Issue 03 - KinCare

Issue 03, 2 0 0 9
NEWSL E T T E R
In- Home Care Specialists
His
Story
Frank (not his real name), a
Navy War Veteran and client of
KinCare, served in the Navy for
seven years and was awarded
the Pacific Star, Burma Star and
Italian Star for his service.
“
Despite his heroism as
an Australian serviceman,
the demands of the
war and experiences
he faced caused him to
fall into depression.
”
Looking back, Frank feels his
depression was brought on by
a combination of exhaustion,
isolation and lack of sleep
from demanding rosters and
unforgiving random air strikes.
Frank recalls that he and his
fellow sailors rarely had more
than an hour of sleep at a
time, struggling with the
cramped conditions and
unbearable humidity.
Frank will always remember the
sense of relief he felt as the ship
headed home.
Post war conditions were tough
and adapting was difficult.
He continued to experience
depression and knows many
other former servicemen with
similar experiences.
(Returned & Services League of
Australia) helped him cope and
ultimately recover.
Frank has overcome the
depression and lives a happy,
fulfilled life. His story is a symbol
of hope for people still struggling
with depression. Depression
can be overcome with time
and support from loved ones,
professional services and other
people with similar experiences.
The dark memories have faded
with time, but Frank still vividly
recalls the emotions he felt. At
one point he turned to alcohol,
but now realises that support
from his family, friends and
other war veterans is what
really carried him through the
difficult times. Talking to others
with similar experiences and
forming strong ties with the RSL
IN THIS EDITION
Support For Carers
All About Depression
Growing To Serve You Better
What’s Your Favourite Recipe?
Feedback: Survey Responses
Tidbits: News & Updates
Staff Profile
Ask For ID!
As he fell into depression he
endeavored to go through the
motions of the job and respond
to emergency situations with
automatic, trained actions. He
tried to suppress his feelings
but experienced a series of
emotional breakdowns.
KINCARE SERVICES
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MEAL PREPARATION
SOCIAL SUPPORT
TRANSPORT
HOUSEKEEPING
PERSONAL CARE
NURSING
Support for
Carers
Welcome...
to KinCare’s final
newsletter for the year.
Are you caring
for someone
with depression?
Help is available.
As a new initiative in 2009 it’s
quickly proved to be a valuable
resource. We received such a
positive response that we‘ve
now decided to continue with
the newsletter and you will be
receiving a new edition quarterly
throughout 2010.
Recognising Depression
Learning about depression and
being able to recognise the early
warning signs is a key part of
providing care to a person suffering
from depression.
A lot has happened since the
last edition, it’s hard to know
where to start. So much in fact,
that our newsletter has doubled
in size.
Depression is often difficult to
diagnose. It is not simply feeling
down for a little while. It is a serious,
debilitating condition that can last
for long periods.
The chosen theme for this
edition is ‘depression’. Depression
is experienced by 1 in 5 people
at some point during their
lifetime. It is particularly common
amongst carers and older people.
We hope you find the following
articles informative and helpful.
KinCare has taken on several
new contracts since our last
newsletter. Read more about
them on page 5.
The client survey and focus
groups we’ve conducted
provided us with some amazing
feedback. We look forward to
receiving more of your ideas
and thoughts in the coming
months to help us grow and
improve in 2010.
Best wishes for the coming
holiday season.
Therese Adami
General Manager
2
K inCare
Depression affects people in
different ways. Changes in eating
habits, sleeping routines and
general behaviour can be warning
signs of depression.
Do you want to
continue living
independently
in your home?
Need help or advice?
CALL NOW for a free, no obligation,
phone consultation with our
qualified Community Care staff.
1300 733 510
Looking After Yourself
As a carer, trying to do it all yourself,
can take its toll on you emotionally
and physically. The care and support
you provide plays an important
role in your loved one’s life, but it is
important to also look after yourself.
You must remember that while you
may be the main caregiver, you are
not alone. Seek out the help and
support you need.
Maintain Open Communication
Look at ways to keep the
communication open between
yourself and the person you are
caring for. It is common for people
suffering from depression to
w w w.k incare.com.au
withdraw, so encourage regular
communication to monitor
their situation.
advocacy, respite, carer support
groups and education programs
for carers.
Where to Get Support
As well as consulting with your
doctor, other resources are
available such as counselling,
Take advantage of the help
available, learn as much as you can
about depression and get health
professionals involved to provide
an effective treatment program.
If you need help finding support,
call one of our program managers to
discuss the support available to you.
All About
Depression
Understanding
Depression
Causes of Depression in
Older People
Depression does not discriminate.
It can affect a person of any age
and during any stage of life.
Depression can be triggered by
an event, but quite often, the
cause is not clear to the sufferer.
Depression is not a normal part of
ageing. Symptoms of depression
can easily be confused with other
illnesses or medical conditions,
making it difficult to diagnose
in older people. Any change in
behaviour or routine should be
discussed with a health care
professional at an early stage.
While some people seek the
necessary help, others struggle
to acknowledge their condition
and depression can go untreated
for a long period of time.
Understanding depression
and being able to accept your
condition plays a major part in
the treatment process. If you’re
noticing changes in your life and
are finding daily tasks difficult, it’s
time to share your concerns with
your carer or your GP.
What to look for
•Lack of interest in everyday
events and activities
•social withdrawal
(avoiding family and friends)
•feelings of anxiety
•loss of energy
Chronic pain, loneliness or the
death of a loved one can be just a
few of the triggers that bring on
depression. Vitamin deficiencies
and even certain prescription
medications can affect your mental
health. This is why it’s vital to talk
with your GP about any changes you
may be experiencing.
Coping with depression
Depression can and should be
treated no matter what stage of life
you’re at. Taking into consideration
the possible cause of depression,
simple lifestyle changes can be part
of the process. For more severe
depression, anti-depressants and
counselling may be the preferred
method of treatment. It’s important
to seek help and start on the road
to recovery. Nobody should suffer in
silence.
If left untreated depression can
have a serious effect on your overall
health, personal relationships and
ability to live independently.
Once diagnosed, many people feel
a sense of relief as it provides them
with an explanation for the changes
in behaviour and the feelings they’ve
been experiencing.
•general tiredness
Where to seek help
•poor sleep patterns
Your local GP
•downturn in personal
appearance and hygiene;
Counsellors
Your KinCare Program Manager
•difficulty with concentration
•feelings of guilt
K inCare
3
Growing
to Serve
You Better
respond to needs in:
At KinCare, we are
expanding and
investing in our
services so we can
serve you better!
• South East Sydney
During July we were excited
to receive news that we were
successful in tendering for
new community care services
through the Australian
Government Department of
Health and Ageing. This is part
of an important government
initiative to expand the care
available to support older people
living in their own home.
We will be adding 173 new
Community Aged Care Packages,
Extended Aged Care at Home
Packages and Extended Aged
Care at Home Dementia packages
across NSW and the ACT.
These packages were launched
in September and October and
are helping reduce waitlists and
What’s
Your
Fa vourite
Recipe?
4
• Canberra
• Northern Sydney
• Western Sydney
• South West Sydney
• NSW Southern Highlands
LAUNCHES
KinCare conducted 7 launches
or our new programs during
September and October. The
launches were well attended by
other service providers, health
care providers, members of
parliament, clients, carers and
other interested people.
Thankyou to each of you who
attended one of our launches.
We really enjoyed the opportunity
to meet you.
This success recognises the
significant investment KinCare has
been making in leading innovation
and service improvement in
Community Care over many years.
These new packages will enable
us to serve even more people.
They will also enable further growth
of our investment in research and
development.
A quick and easy recipe on the
table in under 30 mins.
Serves 4
400g spaghetti
1 lemon
1 /4 cup olive oil
1 x 400g diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves crushed
Share your favourite recipe!
Send your recipes to:
1 x 425g Italian style tuna
in oil
Newsletter Editor
KinCare PO Box 7607
Baulkham Hills NSW 2153
[email protected]
1 /3 cup continental
parsley
K inCare
We are committed to creating
innovative new models of
client care and to continuously
improving your experience with
our services.
2 tbs capers rinsed
coarsely chopped
We were inspired by many of your
stories of achievement, resilience
and hope. One comment in
particular stood out and reminded
us to always be thankful for what
we have: “I used to cry because I
had no shoes, then I met a man
with no feet...”
Instructions
1. Cook the spaghetti in large saucepan
of salted water following packet
directions or until al dente then drain.
2. Meanwhile use a zester to remove
rind from the lemon and cut rind into
very thin strips. Juice the lemon. Heat
the oil in a large fry pan over medium
heat add tomato and garlic cook for 2-3
minutes. Add lemon juice, tuna, capers
and half the parsley. Cook for 5 minutes
or until the sauce thickens.
Season with pepper.
3. Add pasta to the tuna mixture and toss
to combine. Divide pasta mixture
among serving bowls. Top with rind and
remaining parsley to serve.
To give a kick you could also add chilli.
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KinCare Services Map
√
SCHEDULING
Systems Update
Community Care is people
intensive and complex. We need
to get many different things right
in order to get you the high quality
service you expect.
Sitting at the heart of our services
is our scheduling process. Our
schedulers aim to ensure you get
the right staff member, with the right
skills and qualifications arriving to
provide your service at the time
you expect.
WA
NSW
VIC
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C
lbo entra th Hi ydne entra id N
urn l W ghl y & l C ort
est and Blu oas h C
e
oa
s& eM t
st
AC ou
nta
T
ins
Me
Pe
rt
h
42.44 %
KinCare
SIX
Top
Languages Spoken
0.49 %
11.31 %
8.37 %
4.29 %
2.94 %
1.60 %
18.96 %
Client Age
0.72 %
We are in the process of
implementing industry-leading
scheduling systems.
1) Greek
2) Italian
3) Spanish
4) German
5) Arabic (incl. Lebanese)
6) Assyrian (incl. Aramaic)
We aim to:
1) Further increase the reliability of
your services, so you get the service we
promise, with the right person, at the
right time.
2) Make service runs more attractive
for staff so we can increase staff
retention and improve the consistency
of your services.
0+
10
9
-9
90
9
-8
80
9
-7
70
9
-6
60
9
-5
50
9
-4
40
9
-3
9
30
20
-2
Our schedulers and program
managers will be in touch with you
over the coming months to discuss
what you can expect and how these
changes will affect you.
Client Age
FEEDBACK
SURVEY RESPONSES
Thank you to everybody who
provided feedback through our
satisfaction surveys earlier this
year and to everybody who
participated in our focus groups
during September.
We recently received the
detailed reports and are using
these to improve our services.
Many of you indicated your
experience with our services has
been good and is continuing to
improve. You indicated our staff
had become more responsive
and our invoicing process was
much better. However, you also
indicated you wanted us to further
improve your experience when
you call our office.
Your feedback again reinforced
that the most important part of our
services is what happens during
service delivery in your homes. You
want reliable services from honest
and professional staff who have
a good attitude. You want your
services to be thorough and to pay
attention to detail.
We appreciate all the positive
feedback you provided. We have
also taken note of the opportunities
for improvement. In particular, the
need for our services to meet the
high standards we aspire to all
the time.
In response to your feedback we
have implemented new procedures
in the office and are providing
further training to our staff. We are
also in the process of upgrading
our phone system to enable us
to be more responsive and have
implemented new feedback
and support processes for our
Community Care Assistants.
Keep the feedback coming.
Your input and ideas help us
keep improving our services.
K inCare
5
KinCare
EVENTS
2009
looking back
6
K inCare
City to Surf
Can you imagine
standing side by side
with 70,000 people?
The atmosphere is exciting, electric
and exhilarating! Welcome to the
City to Surf, the biggest fun run in
the world.
I loved being involved in the event
this year with KinCare and also met
a new friend who I found really
inspiring.
Tim Dennys is a KinCare staff
member in the ACT. He was born to
English parents in Sri Lanka in the
1940s and attended boarding school
in Melbourne. I met him in our
Canberra office where he indicated
he would love to join the KinCare
team in the run.
What struck me was his dedication
to fitness. He ran the City to Surf
this year in 81.20 minutes. This is
an average of 10.4km per hour
along a grueling route that includes
Heart Break Hill. He has run the race
every year since 1988 and this year
finished in the top 11% of runners in
his age group.
I have always known it is important
to stay active. Seeing Tim in the
City to Surf has motivated me to do
more about it.
Jerome Barrientos
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TIDBITS
NE W S & UPDATES
Xmas Care
Growth of Melbourne Office
It’s hard to believe, but Christmas
and the New Year are almost upon
us. Over this period many of you
have family commitments or go
away. Many of our staff also like
to take some leave. Your program
manager will have noted if you
have requested services on the
public holidays. If your needs have
changed, please contact us as soon
as possible.
Our Melbourne office is continuing
to grow and KinCare has been
accredited as an approved provider
by a number of government
programs. KinCare is an Approved
Aged Care Provider for community
and flexible care. We are also
approved to provide care under
the Veterans’ Nursing, Veterans’
Home Care, Worksafe, and Transport
Accident Commission programs,
and provide services for the
Department of Human Services.
New Telephone Systems
We are about to commence a field
trial of tablet PC’s for assessments.
Program managers complete
assessment forms on an electronic
tablet while they talk to you. The
forms can provide them additional
support and prompts. You can view
and sign the screen.
We are working very hard to
continue to improve the service
levels you experience when you
call our office. Quality control and
training are essential to enable
us to keep improving. As a part
of this we are upgrading our
telephone systems. All inbound
and outbound calls will be
recorded for quality, coaching and
improvement purposes.
Involvement in
Movember
Calendar of Upcoming
Special Days
Movember:
Bringing back the Mo
and Men’s Health
- Depression Awareness
Oct 2009
- Remembrance Day
11 Nov 2009
- World Diabetes Day
14 Nov 2009
- National food Safety Week
09-15 Nov 2009
- Skin Cancer Awareness
Summer 2009
TABLET PC’s
KinCare supports a variety of
charitable events each year. In
November several of our staff
including our CEO will grow a
moustache to raise money to
support prostate cancer and
depression initiatives for men.
We look forward to seeing the
photos in the next edition of
the newsletter.
- Intnl Week for People with a Disability 03 Dec 2009
- Christmas
25 Dec 2009
- Boxing Day
26 Dec 2009
- New Year’s Day
01 Jan 2010
- Australia Day
26 Jan 2010
K inCare
7
Staff Profile
In this third edition of our
newsletter, we introduce you to
Lyn, one of our Live-in Respite
Care Personnel.
Lyn has committed much of her
life to providing care and support
for older people and people with
a disability. She commenced with
KinCare following many years
working with people with complex
disabilities. For the past 9 years she
has provided respite care for her
clients, which can range from a
couple of days through to several
weeks at any one time.
Lyn feels privileged to have met
so many wonderful people who
have shared their life experiences
with her. The highlight of her
career has been the opportunity to
listen to her clients talk about their
upbringing, the challenges they
faced and the accomplishments
they’ve achieved. Every client
has a unique and intriguing story
to tell.
Your safety and security
are our priority.
PHOTO IDENTIFICATION
Samantha Jane Smith
Program Manager
Apart from the clients she meets,
Lyn feels fortunate to have a great
team of colleagues working with
her. “I really can’t say enough about
the fantastic and supportive staff I
work with at KinCare.”
Positive Feedback
COMMENTS FROM CLIENTS
“I am very pleasesd with Valentina... She is a wonderful assistant... Thank you.
“I cannot recommend you all highly enough, both when my husband had
Alzheimers and now that I am 81. Your telephone staff and everyone who has
helped us over these years are so helpful and cheerful and caring. Thank you
so much.”
“Thank you all for looking after me and keeping my unit clean. I used to go to
exercise classes when I was fit, but now I have a bad shoulder, leg and back
but I won’t complain as your staff are excellent.
CONTAC T
DE TAIL S
Ask for ID !
T 1300 733 510
F 1300 733 520
[email protected]
www.kincare.com.au
PO BOX 218
DEAKIN WEST
AC T 2600
PO BOX 7607
BAULK HAM HILLS
BUSINESS CENTRE
NSW 2153
ID: K-375023
P-1300 733 510, F-1300 733 520
9
7 815 8 9 3 7 5 0 2 3
All KinCare staff wear a uniform and
carry photograph identification.
Ask for this as a normal part of your
routine to protect your security.
If you’re unsure of who is at your
door or why, then insist on more
details. To confirm a visit from a
Kincare assistant, just pick up the
phone and give us a call.
Your safety and wellbeing is
our priority.
PO BOX 257
MULGRAVE
VIC 3170
PO BOX 237
APPLECROSS
WA 6953
FEEDBACK FORM
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o r c o m m e n t o n t h i n g s w e s h o u l d k e e p d o i n g.
Name:
Phone:
Address:
Email:
Comments:
T h a n k y o u fo r y o u r fe e d b a c k . P l e a s e t i c k t h e b o x b e l o w i f y o u a re w i l l i n g t o a l l o w K i n C a re t o u s e y o u r c o m m e n t i n o u r
c o m m u n i c a t i o n m a t i e r i a l s.
� Ye s, y o u m a y u s e my n a m e a n d c o m m e n t .
� Ye s, y o u m a y u s e my c o m m e n t , b u t p l e a s e d o n o t u s e m y n a m e .
K inCare
ACN 082 296 437 - KinCare Community Ser vices Pty Ltd
ACN 095 961 005 - KinCare Health Ser vices Pty Ltd