RESPECT

“Catholic Community Services recognises that respect
is essential in supporting a client focused culture.”
Janis Redford, General Manager, Catholic Community Services
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
SERVICES WELCOMES MACKILLOP
COMMUNITY CARE
On 31 May, 2013, St Mary MacKillop
Care (NSW) joined the Catholic
Healthcare family. An approved
provider of both aged care and
community services, St Mary
MacKillop Care (NSW) is a former
ministry of the Sisters of St Joseph
(NSW).
St Mary MacKillop Care (NSW) offers
community aged care packages
funded by the Department of Health
and Ageing and also Transpac
packages funded by the NSW
Department of Health. All services are
provided under the name, MacKillop
Community Care.
The Sisters of St Joseph (NSW) are
a founding member of Catholic
Healthcare and Sr Judy Sippel RSJ
is the current Deputy Chair of the
Trustees of Catholic Healthcare.
The associations between the two
organisations are strong and long
standing. Even so, the Sisters only
made the decision to transfer services
after long and careful discernment,
taking into account the current
aged and community services
environments and bearing in mind
what was in the long term best
interests of their ministries.
Catholic Community Services is
delighted to welcome St Mary
MacKillop Care (NSW) and the
MacKillop Community Care services.
NSW ELDER ABUSE HELPLINE
AND RESOURCE UNIT
The abuse of older persons is a matter
of grave concern for all Australians.
Following a successful tender
application, CCS was selected by
the NSW Government to establish
the NSW Elder Abuse Helpline and
Resource Unit (EAHRU).
Operating out of CCS’ Meadowbank
offices, EAHRU runs a confidential
helpline which provides information,
advice and referrals to callers
concerned about elder abuse
in the community. EAHRU is also
responsible for preparing materials
and training programs for use by
frontline staff and members of the
community in identifying elder abuse
and developing ways to prevent
it. Another key role of EAHRU is
to collect data to help the NSW
Government develop policy and
resources to fight elder abuse.
EAHRU is a key part of the NSW
Ageing Strategy which is a whole
of government and community
initiative that aims to encourage a
healthy, vibrant and active ageing
population.
ABORIGINAL DEMENTIA
ADVISORY SERVICE
As part of its work with Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people,
the CCS Aboriginal Dementia
Advisory Service in collaboration
with the ACCESS Centre, is working
to develop a protocol to increase
awareness of dementia within
Aboriginal communities. A key aspect
of the protocol is to assist in the early
identification and diagnosis of the
disease.
As part of this process and following
an initial assessment, clients will
be referred to their doctors for
blood tests and scans as required.
Once the assessment has been
completed, clients will be referred
to the ACCESS Centre which will
arrange for the client to participate
in a teleconference with a multidisciplinary
team, including a
psychogeriatrician. Such interventions
will be important steps in improving
the health and wellbeing of
Aboriginal persons suffering from
dementia, and also the health and
wellbeing of their carers.
NATIONAL AGED CARE ALLIANCE
Tina Magennis, CCS Director of Aged
Care, represents CCS on a number
of industry bodies including Catholic
Health Australia, a peak body for
Catholic organisations providing
health, aged and community
services. Recently, Tina represented
Catholic Health Australia on the
National Aged Care Alliance Home
Support Advisory Group.
The National Aged Care Alliance
Home Support Advisory Group
which includes representatives of
Government, consumer groups,
professional and peak bodies, unions
and aged care providers, is planning
for the future of the Commonwealth
Home and Community Care
programs for older persons. The
group is proposing design principles
for the home support program
which will influence the long term
vision of the program and directly
impact persons receiving services.
Wellness and reablement have been
13