Practical Information and Resources

There are links here to practical resources that may help.

Legal and advance care planning resources

• Carer Gateway: Provides information on legal rights of carers including privacy and confidentiality and rights as a working carer.
• Office of the Public Advocate (VIC): Enduring powers of attorney
• Carers Victoria: Guardianship and Administration applications in hospital (1.61MB pdf)
• The Advance Care Planning Australia website provides information and resources to support advance care planning in Australia.

Practical help and equipment

• Carers Victoria has produced a leaflet on aids and equipment (77kb pdf)
• The Department of Veterans Affairs has produced a substantial guide Back to basics: handy hints for carers to help prevent back injuries
• As part of the National Continence Management Strategy a booklet on Help for people who care for someone with bladder or bowel problems (4.69MB pdf) has been produced. This has several useful sections on managing at home, getting out and costs and products
• The Independent Living Centres Australia have a searchable database of products and equipment that can make caring easier
• Many of the services who provide practical help can be found in the CareSearch State Resources pages.

Family carer resources

• Carer Gateway: National online and phone service includes practice information and support services for carers
• Carers NSW Carer resources
• Emergency planning information can be found at the Carers Victoria website
• The NSW Government has produced a booklet: Walking with Carers in NSW (1.63MB pdf)
• Caregivers Library: Appointment Information (54kb pdf)
• Caregivers Library: Needs assessment worksheet (180kb pdf)
• GatherMyCrew helps families to coordinate care at times of need. 

Medicines

• The National Prescribing Service (NPS) have information on keeping a medicines list that can be used to keep track of medication
• The Better Health Channel has a sheet on side effects (91kb pdf) of medication
• The search the PBS drug list information may be helpful
• The PBS has a PBS Safety Net Scheme that many people are eligible for
• Centrelink has a Pharmaceutical Allowance scheme
• The Canadian Virtual Hospice has information on help with medications
• The Caregivers Library has a weekly medicine chart (40kb pdf) that could be helpful

Transport

Transport assistance schemes are available in each State and Territory:

• Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme (IPTAS) (ACT)
• Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (NSW)
• Patient Assistance Travel Scheme (NT)
• Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS) (QLD)
• Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) (SA) 
• Patient Travel Assistance Scheme (PTAS) (TAS)
• Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS) (VIC)
• Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) (WA)

Last updated 23 May 2018