Linking older people with HIV to aged care services and support
Many agencies and services are involved with a person’s care journey.
In module 0 (HIV Core Knowledge) we introduced the wide range of services individual clients might need to access.
These often start with health services before branching out to wider care and support systems.
We identified nearly fifty (50) service categories. That’s a lot of potential service types!
Australian aged care (and disability) services systems are complex. They are often difficult to navigate.
Until a person needs to access these systems, they are likely to remain hidden and a bit of a mystery.
As people living with HIV get older, it is likely Peer Navigators will be asked to help them access service and supports in these complex areas.
As we have discussed, there are many peer support and other programs for older people living with HIV in Australia. Most of these are in LGBTIQA+ and HIV community organisations. Most of them are in larger cities and regional centres.
We cannot provide detailed information about all of these services and programs in this module. The following topics provide a starting point.
It is a good idea to build your own list of resources and services to support your work. Knowing who is out there and building relationships with them is half the battle.