DVA Community Nursing
Nursing and personal care at home for veterans and war widows, from a small team that gets to know you.
What it involves
In-home nursing and personal care, including medication support, wound care, hygiene assistance and palliative care.
What is included
The things this support covers day to day.
- Wound care and complex dressings
- Medication management and administration
- Continence and catheter care
- Hygiene and personal care with clinical oversight
- Palliative and end-of-life care at home
- Coordination with your GP and treating team
- Reassessment by a registered nurse, with your care plan reviewed at least every three months
Who it is for
Veteran Card – All Conditions holders (previously the Gold Card) with an assessed clinical need. Veteran Card – Specific Conditions holders (previously the White Card) for care relating to an accepted condition, once DVA confirms eligibility. Provisional Access to Medical Treatment and Non-Liability Health Care recipients are also eligible.
What makes it different
The same small team of nurses visits you, so you’re not explaining your history to someone new each time. We respect your service, work closely with your GP, and help you stay independent at home for as long as you choose.
How this support starts
You get in touch
Send a referral or call. Tell us about the person, their Veteran Card and what they need.
A nurse assesses and plans
A registered nurse visits, completes a full nursing assessment and writes your care plan with you. Nothing starts until you have agreed and signed it.
Support begins
Your team steps in, and stays. We review with you regularly and adjust as things change.
Common questions
The things people ask us most often about this support.
A GP, a treating medical practitioner in hospital, a hospital discharge planner or a nurse practitioner. The referral has to be in writing. GP referrals last 12 months; hospital and nurse practitioner referrals last 6 weeks. A new referral is needed every 12 months, and after any break in care longer than 28 days. You cannot self-refer for DVA community nursing.
A Veteran Card – All Conditions (previously the Gold Card) covers any assessed clinical nursing need. A Veteran Card – Specific Conditions (previously the White Card) covers nursing care that relates directly to an accepted condition, and DVA has to confirm that before care starts. A pharmaceutical-only card (previously the Orange Card) does not cover community nursing. We confirm your eligibility with DVA before we begin, so you are never left guessing.
None. DVA pays for clinically required nursing and personal care in full, and you should never be billed directly for it. That still applies if you also receive Support at Home or Commonwealth Home Support services.
In your own home, face-to-face. DVA community nursing cannot be delivered in a hospital, a residential aged care home, a community or multi-purpose centre, or a clinic of any kind. If you are admitted to hospital, your care pauses and we pick it up again when you are discharged.
The program covers clinically required nursing and personal care only. It does not cover hospital substitution such as Hospital in the Home, respite or supervision, household tasks like cleaning, laundry, shopping, meal preparation or driving, or transport and accommodation.
If you need any of those, tell us anyway. We will point you to the program that does cover it rather than leave you to work it out.
Yes. We provide palliative and end-of-life nursing at home, working alongside your GP and any specialist palliative team.
Talk to us about nursing at home
Ask your GP, hospital doctor, discharge planner or nurse practitioner to send us a written referral. Not sure where to start? Call us and we’ll help you through it.