1.5 Veterans' Home Care program

Veterans' Home Care

The Veterans' Home Care Program (VHC) provides in-home care and support services to assist DVA clients to maintain their independence to live at home. The VHC Program also assists carers in recognition of the vital role they play in the veteran and defence community.

The following clients are eligible to request an assessment for VHC services:

• Veteran Gold Card (for all conditions) holders; or
• Veteran White Card (for specific conditions and/or Non-liability Health Care) holders; and
• living at home; and
• having difficulty performing activities of daily living without help due to functional limitations.

VHC Services include:

• Domestic Assistance - includes house cleaning, dishwashing, clothes and linen washing, bed making, unaccompanied shopping using a shopping list, meal preparation and unaccompanied bill paying.
• Home and Garden Maintenance - includes replacement of light bulbs, cleaning of gutters, external and internal windows, ceiling fans, air conditioning split system units, minor home maintenance, and lawn mowing.
• Respite Care – includes In-Home respite (allows a carer to have a break while another carer comes into the home to take over the caring role), Residential respite (short-term, usually in an Australian Government-subsidised aged care facility), or Emergency short-term home relief (short term care in the home when the carer is suddenly unable to provide care).

The VHC program also provides Personal Care services. Information about these additional VHC services can be found in section 2.8 of this Manual.

Service limits and co-payments apply to VHC services.

Duplicate benefits

Veterans with conditions accepted under the MRCA or the DRCA may choose to access assistance with domestic tasks through the household services provisions, or through the VHC.

However, the MRCA treatment principles prevent veterans accessing Domestic Assistance and/or Home and Garden Maintenance through VHC if they are receiving household services through the MRCA provisions.

While there is no equivalent legislative impact for veterans with conditions accepted under the DRCA, they cannot access duplicate services under VHC and household services.

This approach does not apply to Respite Care services, which can only be accessed through the VHC program.

Referrals to VHC

If, after considering a claim, a delegate considers there is no reasonable requirement for assistance through the household services provisions, veterans may seek an assessment for VHC services.

The VHC assessment agency can be contacted by calling 1300 550 450.

More information about the VHC Program is available from the DVA website.