MerriNews
Volume 20. December 2018
Inside this issue:
1. MERRI TAKE OUT HEALTH AWARD!
2. ASTHMA EDUCATION FOR MORELAND
3. CARERS TAKE TIME TO CELEBRATE
4. MERRIKIDS CALLS PRESTON HOME
In this issue:
3. Award season
3. Be Merri
4. Asthma education for Moreland
5. F estive in Fawkner
6. Carers take time to celebrate
7. Young carers’ corner
8. MerriKids calls Preston home
Merri-Health @MerriHealth Merri Health
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2. | MerriNews December 2018
Welcome.
As the end of the year approaches, we’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months at Merri Health. We have continued to grow and develop services for our community, with a number of new services launching across the region. In particular, there are a number of new programs supporting family violence victims to meet some of the recommendations out of the Royal Commission into Family Violence. We have engaged with local communities on new projects including the Hello, Fawkner! initiative, Be Merri festival planned for February 2019, and our first app Moosh; built in collaboration with local school children to help young people learn about healthy eating and a balanced diet. In February, we launched our new phone number 1300 MERRI H, alongside enhancements to our intake and referral pathways, providing a simplified process for the community to get in touch with the right person and service. We also responded to our community’s needs by extending the opening hours of our Bell Street site for some health appointments. The corporate office officially moved back into the heart of Coburg with the opening of our Merri Central site in the Pentridge Precinct, which also accommodates some of the growth of
our service delivery teams. We also opened a new site in Preston for MerriKids; offering early childhood intervention services, and other NDIS supports. Merri had a successful 2018, receiving a number of prestigious awards and formal recognition for our ability to innovate and have a positive impact in the lives of people in our community. A few of our internal champions have also been individually recognised for their achievements. Our community can proudly say they have access to an award winning organisation providing health and support services at every age and stage of life. On behalf of the entire team at Merri Health, we wish all of the communities we serve best wishes for the coming festive season and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2019. Nessá Pastoors Acting Chief Executive Officer Nigel Fidgeon Chief Executive Officer
Award season Our innovation and responsive service delivery across the organisation has been recognised through a number of awards in the second half on 2018.
Be Merri Our health and wellbeing festival is coming to you!
Merri Health has taken out this year’s Premier’s Primary Health Service of the Year. Recognising Victoria’s leading healthcare providers, the award celebrates high quality care, innovation and the contribution the workforce makes in supporting the health of Victorians. As a non-for-profit health provider, support for all Victorians with tailored solutions is at the forefront of Merri Health’s work.
new ways to support this,” said Merri Health Chief Executive Nigel Fidgeon. Premier’s Primary Health Service of the Year is a category of the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards. We were also a finalist for the Supporting LGBTI Health catergory. Our carer health and wellbeing team were also awarded the national award for Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) Excellence in Age Services Awards for most outstanding team (more on page 7).
“Our community’s wellbeing is first and foremost and we’re always looking for
Following from the success of the inaugural Be Merri festival in 2017, Merri Health is planning the 2019 edition. Be Merri will take place from February 11 to 15, with activities across Coburg, Fawkner, Craigieburn, Broadmeadows, Preston and Brunswick. Teams from across Merri Health have collaborated to plan the festival and have developed of activities for every age and stage of life.
The full program is currently being finalised and we’re looking for a local creative to help design our promotional material. If you would like to get involved in Be Merri 2019, get in touch! 1300 637 744 communications@merrihealth.org.au
Free activities include health checks, multicultural dance sessions, pot planting, face painting, children’s activities, arts and crafts and a family day in Fawkner. Festivities kick off on Monday 11 February, 2019. MerriNews December 2018 | 3.
Merri says NO Together with Moreland City Council we took part in White Ribbon Day. Unfortunately the weather prevented the annual march to go ahead, but the message was still clear. The gathering was an opportunity to talk with our community and partners about men’s violence against women, what we’re faced with in our community and how together, we can challenge attitudes that justify, excuse or trivialise violence. We acknowledge perpetrators and victims can be of any gender, however White Ribbon focuses on men. The reason for this is that there are overwhelming statistics that show a large portion of perpetrators of violence against women are men, and more women are likely to end up in hospital or die at the hand of a violent partner.
Asthma education for Moreland Merri Health launch new asthma education clinic; the first dedicated clinic in Moreland. The asthma education clinic at Merri Health offers asthma sufferers one-onone support to manage the chronic disease and its symptoms. Patients will learn triggers, how to monitor asthma and correctly use a puffer or other medication, exercise, first aid and when to call an ambulance.
We are a partner to the regional Building a Respectful Community Strategy, and participated in Women’s Health in the North’s activities for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November – 10 December). Our CEO, Nigel Fidgeon featured in the ‘Leading the North to Prevent Violence against Women’ video, and shared strategies we’ve adopted in the workplace to prevent violence against women. https://goo.gl/KUyJJC 4. | MerriNews December 2018 4. | MerriNews December 2018
Respiratory Physiotherapist at Merri Health Christine Buckley, said that the new clinic responds to the low number of asthma sufferers who have received asthma education.
Facts: Moreland residents are more likely to have asthma than other municipalities 1 10.5% of Moreland residents have been diagnosed with asthma 2 People who use an asthma action plan are four times less likely to be hospitalised because of an asthma attack
“Despite the high number of Australians diagnosed with asthma, Asthma Australia reported that only 24% of people with asthma have had asthma education in the last 12 months.
Would you beneift asthma education?
Asthma education including a personal Asthma Action Plan can help you better manage your condition and can prevent the number of deaths and hospitalisations associated with asthma,” Christine said. The education clinic comes in response to the unprecedented thunderstorm asthma outbreak in 2016, which killed 10 people and hospitalised 8,500.
1300 637 744 info@merrihealth.org.au
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Moreland City Council Health and Wellbeing Profile 2017 Department of Health and Human Services Moreland Profile
Festive in Fawkner Fawkner has had a busy end to the year with the annual Fawkner Festa and HIPPY Moreland graduation.
Merri Health joined in the festivities at the Fawkner Festa in October. Teams from across the organisation spent Sunday with over 500 Fawkner locals, celebrating the diverse community of the suburb. Our teams offered locals fun activities that the whole family could get involved in, including henna painting, children’s play activities, badge making, cultural face painting and health checks. CarerLinks North organised giant games and a questionnaire to identify hidden carers. Many residents expressed that they had no prior knowledge of Merri Health before engaging with staff and were very thankful to learn about the services that they could access in their local community. Families, friends and home tutors gathered in Fawkner to celebrate children’s graduation from HIPPY Moreland. The ceremony was a lovely event to recognise the 71 HIPPY children and their parents, who’d come to the end of their two-year learning journey. Seeing the children on stage, holding their certificates was an absolute delight for the HIPPY team. The rain stopped just minutes before families arrived, allowing for the children and their families to enjoy craft activities, face painting and a delicious shared lunch outdoors. Coinciding with the program’s 10 year anniversary, we were reunited with two previous HIPPY Coordinators Lou and Barb, and a number of past Home Tutors, who had moved onto new ventures such as returning to studies, setting up businesses and careers working with children and families. 5. | MerriNews December 2018 MerriNews December 2018 | 5.
Carers time to celebrate National Carers Week saw carers take time out and come together in celebration.
This year’s National Carers Week celebrations began with the annual carers lunch at Marnong Estate. Over 100 carers enjoyed a shared lunch and entertainment from carers singing group, the Carers Chorus and magician and mentalist, Cath Jamison. The Koorie Carer’s Luncheon wrapped up the week-long celebration at the Aborigines Advancement League. 56 carers and community members attended and enjoyed performances from the Stray Blacks, Aboriginal band who perform a blend of country, rock and reggae and Denise McGuinness, Aboriginal comedian. Both events were a great success and feedback received was very positive! To ensure our events reflected carers’ needs, CarerLinks North underwent the co-design process, where carers were invited to help plan and design the week’s activities. National Carers Week is an annual celebration in acknowledgement of the contribution unpaid carers make to Australia and raise awareness about the diversity of carers and their caring role.
6. | MerriNews December 2018
Are you a carer? Ask us how we can support you. 03 9495 2500 CarerLinksNorth@merrihealth.org.au
Art therapy for dementia carers Eight carers participate in four-week art therapy pilot. Through art-based activities at the Heide Museum of Modern Art, eight people living with dementia and their carers were able to re-engage in enjoyable activities together and strengthen the retained abilities of the person living with dementia. The program responds to two common losses experienced by carers of a person living with dementia: the loss of the opportunities to do things together and the loss of social connections. It sought to provide carers with tools to engage with a person with dementia. “I am more aware of the need for play…to take time out for simple activities together – things we have always enjoyed,” one carer said during evaluation.
At the end of the sessions, they had finished artworks to share with family and friends. Art therapy is part of the support CarerLinks North offer to carers of a person living with dementia. They also offer one-onone support and dementia education workshops.
Find out more about how we support carers of a person living with dementia. 03 9495 2500 CarerLinksNorth@merrihealth.org.au
Young carers’ corner It’s been a busy period for young carers in the young carers program at CarerLinks North. In partnership with The Little Dreamers Foundation, the Young Carers Festival celebrated and acknowledged the amazing contribution of 230 young carers. Families were provided with unlimited access to rides and vouchers for snacks, dinner and drinks. In celebration and acknowledgement of Universal Children’s Day, the Young Carer Group Program facilitated an evening of conversation, games and activities about what it means to “stay young” while having significant caring responsibilities. Being a young person with a caring responsibility can often take a toll on their social life and maintaining social relationships. Young carers enjoyed making their own pizzas and having time to socialise.
Health and wellbeing program receives national recognition Carer health and wellbeing coaching recently took out the national award for Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) Excellence in Age Services Awards for most outstanding team. The award recognised the team’s initiative in developing a holistic program that supports carers to prioritise their health. The carer health and wellbeing coaching program provide carers with tailored support, allowing them to work on individual needs such as nutrition, physical activity, stress and mood, fatigue, sleep and chronic disease management.
Are you a young carer? Join our young carer support program! 03 9495 2500 CarerLinksNorth@merrihealth.org.au Watch the young carer’s video: https://goo.gl/gxWPnc 7. | MerriNews December 2018 MerriNews December 2018 | 7.
MerriKids moves
MerriKids has moved to a new site on Bell street, Preston and have secured co-locations within Craigeburn and Gowanbrae. Both sites will increase clients accessibility to services during the Hume-Moreland NDIS transition. MerriKids is a early childhood intervention service, supporting children aged 0-4 years-old with a disability or developmental delay and their families.
Want to learn more about MerriKids?
Closing period Merri Health will be closed from 5:00pm on Friday, 21 December and will reopen in the New Year at 9:00am on Wednesday, 2 January. If you have a dental emergency during this period, call The Royal Dental Hospital Melbourne on (03) 9341 1040. Carers, for emergency respite, please ring 1800 052 222. We’d like to wish you a relaxing and safe festive season.
1300 637 744 NDIS@merrihealth.org.au
1300 637 744 info@merrihealth.org.au
Brunswick 11 Glenlyon Road Brunswick VIC 3056
Brunswick West 382-386 Moreland Road Brunswick West VIC 3055
Coburg 93 Bell Street Coburg VIC 3058
Fawkner C.B Smith Reserve. 79 Jukes Road Fawkner VIC 3060
Chifley Drive, Preston Level 2, 110 Chifley Drive Preston VIC 3072
Glenroy 5D Cromwell Street Glenroy VIC 3046
Merri Central Ground floor, Unit 4 19 Pentridge Boulevard Coburg VIC 3058
Victoria Street, Coburg 21 Victoria Street Coburg VIC 3058
Bell Street, Preston Ground Floor, Suites 3 & 4, 306-308 Bell St, Preston VIC 3072
Wangaratta Level 3, 62-68 Ovens Street, Wangaratta VIC 3677
Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is provided by Merri Community Health Services and is for general information purposes only. While information is current at the time of publication, subsequent changes to events may occur. MCHS ventures to provide current and accurate information and we make no representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or availability, with respect to this publication. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore at your own risk. In no event will MCHS and its employees be responsible or liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or significant loss or damage, or any type loss or damage whatsoever, suffered by any person as the result of reliance on information contained in this publication.