virtual Residential Aged Care Network meeting once a month, bringing together professionals who work in or with residential aged care homes across Country SA.

These meetings provide a valuable platform for collaboration, connection, and shared learning.  Whether you're in management, clinical care, administration, or a supporting role, your voice and perspective are welcome.

We invite you to join our next meeting and become part of a growing network committed to improving outcomes for older people living in residential aged care. For more information or to register your interest, please contact [email protected].

Country SA PHN’s Aged Care team is currently supporting several residential aged care homes with their registration and integration into My Health Record.

My Health Record, as noted by the Australian Digital Health Agency, “is a secure, online summary of key patient health information”.

It enhances the quality of care in aged care settings by improving access to accurate health information and supporting more efficient communication between aged care staff and healthcare professionals.

If you would like further information or access to My Health Record resources, including e-learning modules, guidelines, and webinars, please visit the Australian Digital Health Agency website. 

Please contact Country SA PHN’s Aged Care Team on [email protected] if you require assistance with the registration process. 

Country SA PHN is currently exploring opportunities to expand access to Aged Care Onsite Pharmacists (ACOPs) across the region over the 2025–26 and 2026–27 financial years.

This forms part of a broader national focus on strengthening medicines management and improving health outcomes for older Australians living in residential aged care homes (RACHs).

The ACOP Measure was introduced in response to Recommendation 38 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which recommended that aged care providers engage allied health professionals - such as pharmacists - by July 2024. ACOPs work onsite in aged care homes to improve medication safety, support quality use of medicines, and collaborate as part of the broader care team.

Key Focus Areas

• Increasing uptake of onsite pharmacists by RACHs in country SA
• Improving access to pharmacist services, particularly in underserved and remote locations

Intended Outcomes

• Safer and more effective medication management for aged care residents
• Better integration of pharmacists into the care teams supporting older people

We will continue to engage with stakeholders and explore options that best support quality, person-centred care for aged care residents in country SA.

For more information, please refer to this Australian Government website or contact Sal Patten, Country SA PHN’s Senior Manager - Strategic Engagement on [email protected].

This activity has been supported by funding from Country SA PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.

Older Australians remain among the most vulnerable to serious illness and complications from COVID-19. As new variants continue to emerge, staying up to date with recommended vaccinations remains one of the most effective ways to protect older people, particularly those living in residential aged care.

While the initial urgency of the pandemic has eased, COVID-19 has not disappeared. For older people—especially those with chronic conditions or weakened immune systems—the virus still poses a significant risk. Regular booster doses help to maintain immunity and reduce the likelihood of severe outcomes, hospitalisation, and long-term effects.

The Role of Residential Aged Care

Residential aged care homes play a vital role in supporting the health and wellbeing of older people. Ensuring residents are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations is part of this ongoing responsibility. Family members and staff are also encouraged to stay protected, helping to create a safer environment for everyone.

A Shared Responsibility

Keeping older people safe is a shared responsibility between aged care providers, families, GPs, pharmacists, and public health agencies. The availability of onsite pharmacists, such as those participating in the Aged Care Onsite Pharmacist (ACOP) program, can further support access to COVID-19 vaccinations where appropriate training has been completed.

For more information, including current booster recommendations, please visit the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing webpage or contact [email protected].

Over the past six months, the Wound Innovations team delivered 157 wound management education workshops in 76 Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs) across the country South Australia region.

The Wound Management Education in RACHs 2024-25 program focused on providing education to RACH workers to ensure best wound management practice, engaging with a wide range of RACH workers on this important and highly relevant topic.

The Would Innovations team travelled widely across the region, visiting towns including Quorn, Kingston, Mount Gambier, and Port Augusta.