NEWS ABOUT AGEING, DISABILITY AND CARERS
Week ending 27 Feb. 2009
COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS
DADHC Consults on two new Day Programs: REVISED
DADHC recently released a draft consultation paper for community comment. It outlined proposed features for two new Day Programs for adults with a disability: the "Life Choices Program" (aged 25-54) and the "Active Ageing Program" (aged 55-64). Some key concepts in the new programs include goal-setting through individual and person-centred planning, flexibility in choice of programs and activities and integrated and collaborative practice that recognizes a range of support networks in caring for a person with a disability. Although submissions are closed, the documents are worth exploring at:
http://www.dadhc.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/CD3588A6-5D12-4B2E-A189-B28C648038FC/4169/DraftNewDirectionsinDayProgramsJanuary20092.pdf
Watch out for information about Day Programs as they become available in the region.
* the link may be inaccessible after a while but contact the ECC for a copy, if interested
SERVICES FOR FRAIL AGED, PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY & THEIR CARERS
Greek Welfare Centre T: 9516 2188 NEW
Aged Day Care services for Chinese & Greek frail aged persons who live in Botany Bay, Randwick, Sydney, Waverley or Woollahra Local Government Area.
Aged Day Care for Russian frail aged at Matraville RSL Club every Wednesday. Must live in Botany Bay, Randwick, Sydney, Waverley or Woollahra Local Government Area.
Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW T: 9879 2600 NEW
Federally-funded short-term respite service for Carers, their family and friends who assist a person with mental illness and may need a break from their caring role.
MULTICULTURAL RESOURCES FOR OUR COMMUNITY
1. Alzheimer's Australia T: 9805 0100 NEW
http://www.alzheimers.org.au
Dementia information in a range of languages in different formats.
2. Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association - MDAA NEW
T: 9891 6400
http://www.mdaa.org.au/publications/openingdoors.html
Opening Doors: A collaborative resource that talks about disability within a cultural context from a consumer perspective.
Free for consumers and carers living in NSW (Contact: 9891 6400 for a copy)
Charge of $5 for Service Providers.
All booklets can be downloaded from website.
MULTICULTURAL RESOURCES FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS
http://www.alzheimers.org.au NEW Alzheimer's Australia
A resource kit outlining dementia perceptions in Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Greek, Italian, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese communities. The Kit consists of individual community profiles and the following information:
- Introduction - brief reference to migration history and language
- Perceptions of dementia
- Diagnosis and treatment
- Role of the family
- Attitudes to community care
- Attitudes to residential care
- Attitudes to counselling
- Religion and its role in dementia care
- Key issues to consider
- Key community contacts
http://www.mdaa.org.au/publications/ethnicity/specificommunities.html NEW
Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association - MDAA
T: 9891 6400
The questions many people ask are
- How to provide information in a culturally diverse community?
- How to communicate with a person from a certain culture with a particular disability?
- How to understand and make sense of disability within a cultural context, or how to make sense of culture within a particular disability context?
Great resource that aims to respond to those vexing questions. However in a constantly changing environment, boundaries and definitions of 'culture', 'ethnicity' and 'identity' are themselves in flux. The resource is a good guide but does not aim to provide a definitive answer. According to MDAA, the first and most important step is to come to an understanding of the intersection of culture and disability. Secondly, everyone is encouraged to increase their cultural competence skills and knowledge and their knowledge and skills about disability issues.
Multicultural Mental Health Australia (MMHA)
Stepping Out of the Shadows: Reducing Stigma in Multicultural Communities
... a stigma reduction training kit and audio series launched on 19 Feb. 2009
MMHA: Margaret El-Chami 9840 3381 or 0408 445 794
SBS: Sophia Spinelli 03 9949 2111 or 0410 317 085
MMHA 9840 3333 or www.mmha.org.au
For more details contact :
Caroline Romeo
ECC HACC Multicultural Access Program Officer
9319 0288
hacc@eccnsw.org.au
