INSIGHTS for Service Users | Access & Ageing | City of Port Phillip

Issue no. 13 | Winter 2016

The City of Port Phillip respectfully acknowledges the Yalukit Wilam Clan of the Boon Wurrung. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past and present. We acknowledge and uphold their continuing relationship to this land.

Cold and Flu Season is upon us As the cold weather approaches, we can all do our part to minimise the spread of infectious diseases such as the common cold and influenza, ‘the flu’. If you are suffering from either of these illnesses and you have services coming up, it’s important that you notify the Community Support team in advance to your services being provided.

This will assist Community Support staff members to address your support needs while you are unwell and to prevent community support staff from being exposed to these illnesses. It will also assist with minimising the spread of illness among other clients and residents. Please call your team leader or service support officer to discuss this further. If you are unsure of which number to call, phone the council assist line 9209 6777.

Community Bus Route Change Notification Removal of stop on Fitzroy Street near Balluk William Court (outside St Kilda Bowls Club). The Community Bus will no longer stop at Balluk William Court due to decreased demand and in order to improve safety by removing the need for the bus to perform a U-Turn. The nearest stop to Balluk William Court will be on the corner of Grey Street and Dalgety Street.

Trial extension of the South Melbourne Market Route via Lakeside Drive to St Kilda. To expand access to the bus service, changes to the Community Bus Route One are being trialled. The route will now continue along Victoria Avenue to Danks Street, turn right at Kerferd Road and stop outside Shoreline and Victoria Avenue apartments. It will then turn right at Beaconsfield Parade, left at Mills Street and travel back up to Richardson Street. Changes start Monday 4 July 2016 and will be trialled for two months. There will be notification if these changes become permanent.

For further information, or to provide feedback on changes to the service call the Community Transport Office 9209 6223.

2

Contribute to the Seniors Festival 2016

Seniors are invited to contribute to the up and coming City of Port Phillip Seniors Festival 2016. The Seniors Festival takes place each year in October and involves an array of events and celebrations. Application forms for the three events listed below are available for download on the City of Port Phillip website, from the ASSIST counter at every Town Hall, or call the assist call centre on 9209 6777 to have an application form posted to you.

Seniors Festival "Pinny" Exhibition Do you have a favourite pinnie (pinafore) or apron that you would like to contribute to a community exhibition? Register your favourite aprons today. The Emerald Hill Heritage Centre will be hosting the “Pinnie/apron” exhibition, in celebration and consideration of aprons and their many uses across gender and occupation. Once you have submitted an application we will forward you the details for delivery and pick up of your item.

The “Pinnie” Exhibition Opening Dates The pinnies/aprons will be exhibited in the glass display cabinets at the Emerald Hill Heritage Centre, from Monday 17 October to Friday 2 December 2016. Exhibition enquiries email art&heritage@portphillip.vic.gov.au or phone 9209 6416.

The Seniors Festival Tea Dance “Pinnie Parade” Monday 10 October 2 to 4pm In addition to exhibiting a pinnie/apron, you can participate in a pinnie parade at the Seniors Festival Tea Dance! Call Elena Kalnin on 9209 6777 for more information.

Seniors Festival Writing Awards: Port Phillip Writes 2016 We encourage you to enter the 12th annual Seniors Writing Awards: Port Phillip Writes. Works can be submitted in three categories: fiction on any topic, poetry on any topic and/or non-fiction about life in Port Phillip past or present.

The writing awards have always attracted strong interest from both professional and new writers. Last year we had 52 entries from 36 local writers. Entries close on 30 June 2016

Seniors Festival Art Exhibition The City of Port Phillip and the Seniors Festival invites all Senior Visual Artists who work in the art forms of painting, drawing, ceramics, photography and sculpture to enter one piece of work into the 2016 exhibition.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 10am Tuesday 11 October until 5pm on Friday 14 October at the Theatrette at the South Melbourne Town Hall. Entries close 23 September 2016.

3

Home and Community Care client service reviews

If you receive HACC services, you may have recently had a review of your service or be scheduled in for a review in the near future. This is part of our regular service, and compulsory under the Home and Community Care (HACC) guidelines.

The purpose of the review is to assess your functional capacity and to ensure that your needs are met and that the care provided meets HACC eligibility and guidelines. These reviews are conducted by qualified assessors with significant experience in assessing client functional abilities and care needs.

We know that people’s needs change over time and it’s important to review the current services with respect to meeting a person’s current needs. During the appointment, the assessment officer will discuss with you:

Your current and future goals

The nature of interventions or tasks to be performed by council staff as well as by you,

and/or your carers and family members

Referral to other services where required

When and where HACC services will be provided

The cost of services and

The occupational health and safety plan.

These reviews are essential in determining whether you are receiving the right services to continue to live independently. The HACC program provides low-level care and where your current needs are not met and exceed the level of support we can provide, our assessment team will refer you to alternate services in our local community.

These reviews are timely given the nationwide reforms underway within the ageing and disability sector. The Access and Ageing department is committed to ensuring that our clients transition easily to the Commonwealth Home Support Programme for older persons and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for younger persons.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Team Leader.

The linking neighbours groups continue through the cold months as a way for older people to connect and socialise over a cuppa. The regular café mornings listed below are open to anyone over the age of 65. For more information on the Linking Neighbours program, or to join the mailing list to be informed of upcoming events, call Michael Wood Coordinator Linking Neighbours on 9209 6777.

Tuesdays: De Cuba Café Elwood cnr Glenhuntly Road & Broadway, Elwood at 10am Tuesdays: Neighbours Café cnr Inkerman & Chapel Streets, St Kilda at 11am

Wednesdays: PM’s Café cnr Bay & Liardet Streets, Port Melbourne at 10am Wednesdays: Hot Honey 40-42 Armstrong Street, Middle Park at 11am

Thursdays: Albert Park Deli 129 Dundas Place, Albert Park at 10am

Linking Neighbours Café Mornings

4

We would love to hear from you if you have any feedback about our newsletter or if you have any ideas about what to include in the next edition, including programs and services that would be of interest. Please contact Leigh Mckinnon via the ASSIST phone number listed below. City of Port Phillip - Access & Ageing Private Bag No 3 PO St Kilda, Victoria 3182 ASSIST Phone: (03) 9209 6777 Website: http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au Email: assist@portphillip.vic.gov.au

Contact Us

Planned Activity Groups Highlights

Sounds of Culture Art Therapy Recently the Sounds of Culture group did an art therapy workshop where they meditated on their identity and circumstances from childhood which shaped who they are today. They then represented this with paint or crayon on paper. Each member travelled to and depicted their most prominent and shaping experiences. The art varied in style and subject, depictions included migration and travel stories through Poland, New Guinea and Tel Aviv as well as images of the Australian country-side. The art was sewn together like a patchwork quilt, representing the bond between the members in Sounds of Culture. Some of the group have known each other for more than 10 years, but were able to learn new and interesting things about each other during this session.

Out & About at Ceres Out & About visited Ceres Community Environment Park in April and were able to enjoy a patch of nature within the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne. The park is on 4.5 hectares on the Merri Creek in East Brunswick. They walked around the wonderful park and got a chance to buy plants and organic food, visited the chooks, Cultural village and the bike shed, where you can learn to fix your own bike. Ceres is a not-for-profit that provides environmental education and training programs, a cafe, community kitchen, green technology demonstrations & urban agriculture projects. The park also works and educates groups in India, Indonesia, Cuba & Aboriginal Communities to provide sustainable beneficial outcomes.

Want to know more? If you would like more information on our planned activity groups, please contact the Social Inclusion team on 9209 6738 regarding availability and eligibility. You can also view the Social Inclusion Program brochure on the City of Port Phillip website www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/social-support-recreation.htm