Hello everyone, I think I just managed to get this newsletter out on the last day of summer!
A quick Thank You for everyone who sent back the Social Impact Surveys. We were asked if our service would participate in this data collection – both our clients and the volunteers, because collecting it’s important that studies like this have a wide range of participants – not just people from the city! We will pass on some of the results of the survey as they are provided.
There is plenty going on in the health and aged care sectors at the moment. I would like to congratulate The New England Division of General Practice, New England Visions 2030 and Adam Marshall M.P. who might have started to make inroads into the future of our GP Workforce. This issue impacts every single person in our area but we know that older people have a heavy reliance on their GP and that access is difficult right now. Fingers crossed we see some real progress soon!
On that note, if you do have a GP appointment, make sure you take the time you need to discuss all your health needs. If you have ANY issues with food, it can be beneficial to speak with a dietitian or nutritionist and your GP can refer you for these services. If any foods make you feel a bit bloated, nauseous or in any way unwell, there is a problem. You could simply avoid that food or you could also investigate what the issue is so you can make informed decisions about the foods you eat. You may have an intolerance to something which can develop over time so it’s worth investigating.
I recently joined with Tamworth and Inverell Meals on Wheels services to have a meeting with our federal MP Barnaby Joyce. We were able to discuss our concerns about the aged care reform process and he was keen to engage in any way he could to help us as we seek further clarity on the future of our services.
The Department of Health are not very forthcoming with details about our funding model in the future, which makes it difficult for us to plan ahead.
We are committed to continuing a high quality service for our clients and to also support you through the changes that are coming to the aged care sector. We will keep you informed whenever we have any more information to share. We have to remain positive that the changes that are coming will mean that aged care services are easier to navigate for consumers, their carers and family.
Kerryn Williams, Manager