PRONIA can assist you with accessing aged care services with a referral to My Aged Care or you can contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to speak to a consultant to discuss your care needs and to self refer in relation to you or your family member or friend if you are deemed an authorised person.

Eligibility for Aged Care services is assessed at an entry level through the Regional Assessment Service (RAS) for access to services under the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) or through the Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) for a Home Care Package (HCP). Normally you will be assessed at entry level under CHSP and if the assessor deems you/your family member has higher needs then you will enter onto a HCP waitlist.

There are some restrictions in accessing funded aged care services depending on other funded support that you may be receiving but if you are assessed as having the need for home care support then you will have the opportunity to obtain support through a number of service referrals under entry level Commonwealth Home Care Support (CHSP) services.

Generally you can only access one form of government funding for aged care services at any given time. For example you will commence with CHSP and when assessed at later stage for higher level aged care service needs, will move across to HCP. There will be a period of transition from CHSP to HCP and this will be managed by PRONIA along with other funded service providers. In some special circumstances, you may be able to access additional CHSP funding under a short term arrangement but only if HCP funding is insufficient and you have received approval via ACAS.

There are some minimal costs for services associated with aged care support in the home under CHSP but costs are subsidised and the non-subsidised or co-contribution component will be explained to you and an agreement made confirming services and associated co-contribution costs. Likewise for a HCP, you will also need to enter an agreement but all costs including package management and care coordination will be managed under the package with the exception of any additional voluntary co-contribution or income tested care fee determined by Centrelink if you are a part-pensioner or self-funded retiree.

You are able to access a number or in-home services and support to help you live at home for longer. These services include domestic care, personal care, meal preparation, accompanied shopping or appointments, in-home respite support for your carer, social respite or a flexible respite offering that may include a mixture of these services.

PRONIA is able to support you with social respite or individual respite inside or external to the home under CHSP funding to enable you to continue accessing services in the community. More services in the home and support to access services in the community are available under HCP funding including domestic care, personal care, meal preparation and flexible respite.

Support through PRONIA for accessing services under CHSP is provided by a Respite Officer and under a HCP through dedicated Intake, Concierge and dedicated Case Manager. Both CHSP and HCP funded programs are backed by a Service Delivery Team including reception, rostering and scheduling, Team Leaders, and Program Coordinators all reporting to an Aged and Co-Ordinated Care Services Manager.

Additional support is available through HCP Program for specialised support via clinical and allied health including nursing, clinical specialists in wound, diabetes, and continence, physiotherapy, podiatry, speech therapy, dietician, remedial massage and dementia assessments through geriatrician.

There may come time when additional support is required for you or your family member and it is no longer safe or viable for you to remain living at home. Under such circumstances you might need to cease or suspend CHSP or HCP program and funding and enter into other options for short term supported respite accommodation care or long term care through permanent aged care via a residential aged care facility.

PRONIA does not provide permanent residential aged care through a residential aged care facility but we can assist you with some navigation information regarding aged care facilities that cater specific to the Greek community or permanent aged care facilities within your region or based on specialist support i.e. dementia.

You will need to liaise with permanent aged care facilities to understand the financial implications of moving into permanent aged care but your spouse can continue to remain living in the family home depending on your pension status and specific financial and other legal circumstances. Support is also available to your spouse and or other family member/parent also through CHSP or HCP program funding if not prior assessed and awaiting approval or assigned access already.

We encourage additional support to clients and carers available for additional supported respite accommodation on a short term basis and leave is allowed under the HCP program for a specific amount of time per calendar year without having to cease HCP funding. Again, PRONIA can provide navigation information in relation to respite accommodation that caters specifically to the Greek community facilities within your region or based on specialist support i.e. dementia.

There are a number of charges associated with permanent care in a residential aged care including Residential Accommodation Deposit (RAD), daily fees plus any extra hostel living expenses. PRONIA cannot provide specific charges according to permanent aged care but there are a number of options available that can be discussed with intake staff at facilities concerned and you should seek advice from your finance professional. Daily fees apply for temporary residential respite that cannot be accessed through HCP funds.

You can access social support services through My Aged Care website directly or PRONIA can provide support through navigation information or direct information in relation to PRONIA’s social support programs.

Social Support is available through individual social support programs, Planned Activity Groups or other social cultural support groups in the wider community accessible to everyone.

If you need additional social support, this can be arranged through additional referrals from My Aged Care.

Yes, social support can be temporarily suspended at any time either under CHSP or HCP funding but time period limits may apply and possible re-referral into social support programs if leave period has lapsed.

PRONIA currently charges $5:00 per hour for respite (minimum 2 – maximum 4 hours per week), $10:00 per day for the Planned Activity Groups and Individual social support is for 2 hours per week with $0 cost, but is subject to availability of a volunteer.

Dementia refers to various symptoms which affect how the brain works.  Dementia is not a specific disorder.

Dementia interferes with brain function and affects daily life. The functions of the brain most affected include thinking, memory and behaviour.

People experience dementia in different ways. Onset and progression of dementia can be different for each individual.  Dementia symptoms may start slow and become worse over time. There is no known cure for dementia.

The risk of dementia increases with age but it does not mean that everyone will have dementia as they age.

PRONIA has received funding for 3 years from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care to provide support services to people with Dementia and their carers. This new program called “Stronger Together “ is available in Victoria and Tasmania.

In addition to this new funding, PRONIA provides general support to people with Dementia and their carers.

PRONIA’s Dementia Support Program can support people living with dementia, their carers and families in Victoria and Tasmania. We recognise the valuable contributions by carers to provide for their family members with dementia.

This service is specifically designed to support carers and those with Dementia.

If you or your family are concerned about changes in memory, behaviour or thinking we can guide you to access the information and support you need.

We have experienced Greek English bi- lingual and bi-cultural qualified professionals who can support you to access support services that suits your needs.

We can provide services, information and support across Victoria and Tasmania. Our services are free and include:

• Centre based Day Respite: People with early stages of dementia can come to one of 4 locations in Melbourne and Tasmania. Participation in this group enhances social connection, improves wellbeing and physical health for the participant and provide respite for carers.  The group activities are structured to be culturally relevant and relevant to the participant needs.
• Carer Support Groups: Carers have the opportunity to meet in person to be informed, supported and to relax.  The informal groups meet monthly for 2 hours.  Carers can enjoy some time away, whilst they connect, share ideas and experiences, meet guest speakers and learn new information.
• Telephone Support Groups: It’s not always possible for carers to travel to other locations for respite and support. Our telephone support groups connect carers who have travel limitations, due to health, distance or other reasons. These small groups of up to 5 carers share a telephone connection for up to an hour for a group session on relevant topics.
• Case support service: A specialist case support worker is available to work with the person with dementia and/ or their family and carers to provide guidance on future planning,  support services  and entitlements and care options to suit you and your family’s needs. Meetings can be arranged in person (your home or an office), on line (zoom) or telephone as often and when needed (within business hours)
• Crisis Telephone Support: An after-hours telephone line is available to participants of the Dementia Support Service to contact if there is a crisis until 9.00pm each day of the year.

We provide support to all clients including clients diagnosed with dementia under a community care setting under CHSP and HCP programs and advice where additional support for dementia is required or higher care support for dementia in a residential aged care setting. In some instances we may refuse to provide certain in-home services under a flexible respite situation or social respite outside the home if a client is at risk of absconding or has specific behavioural challenges that might pose a risk to your family member or our care workforce and or external sub-contracted supplier

Your General Practitioner should be the first point of contact for any assessment or if an assessment has been made by an external specialist or acute health/hospital representative, your family member’s GP should be informed, and a regular review requested. In some instances we may seek your approval to assess your family member for dementia via a geriatrician if we suspect signs of dementia and there is no current diagnosis available to PRONIA and you are not able to take your family member to a GP or family doctor for assessment.

Whilst PRONIA does provide support in the home to dementia clients we are not a specialist dementia care provider and training provided to our care workforce or external sub-contractors is limited to overall management of a dementia client and not comprehensive as would be to care workers who support clients in specialty dementia ward in a residential aged care or supported respite facility. PRONIA is continually seeking education for its workforce in dementia and we expect that with growing demands for dementia support that our care workforce will increase its experience in dementia needs

Under the HCP Program funding additional dementia funding is available through a dementia supplement that is calculated under a set daily rate and adjusted periodically. To access the dementia supplement, a current and valid dementia diagnosis is required and an application submitted through the Case Manager supporting you or your family member.

There may be some out of pocket costs for dementia support if you elect to receive specialist ongoing support through a clinician specialising in dementia or if you seek dementia support through a supported accommodation respite facility through a daily charge set by the government and reviewed periodically. Initial dementia assessments can be covered under the HCP in negotiation with your Case Manager.

Emergency:                                        000

PRONIA:                                                (03) 9388 9998 (Monday – Friday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm)

National Dementia Helpline:       1800 100 500 (24 hours a day, every day)

Carer Gateway:                                 1800 422 737 (Monday – Friday 8.00am -5.00pm)

Lifeline:                                                13 11 14 (24 hours a day, every day)

Emergency Respite:                        1800 422 737 (24 hours a day, every day)

National 1800 Respect:                 1800 737 732 (24 hours a day, every day)

My Aged Care                                    1800 200 422 (Monday – Friday 8.00 am – 8.00pm and Saturday 10.00am- 2.00pm )