Aged care Archives | Page 2 of 4 | South Western Sydney PHN

18 December 2023

The aged care system is not always simple or straightforward.

For older Australians, navigating and accessing aged care services through My Aged Care and other relevant community supports can be daunting.

Assistance is available through care finders who provide face-to-face assistance to vulnerable older people needing different help to that provided by the My Aged Care call service or website.

There are care finder services available in each different region across in South Western Sydney and covering a range of cultural needs.

The care finder tasks can include:

Assist eligible older people with their My Aged Care applications, provide guidance on services to apply for and attend the My Aged Care assessment where appropriate
Work through income/means testing and costs (with support from Services Australia as required)
Help people connect with health services, mental health services, housing services, drug and alcohol services, community groups and transport as needed
Complete high-level check-in on a periodic basis and follow up support once services have commenced
Build a rapport with clients and providers

Referrals are centralised through the Triple I Hub.

GPs can use the referral form or install templates for MedicalDirector and Best Practice via the link on this webpage.

21 November 2023

GPs across the South Western Sydney can refer to the care finder program using this one-page referral form available as a PDF or templates for Medical Director and Best Practice.

The aged care system and My Aged Care can be difficult to understand and navigate especially if a person has:

communication and language barriers
difficulty processing information due to cognitive decline
reluctance to engage with a need for support
reluctance to engage with government services

Some older Australians need extra support to navigate the aged care system and use My Aged Care but do not have family, friends, a carer or a representative they are comfortable receiving help from and who is willing and able to help them access aged care services and supports.

Care finder provides eligible people with tailored, intensive face-to-face support.

SWSPHN has commissioned six organisations to employ care finders and the Triple III Hub to provide a centralised intake service.

Triple III allocates referrals to the most appropriate care finder organisation which will then contact your patient.

Find out more

16 November 2023

SWSPHN staff attended the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council Caring for Elders Expo 2023 at the Liverpool Catholic Club this week. The expo was a special gathering focused on celebrating and supporting our Elders, who hold immense wisdom and cultural significance in our community.

SWSPHN Integration and Priority Populations Coordinator Ivan Broome and Workforce Engagement Officer Marina Hagarty attended the event to highlight the aged care services available in our region. They also represented SWSPHN as proud sponsors of this meaningful event.

The Elders Expo centred around the theme ‘Strong Mind – Strong Body – Strong Spirit’ and offered various resources for health wellness and cultural healing opportunities.

The event featured:

Health, wellness and aged care service providers
Information on ageing well and aged care support
Pampering, massage and barber stations
Elder Message Stick Exhibition
Craft Corner
Live music performances
Informative health talks

Find out more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

11 October 2023

National Carers Week is an annual event recognising and raising community awareness of the 2.65 million Australians who provide care and support to a family member or friend.

From Sunday, 15 to Saturday, 21 October, a spotlight will be focused on the one in nine Australians who give unpaid care and support to family members and friends who have a disability, mental health condition, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or who are frail aged.

During the week, carers are also encouraged to care for themselves and prioritise their own physical and mental health.

SWSPHN will run a stall at the Camden Café Connect Carers Pamper Day from 11am to 2pm on Thursday, 19 October, at Camden Civic Centre.

Specifically for carers, attendees will be invited to enjoy massage, relaxation techniques and demonstrations, pamper product workshops and other activities.

Our staff will be on hand providing information about Carers Gateway, Young Carers Network, CarerHelp and Dementia Directory and giving out our Carer Health Resources Directory factsheets.

There is no cost to the Pamper Day.

Bookings

Other local National Carers Week events include:

Carer Recharge BBQ; 10am-2pm; Friday, 20 October; 14 Bangalay Road, Macquarie Fields.

Wellways in partnership with the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, Minto, and Curran Public School invites carers to a special Carers Recharge. Enjoy a barbecue, wellness activities, pamper packs and healthy nutrition tips, and learn how Carer Gateway can support you or someone you know in your caring role. There’ll also be entertainment from local performer Aimee Hannan.

Bookings

Carer Recharge; 10am-1.30pm; Friday, 3 November; CTC, 58-60 Hoddle Street, Robertson

Enjoy a free Carers Week recharge event with guest speaker Petrea King, from the Quest for Life Foundation, including lunch and light refreshments.

Bookings

Carer 1 Day Course; 9am-5pm; Wednesday, 15 November; Moss Vale Services Club, Yarrawa Street, Moss Vale

A one-day course for unpaid carers that provides the knowledge and skills to recognise and respond to a person experiencing a mental health crisis. (Qualifications included in the training: CHCCCS019 Recognise and Respond to Crisis Situations, provided by Highlands First Aid.)

Bookings

11 September 2023

Come along and chat to Kate from SWSPHN about advance care planning at our upcoming stalls.

We’ll have stalls at:

Treasure the moment: A dementia risk reduction and wellbeing expo

When: Monday, 18 September, 10am-2pm
When: Bryan Brown Theatre and Function Centre and Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre

Treasure the moment: A dementia risk reduction and wellbeing expo, provides information about how to reduce your risk of developing dementia and how to support a loved one with dementia.

There will be interactive information sessions and workshops with Dr Diana Karamacoska from Western Sydney University, information on support services and community groups in Canterbury-Bankstown and activities such as chair yoga, exercises, and arts and crafts.

Find out more about Treasure the moment: A dementia risk reduction and wellbeing expo

Lunch & Lifestyle Expo

When: Tuesday, 19 September, 11am-1pm
Where: Gregory Hills Community Centre

Lunch and lifestyle expo provides information on the latest on life leisure, social, health and wellbeing initiatives at a fun interactive expo providing great opportunities to learn and connect to a variety of diverse services, providers and organisations.

Find out more about Lunch & Lifestyle Expo

Carers Pamper Day

When: Thursday, 19 October, 11am-2pm
Where: Camden Civic Centre

Carers Pamper Day encourages you to Come along and join Café Connect in celebrating Carers Week. This café will be part of Carers Pamper Day which will include massage, relaxation techniques and demonstrations, pamper product workshops and much more.

Find out more about Carers Pamper Day

06 September 2023

Pre-assessment action plans are available for respiratory infections in aged care home residents and those in the community at higher risk of severe disease from COVID-19 and influenza.

The action plans aim to facilitate timely access to antiviral medicines for residents should they test positive to COVID-19 or test positive or be exposed to influenza.

Following consultation, the NSW Health anti-viral pre-assessment forms were recently re-designed as “action plans” and now capture additional information regarding prevention, testing and treatment of acute respiratory infections.

The re-designed forms can be found through the following links:

Pre-assessment action plan for respiratory infections in aged care facility residents

This pre-assessment should be completed by the resident’s regular doctor (supported by the facility’s registered nurse) at time of admission or health assessment and reviewed regularly. The pre-assessment supports prevention and testing of respiratory pathogens and access to antiviral medication for residents in aged care facilities.

Pre-assessment action plan for respiratory infections

This pre-assessment supports prevention and testing of respiratory pathogens and access to antiviral medication for adults who are at higher risk of severe disease from COVID-19 and influenza. The pre-assessment should be completed by the person’s regular doctor before the person tests positive for COVID-19 or influenza. It may also be used for people who are travelling interstate, internationally or on cruise vessels to support decision-making for antiviral medicines.

04 September 2023

The aged care system and My Aged Care can be difficult to understand and navigate especially if a person has:

communication and language barriers
difficulty due to memory problems
doubts about seeking support
little trust in government services

Some older Australians need extra support to navigate the aged care system and use My Aged Care but do not have family, friends, a carer or a representative they are comfortable with, willing and able to help them access services and supports.

SWSPHN is funding six care finder services to assist these people by providing face-to-face support.

Care finders can help people with:

Their My Aged Care applications, providing guidance on services to apply for
Their My Aged Care assessment where appropriate
Working through income/means testing and costs (with support from Services Australia as required)
Connecting with health services, mental health services, housing services, drug and alcohol services, community groups and transport as needed

You can talk to your doctor about the care finder program or contact the Triple I Hub referral service to get help by following the three steps below:

Phone Triple I on 1800 455 511 to link to a care finder
Triple I sends your referral to a care finder service
The care finder service will contact you

Find out more about care finder

30 August 2023

Healthy and Active for Life Online is a free 10-week healthy lifestyle program for NSW adults aged 60 years and over (45 years and over for Aboriginal people) and aims to build participants’ fitness, knowledge, skills and confidence to lead active and healthy lives.

The program will help you learn how to make small, sustainable changes in your lifestyle to improve your health, and includes tips on healthy eating and basic exercise.

Healthy and Active for Life Online participants receive:

A Healthy and Active for Life Online account
Access to weekly online healthy lifestyle modules
Access to two online basic exercise programs for beginners
Weekly handouts and an exercise manual
Telephone support to keep you motivated
Ongoing access to your account for 12 months

The next program starts on 9 October.

Find out more about the program

Please note the exercises included in this program are designed for beginners. This program is not suitable for those who already attend a regular exercise program (excluding walking groups).

UPDATE 16 January 2024:

The HEAL Online program is now freely available on the Active and Healthy website.

Active and Healthy

All NSW older adults also have access to free phone and online-based health coaching through the Get Healthy Service. The Get Healthy Service offers coaching and online support to help people make lifestyle changes and reach their health goals. The program can support people to:

eat healthily
get active
reduce alcohol
reach and stay at a healthy weight
stay active during and after cancer treatment

For more information on the Get Healthy Service or to enrol in the program, call 1300 806 258 or visit www.gethealthynsw.com.au.

28 August 2023

SWSPHN encourages GPs to use the secure Video Call solution of healthdirect Australia, the national virtual public health information service, for their regular telehealth conferences.

The COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on telehealth as a practical and accessible way to deliver healthcare services when distance, mobility and other reasons prevented face-to-face consultations.

The Medical Board of Australia recently issued revised telehealth guidelines, which will take effect on Friday, 1 September. It emphasised: “telehealth consultations will continue as an important feature of healthcare in Australia”.

Telehealth has now been integrated into the services of many general practices across South Western Sydney and SWSPHN has rolled out telehealth equipment, including a laptop, webcam and speaker, to residential aged care homes (RACHs) across the region.

More than 90 per cent of eligible RACHs have taken up the offer of telehealth equipment, ensuring virtual healthcare will be available to residents. Healthdirect telehealth training has been provided to RACHs as the kits are rolled out. Read last week’s story

Healthdirect’s Video Call Resource Centre is purpose-built for health consultations, the video call itself is free for eligible health services and their staff and, most importantly, it is encrypted for security.

More information about Healthdirect video calls and training tutorials are available at: Healthdirect Australia Support

17 August 2023

More than 90 per cent of eligible residential aged care homes (RACHs) in South Western Sydney have accepted an offer of telehealth equipment from SWSPHN.

Our RACH Digital Health Project has been designed to upskill the aged care sector in South Western Sydney in digital health technology and access.

RACHs in the local area have been offered telehealth equipment valued at $9,000. This includes two telehealth kits comprising a medical cart, laptop, webcam/speaker and keyboard and mouse.

The RACH Project was a response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (2020), which highlighted a lack of access to technology, skills and overall low digital maturity of the aged care sector.

Our goal is to improve residents’ access to virtual healthcare services, enhance their experiences, improve support for staff and set new standards of excellence in aged care services.

Most RACHs have taken delivery of the equipment already and more than half have attended the first round of training. The training will ensure the meaningful use of virtual care can be built into their workflow.

We are also helping RACHs register and use the My Health Record to exchange information between themselves, the hospital and GPs.

With expanded reach, GPs can touch the lives of countless elderly individuals, fostering better health outcomes for our aging population.

One facility manager said: “It’s appreciated that we are being supported in this way. This technology is so important to have available for the best possible care for our residents’’.

Another added: “We believe the package will help improve future telehealth quality and enhance the nursing care experience for our residents’’.

With expanded reach through telehealth, GPs can touch the lives of countless elderly individuals, fostering better health outcomes for our ageing population.

The collaborative nature of telehealth consultations empowers GPs to:

Connect with allied health professionals and specialists, ensuring comprehensive assessments and holistic treatment plans for aged care patients
Extend their expertise and support to seniors, including those living in high-risk environments like RACHs, providing them with necessary medical attention and guidance remotely

Telehealth also provides a private platform for the aged to seek therapy and counselling without travel or exposure to public spaces, promoting emotional well-being and early intervention.

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Topic: Aged care

Other local National Carers Week events include:

UPDATE 16 January 2024: