AGM Rescheduled to 14 October 2009
The new date for the AGM is 14 October 2009. The meeting had to be postponed due to insufficient acceptances. Please give consideration to attending this meeting as there needs to be a minimum of 15 members present for a quorum. The AGM is a legal requirement for CFA Victorian Branch Inc.
The meeting will discuss the changes to the Continence Aids Assistance Scheme (CAAS) and members views will be forwarded to the Federal government.
Light refreshments will be served prior to the meeting
Meeting details:
Date: Wednesday 14th October 2009
Venue: Seminar Room, St George's Hospital 283 Cotham Road Kew
RSVP by 7 October to lesley.wright@continencevictoria.org.au or call 9816 8266
Back to top^
Pregnancies Babies & Children Expo - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
16th-18th October 2009
Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Southbank
CFA has a stand at the Pregnancy Babies and Children’s Expo 16-18 October. This is a great opportunity to talk to women about pelvic floor and continence issues when they are very receptive in a relaxed and fun environment. It provides a great opportunity to reach a significant number of mothers.
Volunteer health professionals (including nurses, physios, and midwives etc) are needed as the expo is extremely busy, so we need your help!
If you are able to help out for a couple of hours on any of the three days please contact VCRC to register on 9816 8266 or email info@continencevictoria.org.au as soon as possible.
Back to top^
VCRC has a new home
The Victorian Continence Resource Centre has a new home at Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre. We are the first building as you come on to the site. We share and are renting the office space from RDNS.
This move had a long gestation period from getting the notice to quit from St George’s Hospital in January to our move in July! We are now settled into the beautiful and tranquil setting of the Yarra Bends National Park. Getting in and out from Chandler Highway can be a challenge at times!
We have a new telephone system that is still having teething problems so we ask you to persist when you call as there can be a short delay in getting through.
So our new location address is:
RDNS Building
Royal Talbot
1 Yarra Boulevard
Kew 3101
Postal address:
VCRC
PO Box 3226
Cotham Post Office
Kew 3101
Tel: 03 9816 8266
Fax; 03 9853 9727
Email: info@continencevictoria.org.au
Web: www.continencevictoria.org.au
Back to top^
Water for Wellbeing Kit - Evaluation Report
The kit was developed to promote adequate fluid intake among frail older people and is intended for use by staff in HACC programs and Residential Aged Care facilities.
The evaluation report provides an overview of the project, its aims and objectives and the appropriateness and effectiveness of the resource toolkit as measured through process and impact evaluation indicators and feedback from users of the resources. The final evaluation report of the resource kit will be available on the VCRC website.
The project was successful in raising awareness of the importance of drinking adequate fluids for good health and the prevention and treatment of bladder and bowel control problems among frail older people in aged care settings.
The heatwave events during January 2009 in Victoria and the subsequent findings of the Department of Human Services report ‘January 2009 Heatwave in Victoria: an Assessment of Health Impacts’, demonstrate the importance of promoting adequate fluid intake among the elderly. Anecdotally, feedback received suggested the resources were particularly timely and useful given the extreme weather events experienced.
VCRC continues to promote the resource kit as well as conducting ‘Water for Wellbeing’ community education sessions with seniors groups.
The resources are available to download freely from the VCRC website. Or to order a CD ROM please contact our office on (03) 9816 8266 or email info@continencevictoria.org.au
Back to top^
$$$ Money Money Money $$$
VCRC has recently been successful with project funding submissions made to local government and philanthropic funds.
City of Whitehorse Grant - ‘Simply Busting Project’
This funding received is to organise and deliver a community education seminar in the City of Whitehorse for the general community. The ‘Simply Busting’ theme has been adopted from our counterparts in W.A. Their program has been very successful in raising awareness in the community about continence problems. The grant is for $2, 279 which will assist us in staging the event. The seminar is expected to take place in April of 2010. Further details will be provided in the new year. If successful, VCRC will rollout similar ‘Simply Busting’ seminars across metropolitan Melbourne, depending upon funding support.
Back to top^
Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation
‘Continence in Ethnic Communities Project
The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation has been a great supporter to VCRC projects over the years. The foundation has recently granted VCRC $15,000 towards a new project. The project is called ‘Continence in Ethnic Communities’ and aims to raise awareness of incontinence issues among CALD communities.
An outcome of the project will be to develop a resource kit in consultation with CALD communities that details the perceptions of continence (bladder and bowel health) in these communities. The resource kit is intended to assist those working with people from CALD backgrounds who have incontinence. It will also assist with efforts to target future prevention initiatives more appropriately in these communities.
Limited information about perceptions of incontinence among CALD communities is known. Research in the UK suggests that among ethnic minority groups incontinence symptoms are commonly normalised as part of ageing or as a consequence of childbirth. Help seeking behaviour is also hindered due to feelings of embarrassment and lack of available information in culturally sensitive media (Doshani et al 2007).
The project will commence with a development phase around stakeholder engagement, partnership building and the establishment of an advisory group. If your organisation is interested to find out further or participate please contact us.
Back to top^
1 Step At A Time
The update of 1 Step At A Time is shaping up well. The new format will provide parents clear guidance in the toilet training process with additional resources and strategies to assist along the way. The aim is to have the updated booklet finalised by the end of the year. Yes we have moved the completion date out because the disruption from the relocation of VCRC delayed some of the work.
There will be a launch for the booklet so look out for your invitation!
Back to top^
Continence Awareness Week 2009
Behind Closed Doors Forum
‘Supporting carers of people who are experiencing incontinence’
VCRC marked Continence Awareness Week 2009 hosting a one-day professional development forum for case managers, assessment officers and health professionals who work with clients and carers where incontinence is an issue.
The aim was to provide information and resources for participants to better support carers who are ‘caring for someone with incontinence’.
The forum title ‘Behind Closed Doors’ highlights how often incontinence is dealt with out of sight, but can have serious impacts on quality of life for individuals and carers.
The forum was well attended by 60 participants from a range of organisations including local government, community health, aged care assessment services, community aged care services, welfare agencies, hospitals, post-acute care services and residential aged care.
A number of trade companies also attended and provided displays of product information and participated in a ‘speed dating’ getting to know the trade and products workshop.
Other features of the program which was focused towards the theme of supporting carers included:
‘Who Cares?’ Overview of carers and issues they face (report of the Australian Senate Committee)
- What, who, risks
- Experiential exercise
Asking the right questions, knowing when and where to refer
- Choosing continence aids & funding schemes
- Incontinence and . . .
- Chronic disease
- CALD communities
Evaluation feedback from participants was very positive with 85% saying the session was either good or very good. Some specific comments included:
- Very clear on where to access resources; prevalence & cost to carers
- Great information for referrals, advice, resources etc
- Key information re contact details and product information available
- How and what to ask continence questions
- Importance of early identification/management; busting of some myths
- Better ways to manage initial discussions with individual clients; use HBBH brochure more
- Good info on the types of products available (as I had never seen them before) & great information on referral options for full assessment
New CFA Resources launched in CAW 2009 include:
A range of new resources were launched in CAW this year, some with a particular focus on carers:
- Caring for someone with incontinence (factsheet)
- The Continence Guide (booklet)
- Young Carers (factsheet)
- Carers Checklist (factsheet)
- Funding Schemes for Continence Products (factsheet)
- Stroke and bladder and bowel control (factsheet)
- Parkinsons disease and constipation (factsheet)
- Diabetes and incontinence (factsheet)
- Constipation and bladder and bowel (factsheet)
Back to top^
CFA VIC Breakfast
We had a very successful launch of CAW to CFA Victorian members. Around 50 people came along and heard a very engaging presentation from Mary Predebon, Program Manager, education and training with Carers Victoria.
Mary provided a profile of carers in Australia, basically anyone anytime can be a carer. One of the issues around the term carer is that it now has to be differentiated from paid carers and that most carers don’t identify themselves as a carer but rather the relationship they have with the person they are caring for, wife, husband, daughter, son, etc. Becoming a carer is not a choice. Some people find that they are thrust into the role without warning after the birth of a child with an illness or disability, or following a traumatic event or accident involving a loved one. For others, becoming a carer is a more gradual process, though ultimately equally devastating. When does a husband, or a wife, recognise that they have also become a carer for their partner with dementia for example?
Much of the carers experience is hidden and they often feel isolated and alone. The view of the recently released senate report Who cares…? A report on better support for carers. The inquiry received 1300 submissions from carers with around 600 coming from carers in Victoria. This inquiry has made 50 recommendations to improve: access to support and services, financial assistance, employment and education and the health and well being of carers
We thank Mary for an engaging and informative presentation.
The sponsors for the event were Independence Australia and Hospira. We thank them for the support enabling us to put on this event.
Back to top^
|
