Annual Report 2011 - Calvary Health Care Bethlehem

Calvary Health Care Bethlehem 2010 – 11 Annual Report 26
Our Services
Speech Pathology
The Speech Pathology Department has provided care,
support, assessment and management for patients with
swallowing, communication, secretion management and
oral hygiene issues this year. Speech Pathologists worked
diligently with all members of the interdisciplinary team,
with the aim to ensure patient’s swallowing is as safe as
possible and that they have a voice for life.
Our work as leaders in the field has continued to develop
this year in collaboration with Communication Rights
Australia, participation in the Communication Access
Advisory Group which is a systemic level initiative to launch
a new communication access symbol and an invitation to
participate in the Dental Health Services Victoria Community
Advisory Committee.
Staff members have been busy attending and presenting
at national and international conferences including
ALS Symposium in the United States of America,
International Society of Assistive and Augmentative
Communication Conference in Spain, Chronic Disease
Management Conference in Australia, poster presentation
at the Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology
Association Conference and a paper presented
at the Sub-Acute Forum at St Vincent’s Hospital
Melbourne Research.
Neuropsychology
The role of the Neuropsychologist is to examine
brain-behaviour relations through interview and
neuropsychological assessment techniques and to
determine the impact of organic impairment on the patient’s
everyday living.
The Neuropsychology and Speech Pathology Departments
have joined forces this year to complete two research
projects. One focuses on ‘Social Perception and Empathy
in Huntington’s Disease’ and the other on ‘Pragmatic
Language Function in Motor Neurone Disease’.
Staff have presented at conferences including the
international ALS Symposium in United States of America
and also the College of Clinical Neuropsychologists
Conference in Australia. One staff member has also
provided support for neuropsychologists across Victoria this
year in their role as Secretary of the Victorian Section of the
College of Clinical Neuropsychologists.
Social Work
The Social Work service provided support and advocacy
to patients and their families in relation to a range of
psychosocial issues.
The Social Work Department experienced a year of
stability and consolidation, with much focus being on
improving internal clinical processes and practices. Areas
of advancement included the review of our Residential
Care policy and process, the review of our Social Work
Assessment Tool and a project regarding access to Carer
Allowance Entitlements by patients and their carer in the
Community Palliative Care Service.
The Social Work Department continued to provide an
external consultancy service to Cabrini Brighton Day
Oncology Unit. In addition to the Cabrini service, staff
participated in weekly teleconferences and monthly visits
to the Gippsland Regional Palliative Care Consortium.
Non-clinical projects included a review of our support
program offered by the Social Work Department to the
Medical Interns, as well as the provision of Victorian
Cancer Clinicians Communication Program (VCCCP)
‘Emotional Cues’ training program to all staff. Professional
development included Social Workers completing the
VCCCP training to facilitate ‘Transition to Palliative Care’
sessions for all staff at the hospital.
Much work has also been undertaken over the last 12
months to ensure that the disability funded Social Work
position is compliant with the Disability Quality Framework,
in preparation for independent auditing and accreditation.
Community Palliative
Care Service
Community Palliative Care Service provides care for people
living with a life-limiting illness in the cities of Bayside,
Port Phillip, Glen Eira, Stonnington and part of Kingston.
Our service is available 24 hours a day including holistic
care, symptom relief, emotional support, consultation,
management of symptoms and education.
Our multidisciplinary team provides nursing, medical,
physiotherapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, social
work, pastoral care and bereavement in the patient’s home.
Staff work effectively together to respect the patient’s
autonomy and choice; with the patient’s request of being
in the comfort of their own home for end of life care.
It has been a very challenging year for the Community
Palliative Care Service Department, with the streamline
and restructure of the entire department. Also during
the year there were several projects initiated including a
clinical nurse consultancy supported by the wards, a new
documentation system to reduce administration tasks and
duplication of work and the introduction of the NIKI syringe
drivers to the clinical process.