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Marie Aldous is no stranger to My Aged Care, whether she is navigating it for elderly carers or the older individuals they care for.
Marie is an Aged Care Navigator for Wellways Carer Gateway in Toowoomba, Queensland. Her role is to support older carers in registering with or setting up their care recipients with My Aged Care.
Like Carer Gateway does for carers, My Aged Care aims to give older individuals more control and choice by offering a single point of entry into aged care services. Whether through phone consultations or personal meetings, Marie assists carers in the way that suits them best.
“We can assist carers who struggle with communicating over the phone and need additional support – or who have communication barriers, hearing or sight troubles or they suffer from anxiety, for example, and find that they need more support one-on-one,” Marie says.
Caregivers can become so preoccupied caring for their loved ones that they overlook their own need for support. While their care recipients may have access to support services, carers rely solely on these services without sourcing any support for themselves. Marie, along with her team of Aged Care Navigators at Wellways Carer Gateway, is dedicated to ensuring that carers have the best possible experience as they move forward in their caring role.
“We can provide information and assistance and ideas that the carers can use with their individual challenges,” Marie says.
Aged Care Navigators connect with local communities to gather information on the services available to carers. To get the word out about what they do and what Wellways Carer Gateway does, they share information with the community, along with the details that carers need to register with Carer Gateway.
Aged Care Navigator for the Gold Coast in Queensland, Amanda Lucantonio, says there can be a long waitlist to receive an assessment from My Aged Care, so she has been establishing connections with other community service agencies on the Gold Coast to find out what support is available for elderly people in the community.
Carers seem far more comfortable accepting help for those they care for than they do for themselves. Given the long waitlist for My Aged Care, Amanda encourages carers to take advantage of the opportunities available through Wellways Carer Gateway, where carers can access Tailored Support programs, In-Person Peer Support programs, and Emergency Respite.
Aged Care Navigators can also arrange interim services like lawn mowing and light domestic duties while carers wait for their My Aged Care assessment.
“These are only a stop gap interim, but they are something that can save a carer who is slipping into despair as they are just not coping,” Marie says.
If you are an elderly carer or care for an elderly person and are feeling overwhelmed navigating the aged care system, you might benefit from Wellways Carer Gateway’s Aged Care Navigator program. You can find out more about Wellways Carer Gateway by calling 1800 422 737 or by visiting www.wellways.org/our-services/carer-gateway.
