Map Making takes locals on an interesting journey

Local

Kylie said participants had the option to make a variety of different styles of maps. “Some people might want to map a physical area and have done that in a grid reference style,” Kylie explained.

“ s not just a topographical road map kind of style but more, ‘creative’ mapping that ve been doing,” she said.

Other people are doing a memory of the town where they grew up; one is doing a memory of a walk through Edinburgh; and others are doing fantasy maps that have particular meaning to them.

We’ve looked at: What is a map? What’s the map mean to you? What can you put on to a map?

We folded paper to make Turkish Map folds and looked at ways of actually storing a

We’re also going to look at cutting maps so that you can bind them and keep them in creative ways.”

One of the workshop participants, Kay Stingemore said it had been really interesting listening to everybody’s stories as they make their map journeys.

People are really getting into their memories and what they need to include in their map and try to remember where the place is at and where to extend their maps so they can include all these things that are meaningful to ” Kay said.

The workshop, along with another Map Making workshop next month, and then two Book Binding workshops in June and July, have been coordinated by Cobar Shire Council and are being offered free to residents thanks to funding from Outback Arts’ 2023 Country Arts Support Program (CASP).

‘Care finder’for elderly residents

Vulnerable elderly residents in Western NSW can now receive additional support to access the care they need through the Australian Government’s ‘care finder’ program.

The ‘care finder’ program was announced in the 2021-22 budget as part of the Connecting Senior Australians to Aged Care Services measures and is being delivered through Primary Health Networks.

The Western NSW Primary Health Network (WNSW PHN) has been granted $3 million under the program to commission service providers that will help people understand and navigate the complex aged care system.

The ‘care finder’ program will support people to access My Aged Care and connect with other relevant supports in their community.

WNSW PHN CEO, Andrew Coe, said the program is vital to ensure our vast region’s elderly residents are accessing the right care at the right place at the right time.

“Whether people are experiencing communication or language barriers, they may even be reluctant to seek support, or they may already be accessing services, our care finders assist people to access the aged care services and support they need,” Mr Coe said.

“We’re also extremely keen to hear from friends and neighbours who have concerns about any elderly individual in our region who could be accessing care and support.”

Care finders provide specialist and intensive assistance to help older people who cannot assist themselves, and do not have a carer who can support them.

They assist the person to understand and access aged care, to interact with My Aged Care and access services or other supports in the community.

WNSW PHN has commissioned Kirinari Community Services in conjunction with Murdi Paaki Services Ltd, Social Futures and The Benevolent Society, to provide the ‘care finder’ program across specific Local Government Areas (LGAs).

Kirinari Community Services will provide the service to the Cobar area.

Referrals into the program are being accepted now.

The ‘care finder’ program is completely free to access.

The program is a response to a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.