Mornington
SAME DAY DENTURE REPAIRS
Ph 0400 919 513
DOWNLOAD 3MP FROM THE APP STORE OR GOOGLE PLAY
An independent voice for the community Your weekly community newspaper covering Mornington, Mount Martha and Mount Eliza
FREE
Tuesday 3 September 2024
For all advertising and editorial needs, call 03 5974 9000 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au BEN Smith with wife Lana and daughter Pippa. Picture: Supplied
Dad of the year DEVOTED Dad and CEO of the Mornington Community Support Centre Ben Smith was awarded the 2024 Victorian Father of the Year honour at a special ceremony at Melbourne Town Hall on Friday (30 August). The Cape Schanck resident was honoured for his community advocacy and deep love for his family. Every day, Smith’s team hosts meals and provides support for those in need. The team strives to understand each person’s challenges and support them towards finding stability and long-term solutions. The current financial climate has seen more people through the doors at Mornington Community Support Centre than ever before. “I am sincerely grateful to be accepting this award as Victorian Father of the Year, and in doing so I recognise that each and every father figure trying their best in life deserves such recognition,” said Smith. He is currently promoting a documentary “The Ranch” about a vacant motel turned into a temporary crisis accommodation - which captures some of the stories of the more than 700 individuals and families on the peninsula experiencing homelessness. “People want to be part of something meaningful. When they feel like they belong and can make a difference, they are eager to get involved,” said Smith. As devoted father to a lively five-year-old daughter, Smith credits fatherhood as teaching him the most about the value of connection.
Hospital sued over suicides Brodie Cowburn brodie@mpnews.com.au AFTER a suicide attempt in early 2022, Michael Abeling attended Frankston Hospital twice only to be discharged within hours each time. Just two days after his final visit, he was dead. Abeling’s widow, Rhiannon Abe-
ling, is among one of two families now taking Peninsula Health to court. They allege that their loved ones did not receive appropriate psychiatric treatment at Frankston Hospital prior to their deaths by suicide. Rhiannon Abeling says her husband had reached out for help, but did not receive the assistance he required from the hospital. “He wasn’t someone who had a history of this, he wasn’t at the
hospital every other week. He hated suicide, but he got really depressed,” she said. After a suicide attempt, Abeling said she “sent him to hospital, but three hours later they said they were sending him home.” After another incident in the days that followed, Abeling said the hospital asked to see a referral from a doctor before treating him. After handing the hospital the referral letter, she said
her husband was seen and sent home again shortly afterwards. “Later on we got a call from the outreach team, which went four minutes and 58 seconds. They had bad reception,” Abeling said. “The following day we spoke to a drug and alcohol worker, and they then made contact with the hospital. I went for a nap and woke up to find my husband dead.” A statement of claim filed in the
Swimart Mornington servicing your area FREE computerised water analysis On-site safety and compliance checks Green pool recovery services Local and trusted business
Mornington
D3/1128-1132 Nepean Hwy, Mornington VIC 3931
(03) 5976 4334
swimart.com.au
Great range of chemicals and equipment Regular equipment inspections Weekly, Fortnightly and Monthly services
Get $20 OFF your next servic e
when you mentio n this ad in-store !
Supreme Court of Victoria, seen by The News, read that Michael Abeling was first admitted to Frankston Hospital on 8 January, 2022, after a drug overdose and was discharged later that day. On 11 January he expressed to his GP he was suicidal. He was taken to Frankston Hospital and discharged on the same day again. He died by suicide on 13 January. Continued Page 5