1. Exploring the impact of financial counselling at the Aged Care gateway
DIGNITY AND DEBT
Exploring the impact of financial counselling at the Aged Care gateway

2. Who’s involved Project leader – fcrc - advocacy, financial counselling, policy, systemic change, national links
Goulburn Valley Health
Mansfield Shire Council
Hutchinson eldercare Legal
Heather – registered nurse/ case manager, and financial counsellor
1:1 casework
Community education
Provider education – aged care facilities / community care program leaders
Michele – HACC program and team leader ( families)at Mansfield Shire Council and financial counsellor
1:1 casework
Provider education – community care/ HACC / ACAS
Madelaine – Lawyer at Hutchinson eldercare legal
Provision of legal expertise/ education for financial counsellors
Casework advice
Referral to FC

3. Financial counselling role
Older people and their families
1:1Casework
Education and support
Families
ID elder abuse
professionals
Education
Providers
managers
Allied health
FC sector
Education about aged care/ changes
More inclusive practices
referral

4. ACcidental financial counselling
GVH
Mansfield shire council
Case management
Financial counselling
Financial counselling
Other teams
Rates hardship
Older clients

5. Trends and observations
CDC
People are being excluded from CDC
Financial assessment inadequate
debt
Questions not asked- inadequate assessments
Impacts on family / community / health / providers
Financial hardship
MyGov
Inability to access / understanding/ time
No professional charged with task of supporting access

6. CDC Should promote choice Inappropriate financial assessment
Financial abuse risks
Care packages not taken up

7. Debt increases vulnerability
Package$
Personal $
Family needs
Assets / no cash
Energy cost/ credit
Means testing
exclusions

8. Privacy and confidentiality
MyGov
MyGov
access
Privacy and confidentiality
Superannuation
Carer payments
pensions
Aged care

9. Emerging issues
Consumer law- deregulation of the market / fair contracts
Increasing scam vulnerability/ use of IT and knowledge
Various professionals completing income and assets forms

10. Emerging issues Language, literacy, numeracy increases CDC exclusion
Documentation for residential care – who assists?
Limited understanding of Centrelink processes – unable to self advocate and get clear information

11. Who else are we engaging with?
Local
Regional
Bigger picture
Organisational networks
Local media – Mansfield and Goulburn Valley region
Health networks
Allied health teams
HACC
Networks – financial counselling
Networks – aged care
ACAS
Banks / creditors
Rural financial counsellors
Health providers
Health sector
ANMJ
COTA (state/ national)
Financial Counselling Australia
ACCC
DHHS
Aged care conference fora (abstracts and presentations)
Banks

12. What are we achieving
1:1 planned and unplanned financial counselling casework
Financial counselling support for those unable to complete forms
Education about financial rights for aged care providers and staff in the region
Education forums throughout the region- multiple professionals
Education and inclusion of families
Media exposure
Case studies / data collection
Engagement in research (published report Nov 2016)
Education of financial counsellors

13. Next steps education tools for financial counsellors
Continue to work with ACAS / gateway processes
Document benefits / encouragement of family inclusive practices
Consideration of indigenous client groups and specific needs that may be identified
Continue to engage with Reference group to establish service gaps / concerns
Complete research ( includes health and wellbeing outcomes)

14. challenge
All workers in this project undertake financial counselling activities as a part of other roles. There must be identified roles for financial counsellors in aged care as a result of this project that leads to further paid positions specific to aged care into the future.