DVA services
DVA community nursing at home
Wound care, continence support, diabetes management and injections in your own home, for veterans, war widows and widowers in Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay and the Redlands.
DVA community nursing brings a nurse to your home so you can get clinical care without travelling to a clinic or staying in hospital. Trailblazer Community Care provides this care for veterans, war widows and widowers across Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay and the Redlands.
Our nursing is overseen by Exavier Rikonda, a registered nurse who has been nursing for 14 years. Home nursing is different from ward nursing. You're working in someone's lounge room, with their own routines and their own way of doing things, and the care has to fit around that.
What the DVA Community Nursing program is
The Department of Veterans' Affairs runs a Community Nursing program that pays for clinical nursing care, and some personal care, for eligible DVA clients in their own homes. The idea is simple: help veterans stay at home safely and avoid hospital admissions where they can.
The care is planned by a registered nurse after an assessment, and it's based on clinical need. It isn't a cleaning or gardening service. DVA has other programs for that kind of help, and your GP or DVA can point you to the right one.
Nursing care we provide at home
- Wound care, including leg ulcers, pressure injuries and wounds after surgery
- Continence assessment and help managing continence aids
- Diabetes monitoring and support with insulin
- Injections ordered by your doctor
- Urinary catheter care
- Stoma care
- Checks and care after you come home from hospital
- Help to understand and manage your medicines
Your nurse will also watch for changes that need a doctor. A wound that isn't healing or blood sugars that keep running high are things we raise with your GP early rather than wait for the next appointment.
How DVA community nursing starts
Referral usually comes from a GP, a treating doctor or a hospital, often as part of a discharge plan. You or your family can still call us first. We'll explain what your doctor needs to send and help get the paperwork moving.
Referral
Your GP, treating doctor or hospital sends a referral. Health professionals can use the DVA form on our referral page.
We contact you
We reply within 12 to 24 hours and book a first visit at a time that suits you.
Nursing assessment
A registered nurse visits, talks with you about your health and your home, and agrees a care plan with you.
Regular visits
Care starts on the agreed days. The plan is reviewed as you recover, or as your needs change.
Nursing visits are available on weekends and after hours, as well as through the week.
Eligibility and cost
Trailblazer is on DVA's Panel of Community Nursing Providers 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. Our DVA services page lists the areas our contract covers.
DVA sets the rules on who can receive community nursing and what it covers, and those rules change from time to time. For the current position, check the Department of Veterans' Affairs website or call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372). Our article on DVA community nursing eligibility and referrals walks through the process step by step.
For hospital discharge planners and GPs
If you're arranging a discharge, the earlier we hear about it, the easier the first week at home tends to be. Useful details to include:
- the veteran's DVA file number and card type
- the treating doctor and their contact details
- current wounds, devices (catheter, stoma) and dressing orders
- medicines that need nursing help, such as insulin or injections
- the discharge date and who will be at home
We'll confirm we've received the referral and keep you informed about the first visit. Referral information is handled in line with our privacy policy.
Working with families
A lot of our work involves a husband, wife, son or daughter who has been holding things together. We'll show family members what to look out for between visits, if the veteran wants that, and we'll tell you who to call if something changes. Family members are part of the picture, but decisions about care stay with the veteran.
Our standards
Community nursing is clinical work done alone in someone's home, so it needs supervision and clear processes. How we screen staff and handle incidents is set out on our quality and safeguarding page. If something isn't right, you can raise it through our feedback and complaints process.
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.
Questions about DVA community nursing
Who usually refers a veteran for community nursing?
Usually a GP, a treating doctor or a hospital discharge planner. You can call us before the referral is sent. We'll explain what the referral needs to include and contact you within 12 to 24 hours once it arrives so we can book your first nursing visit.
Does community nursing include help with showering?
It can. DVA community nursing covers clinical care, and in some cases personal care such as showering and dressing, based on your assessed needs. Our DVA personal care page explains that side of the service in more detail.
Will I see the same nurse each time?
We aim for consistency, because a nurse who knows your wound or your sugar levels will spot changes sooner. Rosters do change with leave and illness, so we'll let you know ahead of time if someone new is coming and make sure they have your care plan.
What if my wound isn't healing?
Your nurse will tell you, and with your permission will contact your GP to talk about next steps. That might mean a different dressing, or a look at other things that slow healing, such as diet or blood sugar.
Can you help if I also have an NDIS plan?
Yes, we can talk with you about it. We're also a registered NDIS provider and provide NDIS community nursing. DVA and the NDIS have rules about which one pays for which care, so we'll help you work out the arrangement before care starts.
- 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.
- NDIS community nursingClinical nursing at home for NDIS participants: wound care, continence, diabetes, injections, catheter and stoma care.
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.