Aged care

Making sure older Tasmanians have access to quality primary health care is a key priority for Primary Health Tasmania.

We support a range of resources aimed at improving aged care for individuals and their carers.

This includes:

Mental health support for people in aged care facilities

Primary Health Tasmania has commissioned Richmond Fellowship Tasmania to deliver psychological treatment services for people with mental illness who are living in aged care facilities.

The aim is to give these residents access to similar services as those currently available in the community.

Find out more.

By 2042, more than 25 per cent of the Tasmanian population will be aged 65 years and over.

The care finders program

Some older people need extra, intensive support to access aged care services and other supports in the community.

The Australian Government-funded care finder program helps vulnerable older people find and connect with aged care services in their local area.

Primary Health Tasmania has engaged four organisations to deliver care finder services in Tasmania. More information is available in this fact sheet and on Our Services Portal.

Establishment of this program in Tasmania was informed by a needs assessment process. You can find our needs assessment report here. We thank everyone who provided information and feedback as part of this process.

My Aged Care

My Aged Care is an Australian Government website and phone line to help older adults find out what aged care services may be available.

It includes a service finder feature where an individual or their carer can look for local meal, support and care coordination services, and much more.

Better mental health support for people living in aged care

Primary Health Tasmania commissioned Richmond Fellowship Tasmania to work work with residential aged care operators across the state to offer residents a range of evidence-based treatment options to
be delivered within their facilities.

It’s all about exploring a new model of care designed to improve access to psychological treatment services for people living in aged care facilities.

“Before, if people were in a residential aged care facility and they wanted to see someone about their mental health, like a psychologist, then they’d have to
leave the facility, go to a GP, get a mental health care plan, and then book the appointment,” Richmond Fellowship Tasmania’s Lisa Toohey says.

“That was quite a barrier for aged or elderly people.”

Read more about the service in the May 2020 issue of Primary Health Matters.

Resources