Abstracts & Presentation Summaries - Department of Health

This approach to delivering a service, which meets the needs of clients and their
families, has proved extremely successful. Generally, carers are able to book their
family member in for the service and plan ahead for some time to achieve their own
goals, whether that is a night out or simply a night at home, without worry. It has
proved to be a solution for carers who feel unable to, or unhappy about, accessing
residential respite, but who would quickly reach crisis point without some time for
themselves and their families. It provides a softer approach to residential respite –
by allowing clients to experience time away from their caregivers they are less
resistant to longer periods of respite when this becomes necessary. Our partnership
with Eltham CHC has provided our clients and caregivers with a positive solution to
their need for extended overnight respite care.
Contact details
Leanne Davey, Banyule City Council, PO Box 51, Ivanhoe 3079. – Ph: (03) 9457 9993
– Fax: (03) 9457 9994 – E-mail: leanne.davey@banyule.vic.gov.au
ELTHAM COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE—
Introduction
Once a week every Tuesday a Group of young (by young I mean under 60 years)
meet at the ECHC. The common thread is that at some stage in their life they have
acquired a brain injury. The range in resulting disabilities is vast – from being
wheelchair dependent to having an invisible disability.
The Doughnuts got their name from a poem and I thought I might read it to you so
that you might understand why they chose that name.
As you amble on through life my friend – whatever be your goal
Keep you eye e upon the middle and not upon the hole.
The important thing being that you focus on what you have, not what you are
lacking.
Rationale
Traditionally, people who have sustained an ABI are not acknowledged as having
different needs to the frail elderly with disabilities.
The current ABI PAG at the ECHC operates under the same guidelines as the other
HACC funded PAGs for the frail elderly. The participants are offered a four-hour
social support program between 10–2 pm on the same day of the week. The centre
provides transport to and from the group.
A service gap exists in relation to the availability of after hours recreational and
social opportunities for people with a disability. Traditionally PAGs have offered
programs during limited daytime hours. This has resulted in participants ‘fitting
into’ our model rather than our service being flexible in approach. It must be
remember that people with disabilities are not only disabled during working hours.
Saturday Evening program
In an attempt to address this service gap, The ECHC is piloting a PAG, which
attempts to offer socialisation experiences for participants, which take them beyond
14