At Ease Community Nursing

14/05/2026

The 2026–27 Federal Budget delivered a long-overdue win for veteran healthcare — but buried alongside it is a measure that could quietly undercut everything.
The allied health fee increase is real and significant. $169.7 million over five years. The largest investment in veteran allied health fees in more than 20 years.
Providers have been subsidising DVA care for years because the fees didn't reflect actual costs. That needed fixing.
However, attached to that investment is a $5,000 Annual Monetary Limit on allied health services — a measure projected to save the Government $780 million.
But from our point of view, there's a critical question this budget hasn't answered.
It is not confirmed whether community nursing falls under that cap.
Community nursing sits in its own DVA program, separate from the allied health schedule. The budget language refers to "allied health services" — community nursing is neither named nor excluded. As someone who works in this field, We'd like to see that ambiguity resolved, and resolved publicly, before July 2027.
Because a veteran with a chronic ulcerating wound requiring three times-weekly nursing visits doesn't have the luxury of waiting for a policy clarification.
Be it allied health or community nursing, $5,000 doesn't last long when you have genuine clinical need.
And separately — the Community Nursing and Veterans' Home Care Sustainability Payments expire on 30 June 2026. No replacement announced. These payments have been the difference between providers staying in the DVA market or walking away. At Ease Community Nursing, is one of the lucky providers that doesn't rely on those payments, but other providers do, to be able to stay in the veteran space and contribute to veteran health outcomes.
Our veterans signed a blank cheque to this country. The least we owe them is healthcare that doesn't run out mid-year — and policy decisions that are more transparent about who they affect.

12/05/2026

Happy International Nurses Day to ALL the nurses out there who strive to make people's lives more comfortable. Thank you.
To our nurses, working for At Ease Community Nursing, every one of you who shows up for our veteran community — thank you, sincerely.
You carry more than a nurse's bag when you walk through someone's door. You bring expertise, patience, and a steady calm that so many people rely on — often during their most difficult times.
The care you give extends far beyond clinical skill — it is genuine human connection.
You work without fanfare — no colleagues in the next room, no "well done" at handover. Just you, your skills, and someone who needed you to show up. The work you do in homes, and on the road is the backbone of our veteran community's health and wellbeing. It matters more than words can properly express.
I'm blessed to be able to say that I not only work with amazing nurses, but with wonderful human beings.
So, to all the nurses out there, we see you, we value you, and we are so grateful for the work you do. Happy International Nurses Day!

22/04/2026

Community nursing is not “home help.” It is a strategic part of the health system.
For the veterans we support, community nursing plays a critical role in keeping people safe at home, preserving independence, and reducing pressure on acute services.
It is a clinically important service that depends on strong judgement, coordination, and continuity of care.
What can be overlooked is the broader value this model creates. When care is delivered well in the community, it supports earlier intervention, better patient experience, and more efficient use of health resources.
In veteran care, where complexity and trust matter, that value is amplified.
The question is not whether community nursing matters. The question is whether we recognise it for what it is: a vital service that contributes to both better outcomes and a more sustainable health system.
A strong health system should not measure value by where care is delivered alone. It must measure value by the outcomes it enables.

23/03/2026

The nurses who know veterans best are often the ones the system forgets to support. Community nurses working with ADF veterans occupy a uniquely complex space.

They're not in a hospital. There's no multidisciplinary team down the corridor. They're often alone, in someone's home, navigating the intersection of physical health, trauma, mental health, and a culture of stoicism that took years to earn trust through.

And they do it extraordinarily well.

That's the paradox.

These nurses develop a depth of understanding that's genuinely rare — the hypervigilance that looks like aggression, the chronic pain layered under service injuries, the reluctance to ask for help from someone who hasn't had the lived experience. They learn to meet veterans exactly where they are.

But the institutional knowledge, the specialised training, the peer support, the recognition — it often isn't there to meet them.

We ask these nurses to hold some of our most complex patients. People carrying the weight of service, sacrifice, and too often, invisible wounds. And we expect them to do it without adequate frameworks, without veteran-specific education pathways, and frequently without acknowledgement of just how skilled their work actually is.

The veterans they care for deserve continuity. Relationship. Trust built over time.

That's only possible if we invest in the nurses building it.

20/02/2026

They say that the best conversations happen around kitchen tables.

As community nurses caring exclusively for ADF veterans, we walk into homes expecting to provide healthcare and we do, then we sit .... At the kitchen table.

What don't we expect? The stories. The wisdom. The humour that catches us off guard and makes us laugh even in difficult moments.

We don't expect veterans to ask about our families, to remember our names, to treat us like mates instead of "just nurses."
We hear stories of mates who became brothers and sisters - some still here, some never forgotten.

Stories of hardship and loss spoken about with a courage that humbles us, often followed by a joke that reminds us why humour is sometimes the best medicine.

We came to care for them. They ended up teaching us what really matters.

Our veterans don't just let us into their homes. They let us into their lives.
They trust us with their stories, their struggles, and their strength - and that trust is both a privilege and a responsibility we don't take lightly.

Every veteran we meet has stories shaped by service, sacrifice, and mateship.

If you know a veteran, reach out. If you work in veteran services, keep going.

If you're a veteran reading this - we see you, we're honoured to care for you, and your story matters.

20/01/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday & Happy 1 Year Anniversary, Bob! 🎉

Today we’re celebrating not one, but two special milestones for our amazing Head of Operations. Thank you, Bob, for your incredible hard work, dedication, and everything you do behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. We truly appreciate you and are so grateful to have you as part of our team! 👏🎂🎈

11/12/2025

We're hiring! Come and join our team of amazing nurses.

Rewarding part-time Enrolled Nurse role in Townsville with a friendly team, making a tangible difference in the lives of ADF veterans.

25/11/2025

Our role extends beyond wound care and medication management—we help preserve dignity and independence for those men and women who've served, while endeavoring to support families who need a little breathing space.
DVA funding allows us to provide this service and removes the financial burden from veterans and their families during an already difficult time.
Every day, we see how community nursing creates a ripple effect—veterans stay home longer, families maintain their wellbeing and employment, and we prevent costly hospitalisations. It's healthcare that strengthens both individuals and communities.
The funding that DVA provides community nursing providers is vital. It comes with conditions and accountabilities, as it most definitely should.
For as long as we have veterans, this funding should be protected from the vagaries of politics and bureaucracy.
As community nursing providers, we understand the accountabilities and continue to feel privileged to be able to play our part.

19/11/2025

Want to know what a day in the life of one of our community nurses looks like? Read on ....

6:30am - Coffee in hand, reviewing today's schedule. 10 visits across Townsville and suburbs to Australian Defence Force veterans. Wound care, post-surgical checks, mental health check ins, observations taken and a couple of new veterans to see as well.

7:00am - First stop: Bill, 92, Korea veteran. Here for his leg ulcer dressing, but I'm also checking his mobility aids, medication management, whether he's managing at home. He shows me his old service photos. I always make time for this - his stories matter. All their stories matter.

9:30am - Sandra, Navy veteran, only quite young. Post-surgical follow-up. She's fiercely independent and trying to do too much too soon. We negotiate what "taking it easy" actually means. Her service dog, Tiny is curious to see what's in my nurse's bag, I always bring him a treat.

11:45am - Vietnam veteran and his wife. He's dealing with PTSD flare-ups alongside his physical health needs. She's exhausted from caring for him. I'll need to bump this up the chain and we'll try to arrange respite support. This job is as much about the families as the veterans themselves.

1:30pm - Lunch eaten between visits. Three phone calls returned.

1:50pm - Jenny, Air Force veteran, for her diabetes management. She's struggling with the transition from military structure to civilian life, and it's affecting her self-care. We talk about her marriage of 20 years falling apart. We talk about routines and support networks. I give her a hug as I leave.

3:45pm - Dave, Afghanistan veteran. He's a hard man. A strong man, a lovely man, but today, he's on his knees. He's been here before. I let him know that we've found him a place in a clinic and he's going to be okay. He'll get to talk to someone who can help. Dave says he'll see me tomorrow; that's a good sign

This is the part they don't teach you: you become an expert at understanding how service has shaped these lives, at reading the signs when someone who's trained to push through is actually struggling and can't push without help

4:45pm - Bert, another Vietnam veteran. Bert's out back with his wife on the back patio, watching the grandkids play cricket, He's pretty chuffed that the eldest is going down to Brisbane to play grade. He smiles and pokes fun at Nora, his wife. I push him inside to put some cream on his "stumps", as he calls them, rearrange the pillow on his wheelchair and push him back out to watch the second innings. Same time tomorrow, Bert

5:00pm - Documentation. Each visit detailed with notes and any escalations to our senior nursing team. The paperwork that ensures our veterans get the support they've earned

This isn't the nursing you see on TV. It's quiet, stoic and very essential care for those who served our country.

Yes, same time tomorrow, Bert.

22/10/2025

Why Continued DVA Funding for ADF Veteran Community Nursing Matters More Than Ever

As we continue to see our ADF veteran population age and face increasingly complex health challenges, community nursing support has become not just valuable—it's essential.

Veteran community nurses provide specialised care that goes far beyond standard home visits. They understand the unique physical and psychological impacts of military service. They recognise service-related conditions, navigate the complexities of DVA entitlements, and build trust with veterans who may be reluctant to seek help.

The impact is tangible: For many veterans, especially those in regional and remote areas, these nurses are the primary connection to healthcare services. They coordinate care, manage chronic conditions, support mental health, and often identify issues before they become crises. They help veterans remain in their homes longer, maintain independence, and live with dignity.

But here's what we risk losing without sustained funding: Early intervention programs that prevent hospital admissions. Continuity of care for veterans with complex needs. Specialised knowledge that takes years to develop. Geographic coverage that reaches our most isolated veterans.

Our veterans served when called upon. Now it's up to us to ensure they receive the ongoing support they've earned.

To policymakers and stakeholders: This investment pays dividends in veteran wellbeing, reduced emergency presentations, and better health outcomes across the board.

17/10/2025

We mourn the loss of Tulsa Rumney, an Australian Army soldier who tragically died in a training accident near Townsville.
This young man gave seven years of dedicated service to our nation, reflecting his commitment to his country, it's people and his mates.
Thank you, Tulsa.
And to all the men and women of the Australian Defence Force who answer the call to serve ...... Thank you.
Your commitment to protecting our country and supporting others in their darkest hours do not go unnoticed.
Our thoughts are with Tulsa's family, friends, and his brothers and sisters in arms during this difficult time.
His legacy will endure.

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