Australia's Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) funds some of the most generous home-care entitlements in the country — and they remain consistently underused. This guide explains what's available, who's eligible, and exactly how to access it.
Gold Card vs White Card
Gold Card holders
Gold Card holders are entitled to all clinically necessary health care for all conditions, whether or not they're service-related. This is the broadest entitlement DVA offers.
White Card holders
White Card holders are entitled to treatment for accepted conditions only — that is, the specific health conditions DVA has accepted as service-related. Mental-health treatment under the Non-Liability Health Care provisions is also covered for all current and former ADF members.
DVA Community Nursing
This is one of the most valuable entitlements and one of the least known. It includes:
- Wound care
- Medication management
- Continence assessment and management
- Catheter and stoma care
- Diabetes care, including insulin
- Pressure-injury prevention
- Palliative care nursing
There is no co-payment for any of these services for eligible veterans.
Veterans' Home Care (VHC)
VHC provides practical, non-clinical support at home. Services include:
- Domestic assistance (cleaning, laundry, linen changes)
- Personal care (showering, dressing, grooming)
- Safety-related home and garden maintenance
- Respite care so a carer can take a break
VHC is means-tested via a small co-payment ($5.85–$10.90 per service hour as of 2025), but the rate is dramatically lower than mainstream aged-care contributions.
How to access these services
- Call DVA on 1800 555 254 and request a VHC assessment.
- An assessor visits you at home and writes a recommended plan of care.
- You choose a registered DVA provider — like GNA Services.
- Services begin, usually within 2–3 weeks of approval.
Common myths
"I never deployed, so I don't qualify." — Eligibility is based on the type and length of service, not deployment. Many veterans who never went overseas hold Gold or White Cards.
"I'm on a Home Care Package already." — You can hold an HCP/Support at Home plan AND access DVA services simultaneously. They're complementary, not mutually exclusive.
How GNA Services supports veterans
GNA is a registered DVA provider across Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Kalgoorlie. Our veteran-services team includes ex-ADF support workers and is trained in PTSD-aware practice. Call 1300 133 633 to talk about your entitlements — there is no obligation, and we'll happily review any existing care plan you have.
