General News
Strategy targets women’s health
A new Victorian Women’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy aims
to fill in the gaps on women’s health services, improve women’s
physical, mental and emotional health and increase their input into
decisions about their treatment.
Visit us at the show
Cooking demonstrations featuring recipes from the Better Health
Channel will be among the popular attractions at the Department
of Human Services’ stand at the Royal Melbourne Show between
September 19 and 29.
Book finds 50 ways to raise funds
Community and non-profit groups looking for inspiration will benefit
from a new fundraising book
Lighthouse helps guide young people
in their time of crisis
A $1.38 million Government grant to the Lighthouse Foundation will
underpin the philanthropic organisation’s program of helping
young people in crisis.
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Public Health
Drug strategy seminars look at management
of public toilets
More than 40 local government representatives from across Victoria
took part in a City of Melbourne seminar on the management of public
toilets as part of its Local Drug Strategy initiative.
New Director and Chief Health Officer
Dr Robert Hall has taken up his dual role as the Department of
Human Services’ Director of Public Health and Chief Health
Officer.
Disability Services
New wave disability supports
Brendan Taylor’s first passion in life is surfing.
Brendan (or BT as he is known to family and friends) represents
the spirit and vision for the future for people with a disability
in Victoria as expressed in the Victorian State Disability Plan
2002–2012.
More supported accommodation in
the south
The Government is providing new homes for 16 people with disabilities
in the southern suburbs.
Service benefits from staff exchange
A Hume Region provider of services to people with a disability
is taking part in a staff exchange program with a New Zealand counterpart.
Boost for advocacy services
Victorians with a disability will have access to a greater range
of community-based advocacy services as a result of the Government’s
commitment of an extra $1 million in recurrent funding.
Kits help people have their say
New communication tools will help Victorians with little or no
speech communicate more successfully with their families, carers
and the wider community.
Agencies work to coordinate needs
Representatives of agencies providing services to people with disabilities
in Colac took part in the launch of an Individual Program Plan (IPP)
system.
Community Care
Study program for child carers
Neighbourhood Houses across Victoria will benefit from a new childcare
study program developed to help occasional childcare services meet
new quality standards.
Project the gateway to better care
A new pilot project aims at making early assessments of the needs
of children who have suffered trauma and abuse.
Praise for problem gambling campaign
The Government has committed an additional $5.9 million to the
Think of What You Are Really Gambling With… campaign
against problem gambling following national and international acclaim
for the advertisements.
Community Health
East Gippsland project mixes health
and fun
Indigenous communities and health services in East Gippsland are
working together on a project to help improve the health of the
local Aboriginal population.
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Aged Care
Carers to help 1,000 families
An additional 1,000 families will benefit from respite care and
short-term support to care for elderly relatives.
Programs give older people a reason
to smile
A new publication will help aged accommodation facility managers
and staff address the oral and dental care of residents.
Senior Victorians
A workforce with commitment plus
An innovative program has been designed to help keep mature Victorians
in their rightful place in the workforce.
Seniors wise up to consumer rights
Older Victorians are a market force that retailers and service
providers cannot afford to ignore, says Minister for Senior Victorians
Christine Campbell.
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Housing
Housing redevelopment on track
Housing Minister Bronwyn Pike has announced a landmark stage in
the multi-million dollar redevelopment of Ashburton’s Victory
Boulevard public housing estate.
Crisis service tackles risk of homelessness
A new crisis accommodation service for people at risk of homelessness
in Melbourne’s east has been opened by Housing Minister Bronwyn
Pike.
Words and pictures straight from
the heart
Valerie Everett’s story is one of several on a new CD-ROM
portraying the experiences of people who have struggled with homelessness
issues in their desire to regain their independence.
Valerie tells her story
After two weeks of having nowhere to live and being devastatingly
depressed, I was thinking about doing some pretty crazy things just
to have a night in a bed.
Moe centre to answer maintenance calls
A new $8.2 million call centre will create 65 jobs in the Latrobe
Valley and improve maintenance services for public housing tenants
across Victoria.
$432,000 for Long Gully renewal
work
Bendigo’s Long Gully community will receive an immediate $432,000
boost as part of the Government’s commitment to renew disadvantaged
neighbourhoods across Victoria.
Mental Health
Mental Health Week calendar
The theme for Mental Health Week 2002 is Mental Health: What
do you know?
Support for postnatal depression
Fourteen per cent of women in Western societies develop postnatal
depression, says Associate Professor Anne Buist, head of the National
Postnatal Depression Program.
New mental health plan
Sixty extra mental health beds are among the initiatives in a new
Government strategy to guide the provision of Victoria’s mental
health services into the future.
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Metropolitan Health
Austin’s needlestick-free program
wins award
The Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre’s new needleless
cannula system has received this year’s WorkSafe Best Risk
Solution award.
Young patients love their dog day
afternoons
Three hundred dogs are brightening up the days of hospital patients
as part of the Visiting Pets in Therapy Program.
Frontline response to heart attacks
The Government will place lifesaving defibrillators in shopping
centres and sports venues to help save the lives of heart attack
victims.
Austin project reaches important
milestone
The Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre and Mercy Hospital redevelopment
project has reached another milestone with the laying of a foundation
stone.
Action on hospital infections
Victoria now has a new $3 million research centre that aims to
reduce hospital-acquired infections such as golden staph by up to
one-third.
Plan addresses health care quality
Representatives from across the healthcare sector attended the
Victorian Quality Council (VQC) Strategic Plan launch by Health
Minister John Thwaites.
Grant to help keep people healthy
and home
The Whitehorse Community Health Service (WCHS) will receive a $293,000
Government grant to fund a new initiative to help keep people healthy
and out of hospital.
Scanner speeds up cancer tests
A new $4 million scanner at the Austin and Repatriation Medical
Centre would provide faster and more precise test results when treating
cancer, epilepsy and dementia.
New senior appointment at Peter
Mac
Professor Gillian Duchesne has been appointed Director of Radiation
Oncology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute.
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Young
patients love their dog day afternoons
