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Click on picture to enlarge it Once reality hit home, I looked around to see what help was available to us. Although I feel that there is not enough assistance available to suffers of serious illnesses and their Carers, there are quite a few schemes and programs if one knows how to access them. I remember when I first decided to see what help was available to me. I rang one organisation, explained my situation, and asked what help they could provide. I was politely referred on to another organisation. I rang them and was again referred on to yet another organisation. After four, maybe five telephone calls, I ended up being referred back to the first person that I had telephoned. To say I was frustrated would be an understatement. Eventually, I was able to make some headway and gradually became familiar with what was available to us. Some of the organisations I am aware of and have used here in Melbourne are: Once again, I must point you to the disclaimer at the foot of the page.
Bethlehem Hospital is a public Hospital owned and operated by the sisters of the Little Company of Mary. Their web site is www.bethlehem.org.au. They provide the following services:
Provides nursing and other support in the home to patients suffering from progressive neurological conditions. This service operates within a 15km radius of the hospital.
Provides multi disciplinary palliative care for patients wishing to remain in their own homes. This is delivered in conjunction with families, friends, volunteers and local health professionals.
Provides in-home respite, by trained care assistants, to support primary Carers looking after a person with a progressive neurological condition at home.
Provides nursing support, outpatient therapy programs, day respite and other activities for neurological patients who wish to attend on a day basis.
Provides a comprehensive support service to health professionals in the care and management of motor neurone disease and other progressive neurological disorders.
Provides specialist nursing, medical and allied health consultancy for community based palliative care patients, including support for people residing in nursing homes and other supported residential accommodation.
provides a broad range of Allied Health Professional Services to both inpatient and community based clients. This includes support and consultancy services to patients living in residential accommodation and nursing homes. These services include:
Trained volunteers enhance the quality of life for Bethlehem Hospital's patients by providing a range of valuable services including support, massage, aromatherapy and companionship.
Provides spiritual and emotional support and understanding to those for whom we care, for their families and friends, always respecting their beliefs and wishes.
Provides bereavement follow-up offering support and comfort to recently bereaved relatives, friends and Carers.
Provides an anonymous telephone support service offering assistance to the community 12 hours a day 7 days a week between 12 midday and midnight.
A 42 bed unit provides care for patients with life threatening illness. It offers acute symptom control, assessment, rehabilitation, respite and end of life care.
A 30 bed unit provides care for patients with progressive neurological conditions. It offers acute care, assessment, rehabilitation, respite and end of life care.
An extensive educational support program is provided to individual patients, their Carers, community and professional groups on palliative care and progressive neurological disorders.
MonashLink Community Health Service provides a
comprehensive community health service to the City of Monash operating from
three main sites: Hughesdale, Glen Waverley and Clayton (Dental
Clinic), with outreach sites in Brandon Park and Mulgrave. I have used MonashLink on several occasions. Quite often when one is trying to get equipment on loan, the organisation providing the equipment requires an assessment and recommendation from an appropriately qualified person, such as an occupational therapist, from an organisation such as MonashLink. I would imagine that all City Councils have an
organisation similar to MonashLink.
The Peter James Centre provides the following
services:
The Kingston centre is a rehabilitation centre providing a range of specialist health and community services to older people within the Southern Health Care Network. The Centre's Movement Disorders Clinic specialises in the outpatient management of people with Parkinson's Disease and other similar neurological movement disorders. Patients referred to the clinic are seen by a team comprising a specialist doctor and allied health professionals who assess the patients' medical condition and advise on appropriate medical and rehabilitative management. The clinic is staffed by health professionals with extensive experience in the management of movement disorders in the fields of neurology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, social work/counselling and psychology/neuropsychology.
The Villa Maria Society provides a range of home
and centre-based services for older people and people with disabilities to
assist them in their choice to remain living in the community.
UnitingCare Community Options, formerly Inner East Community Options, is a program that coordinates support for eligible people of all ages, from newly born to the elderly, and their Carers. Assistance is provided to enable people with special needs to safely remain in their community and maintain their dignity. The program is auspiced by the Uniting Church and funded by the State and Commonwealth Governments. People who are eligible for this program are assigned to a care manager who develops a care plan and then manages that plan by negotiating with the relevant service providers A reasonable fee for service is calculated subject to one's financial situation. No one is excluded from the program because they are unable to pay.
The Victorian Aids and Equipment Program (A&EP),
formerly known as the Program of Aids for Disabled People (PADP), is a program
operated by the Victorian State Government. The program provides
appliances to enable people to continue living at home in order to avoid
premature or inappropriate residential care.
ComTEC is a service of Yooralla and offers services throughout Victoria to people of all ages with a disability who have communication and technology needs. The ComTEC team consists of speech pathologists, occupational therapists, educators and technicians with expertise in communication and technology for people with disabilities.
The ILC assists people with disabilities to
enhance their independence and quality of life by providing advice and
information on daily living aids and equipment. The centre has a large
range of aids and equipment on display at its facility at the Yooralla Centre on
the Geelong Road in Brooklyn. Items can be demonstrated, advice given by
therapists and visitors can try out products to determine which equipment best
suits their needs. You don't necessarily have to visit the Centre to get information. You can ring up and enquire about certain items of equipment and they will interrogate their on-line database and print off the results which can be mailed or faxed to you.
CAV offer a telephone/referral service providing information, support and referral through their Care Information Line to Carers, service providers and other interested people. In addition they provide representation on Carer issues, networking with other peak bodies, and distribution of information including Carer Support Kits in 10 community languages and English.
Do Care is a Wesley Central Mission program whose objective is to increase the social networks of people over the age of 60 by establishing a one-to-one friendship with a volunteer. Activities include going for walks, going to the cinema, or just sitting and talking. Do Care also provides a Telelink service whereby up to ten people can communicate by telephone each week from the comfort of their own homes. The hook-up lasts for about 45 minutes and equipment for people with special needs can be supplied by Telstra.
Carerlinks Eastern provides a range of respite services for Carers of older people, of people with dementia, acquired brain injury and other disabilities with respite, co-ordination, information, funding and counselling support. Single or multiple respite options are available to give family members a break and include planned and emergency in home and out of home support, holidays, leisure activities and provision of communication and specialised equipment.
Technical Aid to the Disabled Victoria is an
organisation whose volunteer members have a broad range of design, engineering
and technical skills. The volunteers design, construct or modify equipment
for people with disabilities provided no commercially available product or
service will meet their needs. There is no charge for the TADVIC service
but clients are asked to reimburse the volunteer for any cost of materials and
travelling expenses incurred. Disclaimer The information contained
on this Web site is intended as a guide to assist visitors to this site looking
for information on MSA and related issues. It is not a
substitute for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment provided by a qualified
medical practitioner. Some people, particularly those in the early stages
of MSA, and/or their Carers, might find some of my information upsetting.
In addition, this site provides links to other Web sites that contain information that may be of interest to visitors to this site. I recommend people check out these sites, but I can not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of information presented at these sites. John Cummings aka the World Wide Wombat Melbourne Australia Click here if you wish to contact me This page was last updated on 30 October 2005. |
