Health and Community Services Information For People With Chronic Conditions

Health and Community Services Information For People With Chronic Conditions

allied health at home

Updated June 2024

To live well with chronic conditions it helps to have access to a wide range of health services and reliable information, such as allied health, counselling, support groups and online resources.

Your local community is one place to find helpful, low-cost services. Other places to look for health information and services are government and non-government websites, peak body organisations and patient organisations related to your condition.

To make the search easier, we have combined some of our favourite and most reliable websites for you to use, all in one place.  We hope you find this resource helpful.

Local Health Centres and Services

Community Health Centres are providers of a vast range of primary care and allied health services. They are not-for-profit organisations funded through a mix of council, state and federal government health programs. The services available will vary depending on the centre and practitioners may include GPs, counsellors, podiatrists, dieticians, physiotherapists and dentists.

Many councils, community health centres and neighbourhood houses can also provide you with information about other service suppliers such as volunteer drivers, home help, meals-on-wheels and occupational therapy programs.

See the health services directories list below to help find a health service in your area.

Government Health Information Sites

National

➤  National Health Service Directory (NHSD)

➤  My Community Directory

➤  Healthdirect Australia

State and territory

Australian Capital Territory

➤  ACT Health – Find a Health Service

New South Wales

➤  Service NSW – Health and Care

Northern Territory

➤  Northern Territory Primary Health Network

Queensland

➤  Health Service Finder

➤  Queensland Government – Health and Wellbeing

South Australia

➤  SA Health – Services

Tasmania

➤  Tasmanian Government Department of Health – Find a Health Service

Victoria

➤  Health Vic – Hospital and Health Services Directory

➤  Better Health Channel

Western Australia

➤  WA Health – Services Search

➤  WA Health – Young Pain Health

➤  Healthy WA

Non-Government Health Information Sites

➤  Jean Hailes for Women’s Health

➤  Healthy Male

➤  LGBTIQ+ Health Australia

➤  Beyond Blue (Mental health support)

➤  Lifeline (Mental health crisis support)

➤  Black Dog Institute (Mental health support)

Arthritis Peak Health Bodies and Patient Organisations

National

➤  CreakyJoints Australia

➤  Arthritis Australia

➤  Musculoskeletal Health Australia (formerly Musculoskeletal Australia)

➤  Dragon Claw

➤  Juvenile Arthritis Foundation of Australia

State and territory

Australian Capital Territory

➤  Arthritis Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

➤  Arthritis New South Wales

Northern Territory

➤  Arthritis and Osteoporosis Northern Territory

Queensland

➤  Arthritis Queensland

South Australia

➤  The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Arthritis (includes Arthritis SA)

Tasmania

➤  Arthritis and Osteoporosis Tasmania

Victoria

➤  Musculoskeletal Health Australia (formerly Musculoskeletal Australia)

Western Australia

➤  Arthritis and Osteoporosis Western Australia

Related Peak Health Bodies and Patient Organisations

➤  Psoriasis Australia

➤  Crohn’s and Colitis Australia

➤  Emerge Australia (for people with ME/CFS)

➤  Bridges and Pathways (for people with ME/CFS)

➤  Chronic Pain Australia

➤  Pain Australia

➤  Australian Patients Association

Disability Service Organisations

➤  Australian Government – Disability Gateway

➤  Australian Government – Job Access

➤  Australian Human Rights Commission – IncludeAbility

➤  Disability Services Australia

➤  People with Disabilities Australia

➤  IDEAS Australia

➤  Every Australian Counts

➤  Disability Support Guide

➤  Disability Advocacy Network Australia

Other Resources

➤  Multi-Purpose Taxi Program and Taxi Card

➤  Australian Disability Parking Scheme

➤  National Public Toilet Map

➤  National Equipment Database

➤  AidaCare Healthcare Equipment

➤  Pain Australia – National Pain Services Directory

Consumer Representation and Advocacy

National

➤  Consumers Health Forum of Australia

➤  National Rural Health Alliance: Friends of the Alliance

➤  Patient Voice Initiative

State and territory

Australian Capital Territory

➤  Health Care Consumers’ Association

New South Wales

➤  Health Consumers NSW

Queensland

➤  Health Consumers Queensland

Tasmania

➤  Health Consumers Tasmania

Victoria

➤  Health Consumers Centre

Western Australia

➤  Health Consumers’ Council of WA

 

NB: Not all health and community organisations are listed in the above directories. See your local directories or contact your council for more information about services available in your area.

Keep Reading

➤  Government Support for People With Chronic Illness

➤  Choosing Your Healthcare Team

➤  Employment With a Disability

➤  Arthritis Treatments

➤  Patient Guidelines