National Volunteer Week at Baptcare
- 10 Aug 2020
National Volunteer Week is a great opportunity to celebrate the incredible contribution of our 1000 volunteers. Here are just 2 stories describing the wonderful people that bring so much to our Baptcare community.
Evelyn Wakeling has volunteered at Baptcare for an incredible 30 years, as the pianist for the Chapel services at the Hedley Sutton and Karana communities.
Evelyn begins playing the piano before the residents are brought by carers to the Chapel – her presence known to the residents by the music flowing through the building. She hears them humming along to the music on arrival in the Chapel. “The people love to sing the old hymns,” says Evelyn.
When asked about her experience Evelyn shares, “I love it, it’s something I can do without thinking. I love to play the piano; I have played since I was 5 years old. I get to know the residents and provide ministry to them after the service and I know it is something they enjoy. They may not know the words, but they know the melody, it is something they grew up with.”
Now living in Ferntree Gully, Evelyn makes the long drive to Hedley Sutton every Monday and Thursday. Last year, she was awarded a certificate of recognition for 30 of volunteering. Baptcare acknowledges this wonderful commitment and thanks Evelyn for serving others in this way.
As a social worker of many years Jen Mitchell has a deep appreciation for the importance of positive influence amongst parents and young children. Following her retirement in 2013 she saw the opportunity to bring that rich experience to the Bendigo Homestart team. Jen was impressed by the training program for Homestart Mentors and immediately felt part of the team.
Since completing the training Jen has worked with four very different families but has found common ground with each of them. Jen takes a slow approach, helping families to navigate challenges as they arrive. She enjoys watching the growth of parents and children, knowing that strong foundations are being developed.
When asked about her motivation for volunteering Jen responded, “I guess I feel that I’ve had a pretty good life. I had loving parents and a good education, and I’ve been able to work in an area that I enjoyed and felt (mostly!) competent in. But my work also brought me close to the great struggle that life can be for some people. And that is more often around systems and the way our communities run, rather than some innate fault in the people themselves”.
Jen is grateful for the connections she has made and doesn’t necessarily feel the need to be recognised or thanked. She acknowledges that being valued within a supportive team brings that recognition every week. “It’s been a great thing to be a part of and I hope to continue for some time yet”.
Community news
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Personal Alert Victoria | Enhancing safety and independence
Personal Alert Victoria (PAV) offers eligible Victorians a free personal monitoring and emergency response service. This important service is funded by the Victorian Government and helps people continue to live independently at home, safe in the knowledge that help is only a button press away.If you or someone you know is frail, elderly and isolated or who is living with a disability, you may like to consider applying for the PAV program.What does the PAV service involve?The PAV service responds to calls for assistance 24 hours per day.Clients wear a pendant around their neck or wrist which is designed with a button that, when pressed, dials the PAV hotline connecting the caller with trained staff ready to provide assistance. For example, if you fall or suddenly feel unwell, you can press the button and be connected with someone who can speak with you through the pendant.PAV hotline staff will talk with you to determine whether a call should be placed with emergency services, one of your nominated contacts (usually family members, friends or neighbours) or whether you simply require some reassurance about your situation (in the event of a non-urgent issue).How does my pendant connect me to the PAV hotline?A receiver unit sits next to your telephone and is plugged into your telephone line. When it receives an alert from your pendant (after you have pressed the button), the receiver unit automatically dials the PAV hotline.Who is eligible for the PAV service?Eligibility is determined via an assessment conducted in your own home.There are two sets of eligibility criteria to meet – Part A and Part B:Part A:You must meet all three conditions set out below –Daily monitoring – you consent to daily monitoring.Wearable pendant - you are capable of using and willing to wear the PAV pendant at all times.Living situation – you live alone OR are alone for most of the day or evening OR live with a person who would be unable to get to the phone in an emergency (or is unable to use the phone).Part B:You must meet two of these criteria –You have had at least one fall that needed medical attention in the previous six months or be at risk of falls.You suffer from a major medical or chronic condition that puts you at risk of medical emergencies or has some ongoing effect on your health or wellbeing.You are taking six or more different medications on a permanent basis that are prescribed by your doctor / medical specialist.Who conducts my eligibility assessment for PAV?Eligibility assessments for the PAV service are usually conducted by your local council, community health service, aged care assessment service, district nursing service and some publicly funded community rehabilitation services.You can either contact your local service provider directly (for example, by enquiring with your local council’s aged care program) or be referred to an assessment service by your doctor or local community health service.It’s worth noting that there may be a waiting period involved until a PAV unit becomes available for installation at your home.For more detailed information on the PAV program, please refer to the PAV program and service guidelines provided by the Victorian Department of Health.
- 29 Jul 2024
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Faces of Baptcare | Meet Durham Smith
Personal Alert Victoria (PAV) offers eligible Victorians a free personal monitoring and emergency response service. This important service is funded by the Victorian Government and helps people continue to live independently at home, safe in the knowledge that help is only a button press away.If you or someone you know is frail, elderly and isolated or who is living with a disability, you may like to consider applying for the PAV program.What does the PAV service involve?The PAV service responds to calls for assistance 24 hours per day.Clients wear a pendant around their neck or wrist which is designed with a button that, when pressed, dials the PAV hotline connecting the caller with trained staff ready to provide assistance. For example, if you fall or suddenly feel unwell, you can press the button and be connected with someone who can speak with you through the pendant.PAV hotline staff will talk with you to determine whether a call should be placed with emergency services, one of your nominated contacts (usually family members, friends or neighbours) or whether you simply require some reassurance about your situation (in the event of a non-urgent issue).How does my pendant connect me to the PAV hotline?A receiver unit sits next to your telephone and is plugged into your telephone line. When it receives an alert from your pendant (after you have pressed the button), the receiver unit automatically dials the PAV hotline.Who is eligible for the PAV service?Eligibility is determined via an assessment conducted in your own home.There are two sets of eligibility criteria to meet – Part A and Part B:Part A:You must meet all three conditions set out below –Daily monitoring – you consent to daily monitoring.Wearable pendant - you are capable of using and willing to wear the PAV pendant at all times.Living situation – you live alone OR are alone for most of the day or evening OR live with a person who would be unable to get to the phone in an emergency (or is unable to use the phone).Part B:You must meet two of these criteria –You have had at least one fall that needed medical attention in the previous six months or be at risk of falls.You suffer from a major medical or chronic condition that puts you at risk of medical emergencies or has some ongoing effect on your health or wellbeing.You are taking six or more different medications on a permanent basis that are prescribed by your doctor / medical specialist.Who conducts my eligibility assessment for PAV?Eligibility assessments for the PAV service are usually conducted by your local council, community health service, aged care assessment service, district nursing service and some publicly funded community rehabilitation services.You can either contact your local service provider directly (for example, by enquiring with your local council’s aged care program) or be referred to an assessment service by your doctor or local community health service.It’s worth noting that there may be a waiting period involved until a PAV unit becomes available for installation at your home.For more detailed information on the PAV program, please refer to the PAV program and service guidelines provided by the Victorian Department of Health.
- 27 Jul 2024
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Enjoying the comforts of home: Lynette and George
Lynette is 75 and her husband, George, is 70. With a little help from home care, they're able to live healthily and happily together at home.
- 21 Jun 2024
