For veterans and their families
DVA nursing and personal care at home
Nursing and personal care at home for veterans, war widows and widowers across Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay and the Redlands, overseen by a registered nurse with 14 years of nursing experience.
Trailblazer Community Care provides nursing and personal care in the home for veterans, war widows and widowers in South East Queensland. Care is overseen by Exavier Rikonda, a registered nurse with 14 years of nursing experience.
This page is for veterans and their families, and for the GPs and hospital discharge planners who arrange care for them.
Our DVA services
DVA community nursing
Wound care, continence, diabetes management, injections and other clinical care at home.
DVA personal care
Help with showering, dressing and getting ready for the day, supervised by a registered nurse.
Who these services are for
Most people we see are veterans, or the partners of veterans who have died, who want to stay at home but need some help to do it safely. Often it starts after a hospital stay, a fall, a new wound or a change in a long-term condition such as diabetes.
DVA issues Veteran Gold Cards and White Cards, and the card you hold affects what DVA will pay for. Whether nursing or personal care at home is covered for you is decided by DVA, not by us.
Trailblazer Community Care is on DVA's Panel of Community Nursing Providers, contracted for both community nursing and personal care. If you're eligible and DVA approves your care, DVA pays us directly, so you won't receive a bill. If any provider asks you to pay for DVA community nursing, DVA's advice is not to pay and to contact DVA.
For the current rules, go to the Department of Veterans' Affairs website or call DVA on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372). Our guide to DVA community nursing eligibility and referrals explains the process in plain English.
For GPs and discharge planners
DVA community nursing usually starts with a referral from a GP, a treating doctor or a hospital. If you're planning a discharge, send us the referral early and we'll contact the veteran or their family to arrange the first visit. Use the DVA option on our referral page. It asks for the DVA file number, card type and treating doctor, so we have what we need from the start.
How it starts
Referral
A GP, treating doctor or hospital refers you, or you or your family call us on 1300 822 333 to talk it through first.
We get in touch
We reply within 12 to 24 hours to arrange a time to visit.
Nursing assessment at home
A registered nurse looks at your health, your home and what help you need, and writes a care plan with you.
Care begins and is reviewed
Visits start on an agreed day and the plan is reviewed as your needs change.
Where we visit
Our DVA contract covers these areas: Aspley, Beaudesert, Beenleigh, Brisbane, Burpengary, Chermside, Cleveland, Enoggera, Indooroopilly, Inala, Kooralbyn, Loganlea, Manly, Moggill, Mount Glorious, Mount Gravatt, Petrie, Redcliffe, Redland Bay, Runcorn, Samford, Strathpine, Toowong and Wynnum. If you're not sure whether your address falls inside one of them, call us on 1300 822 333 and we'll check. How we screen, train and supervise our workers is on our quality and safeguarding page.
If you're a veteran or family member doing it tough, Open Arms offers free, confidential counselling on 1800 011 046, any time of day.
Questions from veterans and families
Do I need a referral from my doctor?
For DVA community nursing, usually yes. The referral normally comes from your GP, a treating doctor or the hospital when you're discharged. You're welcome to call us first, and we can explain what your doctor will need to send. DVA's website has the current referral rules.
Can my son or daughter arrange this for me?
Yes. Family members often make the first call, and that's fine. We'll still talk with you directly about your care, and we'll only share information with family members you've agreed to.
Do you only help Gold Card holders?
DVA decides what it funds based on your card and your needs, so we can't tell you in advance whether you're covered. Call us and we'll talk through your situation, or check with DVA on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).
I'm a veteran with an NDIS plan. Can you help with both?
Possibly. We are also a registered NDIS provider, so we can talk with you about care funded by either system. DVA and the NDIS have rules about which one pays for what, and we'll help you work out the right arrangement rather than guess.
Which areas do you cover?
We visit veterans at home in the areas our DVA contract covers, across Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay and the Redlands. The full list is in the "Where we visit" section above. If you live on the edge of these areas, call us and ask. We'd rather check than turn you away without a conversation.
- DVA community nursingClinical nursing at home for veterans, war widows and widowers, overseen by a registered nurse with 14 years of nursing experience.
- DVA personal careShowering, dressing and daily routines at home for veterans, war widows and widowers, with registered nurse supervision.
- DVA community nursing eligibilityWhich Veteran Card you need, who can write the referral, how long it lasts and what the first nursing visit involves.
Talk to a registered nurse-led team
Call 1300 822 333 or send a referral. We reply to every enquiry within 12 to 24 hours.
Asking a question does not commit you to anything.