otway health
News
FREE
Vol 3 – September 2012
CHANGES AFOOT
Exciting developments will be
upon us in the not too distant
future with construction and
extensions to our buildings in
the Community Precinct next to
the Old Ambulance Station.
Colac Otway Shire will be starting on the extension to the
Library and Marrar Woorn in
order to create a space for a
shared children’s area and a
media room as well as an increased library area to allow for
more books. The area will be
landscaped and new parking
spaces constructed for access to
these facilities. The construction will take place over summer and it is hoped that the
new facility will be ready for
community use in March 2013.
The Community Precinct will be
further developed by the
internal renovation of the old
Ambulance Station to create a
fully equipped Community Gym
with changing rooms, a treatment room and space for cardio
equipment and an exercise
circuit. The work on the gym
will take place over summer and
it is anticipated that early to mid
next year we will be calling for
memberships for the gym and
having our grand opening, so be
sure to watch this space!
Alexandra Montague is organiser of this year’s Pink Lady, Mini-Field of Women
A time of renewal
Otway Health employee and
volunteer Alexandra Montague
has a busy month ahead of her
as she plans the next Pink
Lady—’Mini-field of Women‘
day on Saturday October 27th
at 11.00am on the Apollo Bay
foreshore.
This year, Alexandra is hoping
that people will come from far
and wide to not only remember
those that have lost their battle
with breast cancer, but to
support those in the community
who are currently undergoing
treatment. The emphasis this
year is on renewal, of looking
into the future with hope
and love.
“The most important thing is
to not let cancer define you,
but for you to define it. With
every crisis there is an
opportunity for change and
empowerment”. Alexandra
herself is a cancer survivor
and it has been 16 years
since her diagnosis with
Stage 2 cancer.
“Let’s all come together and
celebrate the life that people
have to look forward to.”
The morning proceedings
will include poetry readings,
dancing from the children,
choir and solo performances
and the planting of Pink Ladies
on the beach.
3
5
10
12
From us to
you
Lover of
words
The winter
that was
Scrumptious
Scones
8.2% GO HUNGRY
IN OUR BACKYARD
Food security is defined as
‘people having access at all
times to the types of food
they need to lead active and
healthy lives not supplied by
emergency food sources’. As
the type and amount of food
needed can differ from person to person, food security
exists when there is a consistent supply of accessible
nutritious foods which are
adequate to physical,
cultural and social needs.
Data from the 2006 shows
that up to 8.2% of Colac
Otway residents have been
identified as food insecure,
that is, in the past twelve
months they said they have
run out of food and been
unable to afford to buy anymore. This compares 3.8%
for the whole of Barwon
South West Region and a
Victorian average of 6%.
Research shows that some
people are more vulnerable
than others including people
on low incomes, single parent households, older people
and those located in low
socio-economic or rural
areas.
There are many factors
which contribute and
determine food insecurity.
For some it may be that the
cost, type or quality of food
is not appropriate or reasonable while for others it may
be that they are not able to
access the foods they need
due to issues with transport,
mobility or illness. Food
security can also be compromised if people do not have
the knowledge or facilities to
shop, cook and prepare
foods safely and properly.
In order to address the
issues, we need to firstly
understand them. Although
we are aware that there is a
high level of food insecurity
within the Colac Otway, we
need to understand which of
these factors are affecting
people within the Shire, and
how this may differ between
locations.
For this reason, over the
next 6 months, Otway Health
and Colac Area Health’s
Health Promotion
Departments, in partnership
with the Colac Otway Shire
will be exploring the issue
within the Shire. Pictured is
the ‘Sticky Dot Board’. This
board will be rotated around
all towns within the Shire.
.......from the CEO’s desk
The Spring Edition of Otway Health News brings much anticipated warm sunny days.
These are so welcome after the deluges that we have experienced recently.
At Otway Health we are all drying out after the failure of a storm water drain in Pengilley
Avenue resulted in knee-deep water flowing through our high care building. The damage
has been significant and recovery from this will take time but we are grateful to Colac
Area Health who has provided care to our residents who were evacuated from high care.
The staff on duty responded calmly and professionally and ensured that all the residents
were safe and dry. Staff who arrived to help, worked tirelessly until the early hours of the
morning to save as much as possible from the water. The wonderful CFA and SES volunteers were able to pump out thousands of litres of water and helped us to clean up the
facility. We are very lucky that we can still operate our Urgent Care Unit and our main
kitchen as neither area was flooded, so for some staff and residents it is business as
usual.
For other staff it is like working in a war zone but no one is complaining as we all know
that we will be back to normal eventually and everyone is making the best of the situation and remaining cheerful.
Many thanks to everybody who helped and those who keep us going .
Regards,
Linda West
This allows individuals to
anonymously and easily have
their say. Please phone me
on 5237 8500 should you
require further information
about this project.
~Jess Dorney
Health Promotion Officer
GET READY FOR SPRING
TREAT YOURSELF
Our Beauty Room is open for
business every Wednesday
and Thursday. So if you have
neglected yourself this winter
and feel a little sprucing is in
order before you shed the
winter clothes or maybe you
just need a little pampering?
If you are keen for to get a
manicure, pedicure or some
waxing done , please contact
Reception on 5237 8500 to
make a booking.
Pedicure
Cut & Nail Buff
$15
With foot soak
$20
With polish
$25
Manicure
Cut & Nail Buff
$15
With polish
$20
Waxing
Half Leg
$20
Full Leg
$35
Publisher:
Otway Health
& Community
Services
75 McLachlan Street,
Apollo Bay VIC 3233
Ph: 52378500
[email protected]
www.otwayhealth.com.au
Articles are subject
to copyright
music and smoke machines.
The students, teachers and
many volunteers should be
very proud of such a mature
and well-performed
production. Cudos indeed!
The activity group and
residents had a wonderful
time and really enjoyed
seeing all the children having
fun. Maybe some future
Logie or AFI award winners
in our midst? You heard it
here first.
~ Pollyanna Day works for Otway Health as a Planned
Activities Group (PAGs) Co-ordinator
CAPTIVATED BY 007
Otway Health’s Planned
Activity Group (PAGs) along
with residents were the
special guests of Apollo Bay
schools dress rehearsal ‘To
Catch a fish’ James Bond.
Grade 4,5 & 6’s delivered an
energetic colourful interpretation of this James Bond
classic.
The imagination and thought
that went into the costumes
were incredible; bunny
mutants dressed in wetsuits
with goggles , green flippers
and big green ears, a strapping young Bond, girls girls
and more girls with amazing
sparkle and spunk, with funky
THE TIES THAT BIND
Coordinating the aged care
activities program at Otway
Health has been a greatly
rewarding and enriching
experience over the past two
and a half years.
Growing up with grandparents overseas, my only
contact with the elderly was
limited to a yearly dance
performance at their Christmas party. As such, it has
been a great honour to share
in the daily lives of the elders
of the Apollo Bay community.
Our activities staff maintain a
daily program to encourage
007 has his hands full with two femme fatales
residents to continue the
everyday experiences of life,
even though their home environment has changed. The
job role is far reaching and
requires compassion, flexibility, spontaneity and quite
often a good dose of silliness
and fun.
The program covers many
areas. We have weekly
games of the old favourites
like bingo, but also encourage
physical activity with weekly
classes of dance, yoga and
gentle exercise. We encourage residents to engage in
the life activities they have
enjoyed throughout their life
….to stroll in the sun, tend to
their vegetable garden, art
and craft, cooking and regular
social activities and outings.
They have access to on-site
church services, weekly bus
trips and inter-generational
programs with the P-12
school and childcare groups.
Local musicians visit to entertain, as does our lovely fourlegged friend who visits
weekly for pet therapy.
Being so closely involved in
the residents lives means that
forming close bonds is inevitable. Whilst maintaining
professionalism, we also become a friend and confidante
to the residents. We are part
of their lives and vice-versa.
The recent flood at Otway
Health has seen some of our
residents move to Colac and
staff and residents alike miss
them greatly. On Wednesday
I visited the residents and
delivered cards and goodies
from all of us. They are being
very well cared for, but we do
look forward to having them
gathered around the dining
table with us again soon.
~ Claire Davis
Diversional Therapist
Staff and residents send love to our ’family’ in Colac
POLICE MATTERS
LOCK IT OR LOSE IT
Unfortunately over the holiday periods there are usually
a number of thefts that
occur, mostly opportunistic.
A number of cars were stolen
last year where the offenders
search through unlocked
vehicles and locate the car
keys. Police are urging people not to leave their keys in
their cars and to lock their
cars whenever possible.
Also each year we get reports
of thefts of bicycles, wetsuits
and surfboards, and these
items are usually stolen from
the front of houses where
they were in clear view of the
offenders passing by. Police
are urging people to lock
away their valuables to prevent these opportunistic
thefts.
DRINK DRIVING
Unfortunately each Holiday
season sees a rise in the number of drivers apprehended
for Drink Driving. With all
the publicity re-enforcing
how dangerous Drink Driving
is and how severe the penalties are, people are still
putting themselves and
others at risk by drink driving.
Apollo Bay Police members
often conduct random PBT
sites, and there is a high
chance of being tested over
the holiday period. Please
don’t risk it if you are unsure
of the possibility that you
may be over the limit. Most
of Apollo Bay is within walking distance, and there is a
24 hour Taxi Service- 0400
229 222. (0400-BAYCAB)
FRIENDLY REMINDER TO
WEAR BIKE HELMETS
In Victoria, it is compulsory to
wear a bike helmet when
riding a bicycle anywhere.
This includes parks and bike
tracks. Helmets are also
required to be properly
secured when worn. Not
wearing a helmet can be a
costly exercise with the
current fine being $176.
LOST PROPERTY
A reminder to contact the
Police Station to report lost
property, this can usually be
done over the phone unless
you need a copy of a Police
Report. At the end of each
holiday season there are
numerous unclaimed property items that have been
handed into the Police Station. The main unclaimed
items each year are car keys,
mobile phones, sunglasses,
and bicycles.
CONTACTING POLICE
There is a Police Service
available in Apollo Bay 24
hours a day, on occasions
when Police members are
out on the road, the Police
Station may be unattended.
Calls to the Police Station
may be diverted through to
either the Apollo Bay
Members on duty, or to the
Colac Police Station. Calling
000 is not just for Serious
Emergencies, but for anything that Police will be
required to attend, From
noisy parties, thefts and traffic matters, through to serious emergencies. Don’t
hesitate to contact 000 to
get Police Assistance.
Snr Constable Paul Doherty
APOLLO BAY POLICE
Nelson Street, Apollo Bay.
Ph: 5237 6750
LOOKING FOR A BARGAIN?!
GOT SOMETHING TO SELL?
CHECK OUT THE
GREAT OCEAN ROAD
SECOND-HAND PAGE
ON FACEBOOK
Spring is here!
Someone pass the tissues
The promise of warmer
weather is in the air, but for
many of us this promise
brings with it pollens, dust
mites and other allergens
that exacerbate asthma and
other respiratory conditions
such as hayfever.
Recent statistics indicate
that there has been a slight
decline in asthma rates.
Whilst these new statistics
are encouraging, we can’t
afford to become complacent. The Asthma Foundation emphasises that
“Asthma still has a huge
impact on individuals,
families, communities,
workplaces and the health
system.” The prevalence of
*Develop an Asthma Action Plan with your doctor
tailored to your own individual condition
*Take your daily preventer medication and not rely
on your reliever medication, which may not be
enough to save you in the event of a serious asthma
attack
*Have your asthma regularly reviewed by your GP,
even if you are feeling well
NOW YOU CAN
FOLLOW US
ON TWITTER
twitter.com/OtwayHealth
ALSO WHY NOT VISIT
OTWAY COMMUNITY NEWS
ON FACEBOOK
FOR ALL THINGS IN
OUR REGION.
FINALLY ‘LIKE’ OUR
OTWAY HEALTH PAGE
AND KEEP UP-TO-DATE
WITH THE VERY
LATEST FROM US
asthma in people aged over
35 hasn’t changed and the
mortality rate seems to be
stuck around 400. Work
needs to continue in the
fight against asthma.
The Community Health
Nurse (CHN) at Otway Health
provides free community
asthma education sessions
to any interested groups or
organisations, including
workplaces. The CHN also
offers private respiratory
health consultations for a
small fee. Additionally, the
CHN offers a smoking
cessation service that
provides tailored, individual
support for those seeking to
quit smoking. If you or
someone close to you is
living with or at risk of
asthma, you can make an
appointment with Michelle
to discuss the best way to
manage your condition. Michelle will work with your GP
to ensure
optimal asthma management. Appointments can be
made with Otway Health
Reception on 5237 8500.
How far that little candle throws its beams!
~ Shakespeare
I have just met with Sonia
Borg, screenwriter extraordinaire, and despite having
more than enough content
to share her story; ironically I
am stuck for words. I am
slightly daunted by the
prospect of not doing justice
to her tale, when I catch
myself out and am reminded
that I am merely a vehicle for
which to give due accolades
to such an inspiring
individual.
The oldest of three, Sonia
grew up at a time in Vienna
when Germans were not favoured and work was hard to
come by, even more so for a
trained actor. Sonia, with her
mother Ilse and brothers
soon became refugees, leaving Vienna as their father
Hans was arrested and jailed
for 9 months for alleged illtreatment of POWs. His case
went to trial but it was
thrown out on the grounds
that they received many testimonies of prisoners who
spoke in his favour and as
such Hans was exonerated
and able to rejoin his family.
The frustration and lack of
jobs in Germany led them to
relocate to India, and her
father took up a position as
an engineer at Hinustan
Motors. It was there that
Sonia felt ‘at home’, despite
having no permanent home
to speak of. She joined the
Shakesperiana Theatre Company a touring repertory
company lead by Geoffrey
Kendal (father of Felicity Kendal of ‘The Good Life’ fame)
and was with them on and off
for ten years. The troupe saw
them travelling around many
countries including India,
Hong Kong and Singapore.
Indians were very familiar
with Shakespeare and there
were occasions in the play
where there was an artistic
pause and they would be
prompted by an audience
Sonya Borg is an award-winning scriptwriter and a client of
Home and Community Care Division of Otway Health
member. It was also in India
that Sonia’s awareness of
racial intolerance was
heightened. She noted that
despite India becoming independent in 1947, Indians
were still treated as ‘secondclass citizens’ by many and
she felt they shared a similar
history. It was there that she
‘became colour-blind as far
as racism was concerned’.
On 20 February, 1961 Sonia
(who was also celebrating
her 30th birthday) and her
brothers (parents followed a
few months later) arrived in
Fremantle, Australia on
board the cargo ship
‘Chakrauta’. They promptly
relocated to Melbourne . At
the time she felt the atmosphere was very antimigration and it was best
summed up by an attitude of
a tram conductor who muttered ‘Foreigners, why don’t
they go back to where they
came from’. This sentiment
had been played out already
in her life, really shaping her
life and would play a significant part in her life’s
journey.
Her love of acting saw her
audition for TV show
‘Consider your Verdict’, and
it was this chance meeting
with writer Phil Freedman
who wrote a part for her in
the show that heralded the
start of an illustrious career
that spanned the next three
decades. It was there that
Dorothy Crawford, Head of
Production at Crawfords
Australia, took Sonia under
her wing and became her
‘second mother’. Sonia
trained amateur actors,
given there were very few
professional actors at the
time. At the same time, she
realising that her acting parts
were going to be limited
being ‘a foreigner with an
accent’. Sonia’s International
Movie Database (IMDB) listing is prolific, with credit
after credit for some of Australia’s top shows and movies, including ‘Homicide’,
‘Power without glory’, ‘I can
jump puddles’ and Quentin
Tarantino’s favourite film of
all time ‘Dark Age’. Sonia has
been an Actor, Casting Director, Associate Producer, Freelance Scriptwriter and Script
Assessor for the AFC. She is
also the recipient of two
AWGIE’s (Australian Writer’s
Guild) awards and received
the A.M. (Member of the
Order of Australia) in the
1985 Queen's New Years
Honours List for her services
to the film and television
industry.
Most dear to her heart was
writing the screenplay for the
touching movie ‘Storm Boy’
and memorable and groundbreaking work on ‘Women of
the Sun’ TV series. Storm Boy
‘was a wonderful experience
Early years as an actor
to work on’ and she was
‘thrilled to bits’ with the final
product.
‘Women of the Sun’ was in
many ways for Sonia, her
crowning glory. It would
seem that she and Hyllus
Maris (who co-wrote the series with Sonia) were destined to meet. Sonia observed from India, the treatment of Aboriginal
people and felt the need to
tell ‘their story with their
voice’. Meeting Hyllus was
indeed like the aligning of the
heavens. Hyllus, who helped
co- found the National Council of Aboriginal and Island
Women in 1970, forged a
deep and lifelong friendship
with Sonia till her passing in
1986.
Continued Page 6
Sonia with her beloved dogs, Sasha and Leo
specific tasks. I am
immensely proud of his
efforts and have watched
with interest as he has developed into a competent,
caring and Professional Paramedic. Well done Peter.
TAKING IT TO THE KIDS
We continue our partnership
with the Apollo Bay School
with various year levels and
groups coming down to the
station to take part in Educational and Practical sessions,
The Kinder Kids have also
been over for their annual
visit.
AMBULANCE MATTERS
Winter is becoming a
memory as the weather
slowly starts to improve and
the promise of longer,
warmer days is just around
the corner. It’s a good time
to reflect on the year to
date.
Case load remains fairly
constant in comparison with
this time last year. We have
attended 186 cases from the
1st January through to the
end of July. We attended 69
cases in January; this is 18
more than January 2011.
April and May were both
quiet months with 15 cases
attended respectively each
month, well down on the 36
and 21 cases attended for
the same months last year.
Overall the workload spread
out over the year remains
largely unchanged. Approximately 35% of our workload
is outside the immediate
town catchment area of
Apollo Bay, Skenes Creek
and Marengo. Emergency
cases remain constant at
around 70% of our entire
workload, whist the other
30% is made up of medical
transfer and non life threatening conditions.
We continue to be
supported by our Ambulance
Community Officers who
provide a dedicated high
level response together with
our Professional Paramedics.
Without their continued
support and dedication we
could not provide such
excellent care and town
coverage. It’s pleasing to be
able to report that we have
three new recruits that will
commence their training to
become Ambulance Community Officers in October.
Damian Carney, John Lugg
and Sharon Crafter have
been successful in completing the selection process to
undertake the Training
course. I wish them well as
they undertake their training
and thank them and their
families for the sacrifices
they make to complete the
training.
FOND FAREWELL
Sally Cannon has resigned
from her role as a community officer after 16 years of
dedicated service. She will
be missed by the group and I
wish her every success in her
future ventures. Sally was
always there as a support to
the other Community Officers and her gentle and
caring manner will be
missed.
CONGRATS IN ORDER
Peter Wagstaff has almost
completed his Paramedic
Training; he is due to qualify
by the end of the year. Peter
was an Ambulance Community Officer in Apollo Bay and
was a successful candidate in
the Rural Sponsored Degree
Programme. Peter has
worked diligently over the
last four years to complete
his Degree as well as having
to complete various industry
THINKING HEADS MEET
We have commenced a Clinical Review Meeting with
Otway Health. This occurs
every 3rd Monday of the
month where we look at all
cases that were completed
for the previous month. It’s
attended by Ambulance, Dr
Mani and the Unit Nurse
Manager. It’s a fantastic forum to discuss, review and
improve on what we do.
Ambulance is one link in the
Rural Health care chain. It’s
important that we have
strong team approach in
health care; this is just one
way of maintaining a strong
team approach.
HELP US HELP YOU
- CALLING 000
It is still disappointing that
on some occasions people
are electing to drive themselves to Hospital rather
than call an Ambulance. I
have spoken on this issue on
a number of occasions. Calling an Ambulance rather
than driving someone in has
a number of advantages. The
patient’s condition is rapidly
assessed and Treatment
begins immediately. If the
patient’s condition is time
critical the ambulance
notifies the Hospital as well
as the Doctor and can also
begin the process of requesting Air Support, all this saves
time and stream lines the
process. This reduces wasted
time and can improve a
patient’s outcome. I know
sometimes people feel that
they can get someone to the
Hospital faster than the
Ambulance arriving, but
there is no on going medical
care, what happens if the
patient’s condition deteriorates. Everyone is entitled to
make their own decisions
regarding their medical care;
all I ask is that you consider
using the Ambulance Service
rather than driving someone
in whether that is your family, friend or a neighbour. If
you are not sure whether
you need an ambulance, call
000 and speak to the operator/ call taker, they are
trained in determining the
need. They can also provide
important first aid instructions to you prior to our arrival.
It is also important to ensure
that your property is marked
with a clear street number or
property number or name.
Valuable time can be lost
with crews driving around
looking for locations.
Remember at night to leave
a front light on if possible, as
this helps draw attention to
your property.
That’s about it, if you have
any questions or issues
regarding Ambulance please
call by at the Station or call
the Branch on 5237 6354.
Best of health,
Tony Mandic
Team Manager
Apollo Bay Branch
Remember in an Emergency
always call 000.
If you are not a Ambulance Victoria
member, join today
Call 1800 64 84 84
WE WELCOME TWO
TO OUR BOARD
The first meeting of the new
board was held on 30th July,
with new board members
Russell Dawe and Denise
McLachlan being welcomed
to the board for their three
year terms. Both camera shy,
we asked them instead to
share a little bit about themselves with the community.
A reminder that the Board
members have requested for
it to be known that they can
be contacted at anytime as
they act as community
representatives on the
Otway Health Board.
Continued from page 4
‘How far that little candle
throws its beams!’
‘Women of the Sun’ served
as a history of Australia over
the previous 200 years, as
seen through the experiences
of a number of Aboriginal
women. At the time, Sonia
was a Freelance Scriptwriter
and worked with the ABC,
who at the time felt that the
scripts were not her best
work and weren’t interested
in progressing with the story.
Bob Weis, producer and
friend of Sonia’s, worked at
SBS at the time. Sonia
showed him the first two
episodes and he asked if
there were anymore to follow. He quit his job and commissioned the final 2 episodes. After the screening of
the series on SBS an ABC
inquiry was held as to why
‘Women of the Sun’ wasn’t
picked up internally. Needless
to say, it was later retaken up
by the ABC and went on to
win many awards including
the United Nations Media
Peace Prize and two AWGIE
awards of the Australian
Writers Guild.
A few words from Russell
And introducing Denise
I have worked in the area of
University research management for the last 25 years or
so. The last 12 working with
the developers and providers of the software used
widely in Australia and New
Zealand. After “seeing the
light” towards the end of
the last millennium, my wife
and I moved to Marengo
where we’ve been breeding
alpacas which led to be an
involvement with the Apollo
Bay and Otway District
Agricultural Society and the
Australian Alpaca
Association. (I have seen his
resume and we are blessed
to have him on the Board
Denise was born and bred in
Ballarat, and has been
married to Ray for over
thirty five years.
After completing her teaching qualifications Denise has
been involved in education
for over thirty five years,
teaching in a variety of settings from small rural
schools, originally around
the Stawell area, holding
senior positions at Napoleons for six years, Alfredton
Primary School for 10 years,
then moving to Portarlington
Primary School. After building at Point Lonsdale, Denise
and Ray moved to Apollo Bay
when Denise was promoted
Years later, Tony Briggs,
writer and Associate Producer of the award-winning
movie ‘The Sapphires’, which
began its life as a play, would
dedicate his own AWGIE win
to his Aunty Hyllus and Sonia.
‘Women of the Sun’ was the
history of his family, it was
“empowering, the first of its
kind”. Tony speaks with fondness of his time under Sonia’s
tutelage. He had taken a
short-writing course and
worked on a script with
Sonia. “My time with Sonia
was my apprenticeship. I owe
her everything. She is so talented and yet so very humble. She is like family to us.”
His recent AWGIE win has
been a wonderful surprise
and “to get an award the
same as hers and Aunty
Hyllus’s is just the pinnacle”.
Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein has recently
bought the distribution rights
to the music-filled film, with a
US release in the near future.
Humility it appears, runs in
the family. Despite Tony’s
heavily-packed schedule, he
was more than happy to take
time out to talk about his
admiration of Sonia, finishing
our call with “Sonia makes
me want to be better”.
I could write so much more
about this remarkable
woman, whose empathy for
humanity was apparent in
the stories she shared. Sonia
was keen to point out that
three times during her life a
Jewish person had been there
to ‘save’ her or her family.
Her father was saved by a
Jewish doctor in India who
realised he had typhoid and
rushed him to hospital. This
move saved his life. In Australia, Phil Freedman, scriptwriter and Bob Weis, producer both ‘saved’ her by
encouraging and allowing her
stories to be shared. She
notes the obvious irony that
coming from Germany, to be
saved in a sense by three
Jewish men was quite remarkable at a time when racial intolerance was high.
“Racism is the enemy to the
race. How stupid is racial intolerance. You miss out on so
much in life by being full of
hatred for your fellow man”.
Sonia is still busy writing, this
first to Assistant Principal,
then Principal, at Lavers Hill
P-12 College. Apart from
Denise’s extensive leadership in the position of Principal, both financial and managerial; she has served on
School Councils for over 28
years, worked on kindergarten committee’s as both
President and Secretary and
mentored other teachers
and student teachers at the
University of Ballarat.
In her spare time now she
has retired, Denise works
part time as a Resort Manager at Whitecrest Great
Ocean Road Resort, gardens,
reads and loves to travel.
(Welcome Denise~ Ed)
time a story about a little boy
she saw outside a supermarket whose eyes captivated
her. He seemed ‘so displaced,
so sad’ and thus a story has
been born from this observation. I couldn’t help but feel
that her time on this earth
has certainly been one that
has brought so much to so
many, whether it be joy or a
new understanding or appreciation of others. Her photos,
newspaper clipping and trophies (including the AWGIEs
one of which has seen better
days and is taped together)
are tucked away. She is too
humble to share and it took
some coercion to get them
on the table. I leave her place
as the skies open up and a
deluge of rain makes it impossible to drive. It affords
me the time to sit back, and
reflect upon the last two
hours in which Sonia so graciously shared with me her
life’s history. An amazing
woman with an amazing tale
to tell and no ending could
ever do it justice.
~ Katrina J Kiely
Celebrating Adult
Education in our
Neighbourhood Houses
Most people are aware of
the strong role that
Neighbourhood Houses
(NHH) play in connecting
our community. They play a
role in hosting community
groups, and sometimes initiating community action
around any number of
issues. What is less well
known about NHH is the
responsibility they have in
providing Adult Education
opportunities for local communities. All NHH funded
under the State Govt
Neighbourhood Houses
Coordination Program are
obliged to take on this
responsibility, and those
who are not funded under
this guideline take on this
responsibility voluntarily.
Adult Education is recognised as an enduringly
protective intervention for
people’s health, and for the
wider health of the community. Not only does Adult
Education directly give us
skills which may draw upon
in times of need, it also
widens our opportunities for
further study or work. As
well as this, participation in
Adult Education necessitates
social activity, and often we
meet our neighbours and
other community members
through this type of activity.
Without a NHH, what other
institution in town would
deliver education and lifestyle courses?
The Otway Health catchment
has particular cause to
celebrate the education
offered at our NHH. Many of
the courses that are run are
subsidized by the Adult
Community and Further Education Board (ACFE).
Some of the great courses
you may have participated
in, or seen advertised have
included: Cheese Making,
Digital Photography, Felting,
Natural Dyes, Yoga, Pilates,
DID YOU KNOW?
This year Marrar Woorn,
Forrest NHH and Lavers
Hill and District NHH
collectively attracted
double the funding from
the government to
subsidise courses as they
did the previous year.
So twice as much funding
means twice as many
enrolments! Busy times.
Organic Gardening, Responsible Service of Alcohol,
Barista courses. Check out
the Term 4 Guide which also
includes courses such as
Design and Formatting and
Mental Health First Aid.
All of these courses, as well
as the range of exercises and
activity-based courses run at
the Neighbourhood Houses
are something that the
community should value
highly. Not only do they
provide opportunities for us
to get out of the house and
mix with other locals, they
also provide opportunities
for learning that may lead
onto further study or employment. Some of the
course accredited (Cert I, II
or II) and some are preaccredited (leading into
further study).
If you would like further
information on courses
being run in Lavers Hill,
Forrest and Apollo Bay,
contact your friendly NHH
Coordinator on the numbers
below.
~ Max Broadley
Manager, Community Services
Rhiannon Cox
Apollo Bay
5237 8500
Gillian Brew
Forrest
5236 6591
Nurse Unit Manager - Full Time
Otway Health is seeking to appoint a Division 1
Registered Nurse to the role of Nurse Unit Manager on a
permanent basis. This role reports into the Manager of
Clinical Care is responsible for the operational management of the Aged Care and Acute Care Units including the
performance and management of Nursing staff, budgetary and administrative responsibilities.
To be successful in this role you will:
Be a registered Div One nurse
Have a passion for delivering a quality service
An understanding of Aged Care and Clinical Best
Practice
Be conversant with Aged Care and National
Standards
Experience in a similar role
Exceptional leadership skills
National Police Clearance
Grade 5 Nurse & Quality Coordinator
- Clinical (0.8)
Otway Health has an exciting opportunity for a senior
nurse to work 4 shifts a fortnight as a Grade 5 Nurse and
4 shifts a fortnight as a Clinical Quality Coordinator. The
position forms part of the Clinical Care Division which
encompasses both Aged Care (high and low) and a small
Acute and Urgent Care Units.
To be successful in this role you will:
Be a senior Registered Nurse
Have an understanding of Aged Care and Clinical
Care Best Practice
Be conversant with Aged Care and National
Standards
Experience in a similar role will be highly regarded
Willingness to undertake a National Police Clearance
To obtain a position description or for further
information on either role please contact Gail Palmer,
Acting Manager of Clinical Care on 03 5237 8500 or
email [email protected]
Both positions close on FRIDAY 5th OCTOBER 2012
Part Time Administration Trainee
(12 months Limited tenure)
We are seeking an Administration Trainee to work in our
Home and Community Care Team at Otway Health. The
successful applicant will undertake a Certificate III in
Business Administration. Trainee wages apply.
To be successful you will be a quick learner, able to multitask and have strong written and verbal communication
skills. Computer skills would be advantageous
Applications close 5pm on Friday September 28th.
Karen Holdsworth
Lavers Hill
0417 948 522
For an application pack and to apply contact Anne Rout,
Manager of Home and Community Care on
03 5237 8500 or email [email protected].
Tristan, Huston, Billey, Heath, Johanna & Jack chill
Good habits formed
at youth make all
the difference.
~Aristotle
The Apollo Bay Youth Group
offers a safe environment
with minimal supervision
designed for young people
to engage in a broad range
of activities autonomously
or within groups to
encourage skill building and
personal development.
We believe participating in
group activities can encourage teamwork, develop a
sense of belonging, improve
communication and build on
other important life skills.
We consider this to be a
wonderful opportunity to
continue and support
healthy behaviours.
There have been some
exciting developments this
year for the Apollo Bay
Youth Group. The attendance numbers have sky
rocketed, seeing up to 35
youths come through our
doors weekly for a number
of months, and then settled
into a healthy figure of
around 15 fun-loving teens.
Our space has been lovingly
decked out and decorated by
our teens with furniture for
lounging socially with a
group and watching the
occasional movie, iPod dock,
photos and wall art. There
are craft items for use and
sporting equipment everywhere you look, pool tables,
air hockey, darts, table
tennis table and a ball from
almost every sport ever
Blake ‘s ready for fun
invented! Most of this equipment was generously
donated by community
members to help supporting
our young people.
The Youth Club is now sport-
Heath and Tristan show their skills
ing a newly refurbished
commercial kitchen allowing
us to run a cooking activity
every week. This allows us to
offer the chance to teach
and learn some healthy eating habits from each other
and ensure every little body
leaves with a full belly! Our
marvellous cook off sessions
created delicious delicacies
such as chicken curry, sushi
rolls, spaghetti carbonara
and pancakes from scratch.
Yes SCRATCH! The talented
Kate Holms came to lend
some knowledge and equipment and helped us achieve
this feat. The youths
collected berries which were
used to make our own jam
and Kate brought wheat
which we milled to make our
own flour. Everyone got
their hands and faces dirty
on this night thoroughly
enjoying themselves!
We have had the pleasure of
hosting a range of events/
activities designed to
connect our youth with their
peer group with the
community. Some of these
have included a Hip Hop
dance class hosted by our
local dance teacher Abbey
Roberts (Abbey can be seen
promoting our new Twitter
account on page 5 ~Ed). She
charmed us with her friendly
personality and got us all up
and moving, teaching us
some new moves and helping a few individuals build
some much needed confidence. We also held a locally
based scavenger hunt
connecting our young people
with our hospital, police
station, fire station, bus
stop, war memorial and pay
phones. We held a Trivia
night and a dress up disco
night, and we endeavour to
find a world record to break!
We think something using
Maltesers might be achievable and hope to reach this
goal as a group within the
year after a bit of practice!
We have travelled out of
town on a couple of
excursions this year both to
Colac where we visited a
Colac based youth event at
Shooters pool hall and
another where we introduced our group to Bowling.
These excursions were very
successful achieving our goal
of providing them with the
opportunity to try new
things and meet new people.
There are lots of items
Johanna & Toni all smiles
attached to our clipboard
waiting to be rolled out in
the near future. We hope to
soon have a calendar of
events advertised including
out of town excursions and
fundraisers like our FLAT
OUT ON THE BOARDS sleepover designed to attract
sponsors to support participants and raise awareness
surrounding youth homelessness. We are working on
guest events to bring
talented local musicians,
mechanics, carpenters,
gardeners, cooks, dancers
and accomplished sports
people to our facility to
share knowledge and equipment with them. Importantly
we are hoping to purchase
new equipment for art and
craft activities, sporting
interests and other skill
building activities.
We have been working on
offering a careful balance
between planned activities
and low structure to maintain youth participation and
it is our hope that, in the
future a core group will be
established to create a Youth
forum to guide the structure,
direction and growth of this
humble little group.
~ Toni Rooke
Youth Support Worker
SERVICES CURRENTLY PROVIDED BY OTWAY HEALTH & COMMUNITY SERVICES
Spring has sprung (officially yes, weatherwise, well who’s to tell) however no excused for not getting out
there and meeting new people or trying new things. If any of these classes or groups seem perfect for you
or someone you know, please give us a call on 5237 8500.
PLANNED ACTIVITY GROUPS (PAGS) & EXERCISE CLASSES
“The Human Library” - Every second Wednesday—attendance by invitation only
Mixed Thursday group - long established group with wide range of abilities and needs, require HACC assessment
Men’s PAGS - Meet monthly. Varied activities. Also Men’s lunch - Meet monthly. Ideal for older men in the community.
Following exercise classes require Doctors clearance prior to attendance and to be HACC eligible
“Up and About“ exercise class - 10.30am each Tuesday. Offers strength building and is balance-orientated. $5 includes
morning tea
“Active Balance” exercise class - 12.30pm -2.00pm each Tuesday. More advanced exercises, generally for those who have
graduated from “Up and About” and are more confident on their feet. $5 includes lunch.
OTHER EXERCISE CLASSES
Pilates
For active community members who are comfortable with floor work.
Ongoing classes, Mondays and Wednesdays only open to individuals who have completed a beginners Pilates through Otway Health.
Open to all active mature members of the community looking to keep up their fitness.
“Zumba” exercise class . Every Tuesday 3.00pm - 4.00pm $3
“Strength for life” exercise class. Increase your strength and agility. 9.00am—10.00am every Tuesday, 12.00pm—1.00pm
every Wednesday, 9.30am—10.30am every Friday. $3
Victoria's period of daylight saving will start at 2:00am on Sunday 2 October
It’s Ride to Work Day on
Wednesday October 17. The
Ride2Work Program is a nationally run program that
actively encourages individuals and organisations to join
over 150,000 Australians
giving riding to work a go.
Ride2Work has a been shown to have a strong influence in
the dramatic increase of people choosing to ride to work,
with 38% of new riders registered in 2011 still riding to work
five months later. So if you have been thinking about doing
it why not make Wednesday October 17 the day to give it a
go?
All you need to do is register at
www.bicyclenetwork.com.au
Registration is free and there are great prizes
to be won by doing so!
Through the Looking Glass
The inside world of Otway
Health as experienced by our
work experience student
My name is Darryan Lo Ricco
and I live in the lovely town
of Apollo Bay. I currently
attend Apollo Bay P-12
College and am doing Year
10. This work experience
program will run till the end
of the school year 2012.
Part of my curriculum for
year 10 is to complete 2 days
per week at Otway Health as
a work experience student,
which means I take part in;
Administration
Some of my duties include
word documents, filing, booking appointments, greeting
clients/customers.
Community Care.
I take part in the Planned
Activities Group which
entails helping the coordinators with their duties of
planning fun and enjoyable
activities for those attending.
Child Care
Being part of Child Care I do
many different things. Reading stories to the young kids,
painting with them, helping
them be active outdoors such
as playing with the equipment
provided are just some of the
great things I get to do.
In my short time at Otway
Health I’ve been lucky enough
to get to work with some
amazing people who have
gone out of their way to help
me and teach me the basics.
Some going out on a limb to
make sure my time here is as
enjoyable as possible, without
making it too easy.
Thanks everyone!
~Darryan
With a twinkle in his eye
The Winter
that was
As to be expected, winter
threw us a few curve balls,
but luckily there were many
golden moments that kept
the blues at bay.
AWARDS
We were still celebrating our
win on May 17 at the 2012
Minister for Health Volunteers Awards ceremony
which saw Otway Health ‘s
Volunteer Gardening Group
pick up the team award.
Minister for Health and Ageing, David Davis presented a
total of 16 outstanding
achievement awards. Angela
Watt accepted the honour on
behalf of our Gardening
Group. With the onset of
Spring, our gardening is
‘bloomin’ lovely’! Well done
GRANTS R US
Aside from our lovely award,
our staff have been having
success with our grantwriting, meaning that muchneeded funds have been
coming our way, allowing us
to expand our services and
purchase equipment.
WYE RIVER CFA GYM
In partnership with Wye
River CFA and the CFA Victoria Staff Health and Wellbeing
Officer, Otway Health facilitated health assessments and
physiotherapy instruction for
Wye River CFA members. This
has enabled participants to
have access to and utilise
fitness equipment in a safe,
effective manner. The Wye
CFA initiated the project to
Angela Watt and our award
winning entry
assist members to maintain
and improve health and wellbeing. A six month review of
the project will occur and
further health testing and
health information, as well as
physio assessment and
instruction will be provided if
required.
ANNUAL REPORT
Our Report of Operations has
recently been tabled in Parliament and is looking wonderful
with the cover artwork of the
painting that graces our foyer.
Our report will be presented
at our own Annual General
Meeting (AGM) in late
November. The AGM is an
opportunity for the community to meet not only with
Board Members but to hear
about all the happenings at
Otway Health over the last 12
months. If last year’s AGM
was anything to go by, there
were lots of laughs and entertainment was provided by the
Apollo Bay Ukelele Group. I
don’t think too many other
AGM’s get to sing along to
‘We are Sailing”! We hope to
see as many of you there as
possible so keep an eye out
for details in the Apollo Bay
News Sheet or on our Facebook page or via Twitter.
CONTRIBUTIONS
Have a story to share? Want
us to cover something? Be
sure to call us on 5237 8500
and we’ll do our best!
Want to see pumpkins growing
in a backyard via Google Maps
street view? Read the latest
printed out information on
climate change, environmental
issues and government legislation? Or enjoy a laugh over a
recent joke making its way
across internet emails. Well,
Stuart Marriner is your man!
As a weekend Activities worker,
I have grown to know and be
amazed by Stuart Marriner.
One of my first few encounters
with Stuart involved a speech
and presentation he made at
the occasion of my surprise pre
-wedding party with the
residents. Who was this very
eloquent speaker and generous
-hearted person, I wondered ?
As I found out, Stuart is wellknown in the community for his
generous heart, great sense of
humour, and the timeless work
he has put into environmental
issues. And this work continues.
When I come to sit with Stuart,
he very gently shares with me
about things that are important
and thus educates me. He is
also extremely interested in the
lives of others and was keen to
find out about my recent travels overseas. One particularly
special afternoon, he took out
some of his old black and white
photos from World War Two,
and described the background
and setting of these photos
with incredible accuracy. He
had remembered where I had
travelled to, and shared photos
showing these exact locations
where he had been stationed in
the Middle East many years
ago. When he then went on to
mention Tobruk in Libya I knew
I had to do further research
into this part of war history
when I got home.
(Hear Stuart’s interview on SBS
Radio
http://www.sbs.com.au/
yourlanguage/french/
highlight/page/id/212651/t/
Stuart-Marriner-a-Rat-ofTobruk-ANZAC-Day-2012/in/
english Amazing man! ~ Ed)
Recently, I was passing
Stuart’s room when I
heard some belly laughing
coming from that way. He
was watching a clip sent to
him via email from one of
his old army mates. Stuart
then asked me if I had ever
watched the show ‘Dad’s
Army’ and then he chuckled to himself again. We
viewed the clip he’d been
watching together, which
was classic British humour,
and we moved from laughter to discussing why there
are so many local conflicts
raging throughout the
world today. Stuart’s
wisdom and engagement
with the world at large was
once again evident in this
discussion.
Unlike some of us, Stuart is
also wise to the dangers
that come with sitting at a
computer screen for too
long. The other day he
came into the lounge area
and shared his next activity
for the day with us. He was
on his way to the garden,
and popped in to show us a
plastic container, some
silverbeet seeds and a plastic bag. A ready-made
greenhouse for his seeds to
flourish. Stuart is a keen
gardener, lover of people
and lover of life.
Stuart, these are just some
of my moments with you.
Many others have unique
experiences with you, and
from all of us I’d like to say,
We Salute You!
~ Sue Frydman
(Sue is an Activities worker
for Otway Health, Yoga
Teacher and Freelance
Scones à la Mary Day
3 cups self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
METHOD
Pre-heat oven to a medium-hot oven. Sift flour
and salt together. Add cream and milk, mix with a
knife. Gently pat out dough, cut into shapes. Bake until golden, around 15 minutes. Turn tray after 10 minutes. When cooked, remove from tray and cover with a tea towel to keep moist.
For sweet scones, add sultana or dried fruit and 1 egg
FREE SENIORS FORUM
Be sure to mark this date in your calendar!
Friday 16th November 2012
Krambruk Room, Apollo Bay Hotel
10.00am - 3.30pm
Guest speakers include:
Anne Johnson, Vision Australia
Gary Ferguson, Seniors Rights Victoria
Chris Modra, South West Do Care
Mary busy signing copies of ‘Cooks on Course’
99 AND GOING STRONG
It must be something in the
scones, but at the glorious
age of 99 and with no signs
of slowing down, Otway
Health resident, Mary Day
continues to inspire.
A few months back, Mary
invited by the Apollo Bay Golf
Club to sign copies of the
cookbook, which is a collaboration of recipes from the
Club’s members. Mary was
considered ‘the driver of the
kitchen’ back in the day and
to 200 scones to cater for
those attending the tournaments. Be sure to pick up
your copy today for only $12
from the Apollo Bay Golf
Course. Maybe this little gem
holds the elixir of a good life!
The perfect opportunity to meet with experts in the field
where you can learn everything from latest equipment and
aids to make life easier, your rights as a senior through to
information on Aged Care and Respite services at Otway
Health.
Our morning session (10.00am -12.00pm) is your chance to
pop by and meet with representatives one on one and ask
questions. Representatives from Otway Health, Whitecross,
Alzheimer’s Australia, Commonwealth Carers, Centrelink
will be on hand.
The afternoon will include the above guest speakers and
your chance to sit back and join us for a complimentary
afternoon tea.
This event is open to the community. See you there!
If you require transportation to this event, please call
Otway Health on 5237 8500. Alternatively designated
parking is available for walkers and scooters.