Conversations Have Started

Why would someone need to talk to a Social Worker?  What does a Home Care Package Coordinator do?  These were just a few of the questions discussed at today’s Healthy Conversation with special guests from the Central Highlands Rural Health team.   

When you Need Help but Don’t Know Where to Start?

Knowing when it can be helpful to access support from health professionals is not as straight forward as you’d think.  It’s not just a question of access to services, waiting lists or cost.  Sometimes you just don’t know what help you need.  

Something doesn’t feel right, but you ignore the niggles or hold off because you don’t want to be an imposition.  Other times you think it’s a burden you need to shoulder, and that there really isn’t anyone out there who can help you change that.

What we discovered today is that when that happens, a Social Worker may be able to help.  To access a Social Worker in our community you can call Central Highlands Rural Health on 5345 9750 (that's the Clunes number).  Their team are skilled to know the right person, professional or service that you might need to talk to.   

Local and Professional Insight

The other advantage of the Central Highlands Rural Health team is that they also have a great idea of what is happening on the ground across the shire.  So when we were talking with a member of the Home Care Packages team, we discovered some of the information you need to know in our community, to help select a Home Care Packages provider.  

Knowing who offers what, getting a chance to simply talk about what this means at a local level, and how that might help you - now or in the future - is what these conversations are all about.  

Next Conversation?

Next week (Thursday, 16th May. 10am for a 10.30am start) we have another Healthy Conversation coming up in Clunes.  We’ll be joined by Services Australia where their Age Care Specialist will be able to talk to us about My Aged Care, as well as financial services.  Given the focus of the topic, we’ll be holding this conversation at Attitude, 25 Fraser Street, Clunes.  

Not able to come but got questions?  Why not send them to us so we can ask for you?  Email manager@clunesnh.org. Able to come? Great.  We’ll see you there with a yummy morning tea ☕️.

These Healthy Conversations events are part of the Living and Ageing Well in Hepburn project supported by the Western Victoria Primary Health Network under the Australian Government’s Primary Health Networks Program.  This project involves a partnership with Central Highlands Rural Health, Attitude - Ageing Well in Clunes and Clunes Neighbourhood House. These conversations are happening all over the Hepburn Shire via the network of Neighbourhood Houses. In Clunes, they are combined with regular meetings of the Neighbourhood Carers Club funded by the State Government of Victoria, Connecting Carer’s Support Program 2023.