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What we do

DVA community nursing services at home.

Your client needs nursing care at home in Melbourne's north. Some call it district nursing. Here's what our Registered Nurses do there. Every service runs on a care plan, and we keep the GP updated. If DVA covers the care, the client pays nothing.

Send a referral See who is covered
8
Types of nursing care at home
RN
A Registered Nurse does the first visit
$0
Cost with eligible DVA cover
A nurse in gloves cleaning a client's fingertipA nurse's hands passing medication to an older client at homeA nurse helping an older man move safely at homeA nurse checking an older man's blood pressure at home
Wound care

Wound care and dressings

01 Registered Nurse delivered · GP kept updated

We assess and dress surgical wounds, leg ulcers, skin tears and pressure injuries at home, on the care plan schedule. We tell the GP when a wound changes. If it needs other health professionals, we'll ask the GP about a referral.

Delivered by
Registered Nurse
First assessment
At home, by a Registered Nurse
Reporting
We keep the GP updated
Cost to the client
$0 with eligible DVA cover
Talk to a nurse
A nurse in gloves cleaning a client's fingertip

02 Registered Nurse delivered

Medication management

Help to take medicines as prescribed, including dose administration aids. Nurses give medicines where there's a signed medication chart, and tell the GP about any problems.

  • Giving medicines as prescribed, with a signed medication chart
  • Checking dose administration aids and prompting doses
  • Watching for side effects and problems with medicines
  • Telling the GP when a medicine needs review
Delivered by
Registered Nurse
Cost to the client
$0 with eligible DVA cover
A nurse's hands passing medication to an older client at home

03 Nursing team delivered

Personal and hygiene care

Help with showering, dressing and grooming, as part of a nursing care plan. If showering is the only help needed, Veterans' Home Care (VHC) may suit better.

  • Help with showering, bathing and moving safely
  • Help with dressing, grooming and mouth care
  • Help with toileting, and skin checks
  • Care at their own pace for people living with dementia
Delivered by
Nursing team
Cost to the client
$0 with eligible DVA cover
A nurse helping an older man move safely in his own home

04 Registered Nurse delivered

Continence and catheter care

Continence assessment and planning, and catheter care. We check for signs of infection and tell the GP about changes.

  • Continence assessment and a written care plan
  • Catheter care, as set out in the care plan
  • Bowel care, as set out in the care plan
  • Checking for signs of infection and telling the GP
Delivered by
Registered Nurse
Cost to the client
$0 with eligible DVA cover
A nurse checking an older man's blood pressure at home

05 Registered Nurse delivered

Diabetes and chronic disease care

Regular checks at home for people living with diabetes, heart failure, COPD and other long-term conditions. Changes in readings go to the GP.

  • Blood glucose checks, with each reading recorded
  • Foot and skin checks for people living with diabetes
  • Blood pressure, weight and symptom checks
  • Help to follow the plan the GP has set
Delivered by
Registered Nurse
Cost to the client
$0 with eligible DVA cover
An older couple taking a blood pressure reading together at home

06 Working with your palliative care team

Palliative and comfort care

Nursing care at home for people with a life-limiting illness, working with the palliative care team and the GP. We also support the family doing the caring.

  • Checking pain and symptoms, and giving charted medicines
  • Checks on equipment set up by the palliative care team
  • Pressure area and comfort care
  • Support for the family, and referral to Veterans' Home Care for respite
Delivered by
Registered Nurse
Cost to the client
$0 with eligible DVA cover
A woman sitting beside an older man as he rests in his own bed at home

07 Registered Nurse delivered

Post-operative and post-hospital care

Nursing visits after a hospital stay or operation, planned with the discharge team. Includes wound review and a check of the medicines list from hospital.

  • Review of the discharge plan and the medicines list
  • Care of surgical wounds and drains
  • Mobility, falls risk and home safety checks
  • Updates to the GP, the surgeon and allied health, with consent
Delivered by
Registered Nurse
Cost to the client
$0 with eligible DVA cover
An older man resting in a hospital bed set up in his own book-lined living room

08 With the client's consent

Health monitoring and care coordination

Regular health checks at home. With the client's consent, we keep the GP, allied health, pharmacy and other services up to date.

  • Regular health checks and care plan reviews
  • Keeping the GP updated
  • Referral to other health professionals through the GP
  • Liaising with Veterans' Home Care and Support at Home providers
Delivered by
Registered Nurse
Cost to the client
$0 with eligible DVA cover
An older man reading in his own armchair at home
Timeline

How a referral becomes a first visit.

We'll tell you if we can take the client, and when the first visit is.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Ongoing

  1. You send the referral Referrer
  2. Card and cover checked with DVA Us and DVA
  3. Home assessment by a Registered Nurse Registered Nurse
  4. Care plan agreed, GP kept updated Nurse and GP
  5. Regular visits begin Ongoing
A nurse carrying out a home check-up on an older man in his own living room
Get started

Not sure which service you need?

Call us. We'll explain what to ask the GP for. We don't do cleaning, shopping, home maintenance, respite, transport, companionship visits or Hospital in the Home. For cleaning, shopping, home maintenance and respite, call Veterans' Home Care (VHC) on 1300 550 450. Support at Home is the aged care program, arranged through My Aged Care. For transport to appointments, ask DVA.

Send a referral 0400 000 000