Australian Capital Territory

Palliative care organisations

• Palliative Care ACT Inc. Phone: (02) 6255 5771.
• Canberra Health Services provides palliative care support for all people in the ACT.
• Palliative Care Australia. Phone: (02) 6232 0700.

Carers support and respite

• Carers ACT.
• Compassionate Friends ACT (Bereavement). Phone: (02) 6286 6134.
• Healthdirect lists resources for those caring for others as well as information on respite care and residential care.
• Myagedcare website has some helpful information for carers. Phone: 1800 200 422.
• CarersACT - Young carer supports. Phone: (02) 6296 9900.

Respite Care

• Aged Care Guide has a list of respite services in your state.
• Carer Gateway provides an easy way to find respite service providers in your area. Phone: 1800 422 737
• Commonwealth Home support Programme.
• Carer Gateway Australia has a Carer Counselling Program Freecall 1800 422 737, or go to the webpage and Request a Callback and they will ring you.
• Myagedcare provides an overview of respite care and eligibility and assessment Freecall: 1800 200 422.

Health services

Aged Care Assessments

• The first step to access government-funded care services is to speak with My Aged Care services about arranging for an assessment by calling 1800 200 422. If you have been assessed and are ready to find a suitable local service provider visit Find a provider on the My Aged Care pages.
• Carers Australia: Information sheets on dealing with hospitals.
• Community Health Centres.
• Health Service Complaints. Phone: (02) 6205 2222.
• GP helpline. For after-hours medical advice when you cannot access your usual GP, call the GP helpline on 1800 022 222 for assistance.
• National Health Service Directory.
• ACT Government Health Service Finder.

Information and advice

• Rise Above - Capital region cancer relief.
• Volunteering and CONTACT ACT.
• Carer Gateway.
• Infoxchange Service Seeker.
• Kids Help Line. Freecall: 1800 55 1800.
• Legal Aid (ACT).
• Lifeline. Phone: 13 11 14.
• Mensline Australia. Phone: 1300 789 978.
• Advance Care Planning Australia: Information on advance care planning.
• Women’s Information Service.

Equipment and supplies

• ACT Equipment Scheme – Oxygen and Equipment Services.
• Canberra Health Services -  Equipment loan and supply.
• In some cases the Australian government also funds payments to help with the cost of running medical equipment at home, such as a dialysis machine or an oxygen concentrator.

Transport and travel

• Transport Canberra Information on accessible travel.
• Angel Flight Australia Coordinates non emergency flights for financially and medically needy people. Freecall: 1300 726 567.
• Australian Transport for the Disabled. Car hire with disabled access and self drive vehicles.
• Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme (IPTAS) (ACT)
• National Public Toilet Map
• Taxi subsidy scheme. Phone: (02) 6207 0028.

Financial assistance

• Care Inc. Financial Counseling Service and the Consumer Law Centre of the ACT.
• Centrelink
  • Carers' support and other payments.
  • Disability support pension.
  • Health care card.
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs provides access to a range of services for veterans and war widow/widowers.

Help within your home

• The Commonwealth Government funds a range of services for older Australians. You can find details at the myagedcare website.
• The Australian Government Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
  • If you want to stay in your own home, but need some help with daily tasks, or require entry level care, the Commonwealth Home Support Programme may be able to help.
• Home modification: Better Health Channel provides a checklist for use when considering home modifications.
• Meals on Wheels.

Complaints process

• The Complaint Line website provides guidance on how to make a complaint about health practitioners, with the details for each state, for AHPRA and provides links to other health professional associations.
• The Australian Government Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission site gives consumers guidance on how to lodge a complaint or raise a concern. This website links to the official online complaint lodgement form which allows the complainant to choose the level of privacy of the complaint.