May 2011 - Volunteer Ambulance Officers Association of Tasmania

Volunteer Ambulance Officers Association of Tasmania Incorporated
Vol 15 No 4 - May 2011
Congratulations to Greg Whittington
West Coast Volunteer of the Year
Darryl Gerrity (West Coast Mayor), Greg Whittington, Dominic Morgan (CEO AT), Helen Wiggins (7XS Radio Station Manager)
Details & more pictures on page 5
IN THIS EDITION ......
PHIL’S THOUGHTS - 'Music Adrenalin'
2 COMMUNICATION - with a person with dementia
11
HI FROM K.I. - Pam reports on the past 3 months
5 COOKING FOR ONE - losing a wife of 60 years
13
COORDINATOR VOLUNTEER STRATEGY
6 REFLECTIONS ON LIFE… from Hal Newman
15
QUEENSTOWN AMBULANCE - meet Ron & Colin 9 MOSTLY MEDICAL PUZZLE / WORD SEARCH
FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011 -
17
I
wonder if William Shakespeare was aware of the
strength of music when he wrote in ‘Twelfth
Night’, “If music be the food of love, play on“.
Because now, over 500 years later, we are discovering how
beneficial music can be for some health problems. A study
has found that it makes the brain release a chemical that
gives pleasure.
Scientists are uncertain just why humans have developed
such a refined system for music processing, and are unsure
if it occurs in animals. I know that some farmers played
music in the cow shed at milking time and from what I read
that old favourite Mozart seems to give the best results.
volunteers, they have discovered that the brain
released dopamine as music was being played.
This is when the brain makes decisions that
make us want to tap our feet, dance, and listen
in delight.
Music is also used as a therapy for some mental
problems and in tests at the Tel Aviv Medical
Centre, for once a day on two consecutive days,
doctors played either 30 minutes of music by
the 18th-century composer Mozart, or no music,
to 20 pre-term babies. After listening to the
music, the babies were calmer and so expended
less energy than the no-music group. When
babiesʹ energy expenditure is decreased, they donʹt
need as many calories to grow, so can gain weight
and thrive more quickly
One theory is that song may have evolved out of the
language phenomenon called prosody, or the changing of
Scientists have discovered that the brain releases tones in our speech when asking a question or making a
Dopamine, which is a substance that brain cells use to statement. Also it may have evolved out of attempts to
communicate with each other. As a chemical messenger, soothe infants with non-verbal sounds. However it
dopamine is similar to adrenalin. Dopamine affects brain developed, it has taken many years, and with the discovery
processes that control movement, emotional response, and of Neanderthal flutes in Europe suggests that a ʺmusic
the ability to experience pleasure and pain. Tests
instinctʺ has been developing within us for
show this gives the same pleasant sensation as
thousands of years. One music psychologist at the
eating a tasty meal or indulging in sex.
University of Cambridge, Ian Cross, thinks
ʺWithout music, it could be that we would
The scientists were aware that the brain did
“Without music, never have become human”.
this, but now through a series of tests on
it could be that
we would never
have become
human.”
In the tests it was revealed that only
certain music had this affect, hopefully you
will have all experienced the thrill of listening to a
certain passage of music that sends a shiver down
your spine or makes the hairs on the back of your
neck stir. And while it appears there does not need to be
any vocal input, more tests are being undertaken. But as
most of us have our favourite pieces of music we have the
enjoyment of anticipating the part that gives us the most
thrill, which must add to the excitement. The pleasure that
most people get from music may explain why it is so
popular around the world, even though the music of the
different cultures is so varied.
In case you are wondering the pieces of music that I
enjoy, they are Barberʹs Adagio for Strings, Tchaikovsky’s
1812, not forgetting Wagner’s Siegfried’s Funeral March. And
I find it impossible to keep my body still in the last five
minutes of the “Spring” movement in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
Listening to Classic Music on ABC all day helps to keep
the dopamine flowing.
And what about the unmusical person?
It was found that some of the brain circuits related to
music appear to be separate from the ones that deal with
language and other noises in our surroundings. This
discovery came about from tests with people with amusia,
who have a severe type of deafness related to tone. Not
being able to understand the difference with pitch in
music, they have a problem with singing in tune, dancing
very well and are unable to remember songs. Not able to
recognise music, some reported it was just a noise and
some felt stressed when listening. Luckily most have full
cognitive abilities and their hearing and language are
unaffected.
If you listen to the latest “pop” songs you will realise
that not all music has the gift to release dopamine. From
my experience certain types of music, the sort I call
carpenter music as it sounds like someone banging nails in,
has just the opposite effect, especially if you are trying to
sleep and someone has a party nearby.
2 - FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011
Cheers and happy listening
Phil Dennis
Source:
• http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2011/01/10/
science-music-brain-dopamine.html#ixzz1Am45be8M
• www.Google
ON MY SOAPBOX
Have you looked at the VAOAT website lately? It’s
updated regularly with items of news and you can
download the latest edition of First Response or look at a
back issue. While you’re on the website be sure to check
out our Online Shop for a range of merchandise, including
clothing and the new items advertised below. An insulated
mug may be just the thing if you’re sick of hearing the
pager go off just as you have made yourself a cup of coffee.
We would love you to share your ideas & opinions
with everyone via our Forums - there are two dedicated
areas, one for all VAOs and one for coordinators. All you
have to do is register and then join in. Access to the
Forums is restricted to VAOs and not available to the
general public; we also still have a few more drink bottles
& lanyards to give away to the two top contributors (for
useful contributions only, of course).
May 2011 marks the 15th anniversary of the VAOAT.
We met at Tarraleah less than a week after the Port Arthur
tragedy, three volunteers attending that meeting had been
in the first ambulances to arrive at Port Arthur and as they
told their stories, it seemed to give the process of unifying
volunteers more purpose. And now, 15 years later, we can
see so many achievements and positive changes for our
VAOs. Grant Lennox, former CEO, showed his support
from Day 1 and now Dominic Morgan is continuing this
by meeting with the Board every three months.
I’ll be seeing some of you soon at King Island and I
believe the local vollies have been very busy organising a
varied programme of activities. They have
arranged a mix of speakers & clinical
practice but they are also keen to show
off their home, so we’re all in for a
good weekend.
Bye for now,
Margaret
WORKING WITH YOU FOR A
STRONG COMMUNITY
Newsletters like this one help to keep the
community informed and strong, I’m proud
to be able to assist with the production of
this newsletter.
Please contact my office if I can assist you
in any way.
53B Main Road
P.O. Box 50,
Perth 7300
58A High Street
P.O. Box 271
New Norfolk 7140
Phone: 6398 1115
Fax: 6398 1120
Phone: 6261 3366
Fax: 6261 1030
Toll Free Call: 1300 132 689
Email: [email protected]
Written and Authorised by Dick Adams, 53B Main Road, Perth, Tas. 7300
VAOAT Membership
*** PLEASE NOTE ***
Membership is $10 per VAO, per year and should be sent
to Lesley Green, 74 Hookey Street, Rokeby 7019
If you still have any of the old forms (quoting $5)
please throw them away.
Marg Dennis
FOR SALE
Insulated Coffee Mugs ~ Torches ~ Pens
• Insulated Coffee mug blue, with VAOAT logo,
generous 16oz, ideal to
keep your drink secure &
hot while traveling.
Coffee mug:
$10.00
Torch:
$7.50
Pen:
$3.00
$18.00
per set
• Torch - ‘silver’, with
carabiner clip & batteries
included. **Not for use
when checking pupil
reaction.
• Pen - ‘silver’, with
* Please add
$8.00 per set if
you would like it
posted to you.
To order, contact:
Marg Dennis 4 Nevin Street, Rossarden 7213
Tel/Fax: (03) 6385 2147 Email: [email protected]
OR go to our website Online Shop:
www.tasmanianambulancevolunteers.asn.au/online_shop.php
carabiner clip.
FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011 - 3
Definitions
•
Critical Incident Stress
Management
Helping normal people get over normal
reactions to abnormal events.
24 Hour Contact: 0427 181 207
Services:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Education & information sessions
Defusing & on scene support
Group debriefing
Individual debriefing
Follow-up assistance
Advice to partners, families & friends
3 Ways to Activate the Team:
• Contact your communications/control
room and request the CISM
Programme
• Contact a Programme member who is
known to you
• Phone 0427 181 207 direct
Tasmanian Emergency
Services
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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•
ADULT - A person who has stopped growing at both
ends and is now growing in the middle.
BEAUTY PARLOUR - A place where women curl up
and dye.
CHICKEN - The only animal you eat before they are
born and after they are dead.
COMMITTEE - A body that keeps minutes and wastes
hours.
DUST - Mud with the juice squeezed out.
EGOTIST - Someone who is usually me-deep in
conversation.
HANDKERCHIEF - Cold Storage.
INFLATION - Cutting money in half without
damaging the paper.
MOSQUITO - An insect that makes you like flies better.
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS - A doctrine, fostered by a
delusional, illogical minority.
RAISIN - Grape with a sunburn.
SECRET - Something you tell to one person at a time.
SKELETON - A bunch of bones with the person
scraped off.
TOOTHACHE - The pain that drives you to extraction.
TOMORROW - One of the greatest labour-saving
devices of today.
YAWN - An honest opinion openly expressed.
WRINKLES - Something other people have .... similar
to my character lines.
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* We provide basic typesetting free of charge.
However, we do charge extra for logo design, creation
or purchase of other images.
Also, there may be an additional charge if we have to
improve/alter the artwork that you have provided.
- from Mary Knowles
4 - FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011
For all of your custom label needs....
Rentonʹs Labels
Phone: 1-800 736 861 or (02) 9631 3366
Fax: 1-800 679 140 or (02) 9631 2799
Email: [email protected]
As I write this the King Island Gathering is only three
weeks away, and its organisation has taken up most of my
time in the last three months.
The KI Gathering Committee has worked extremely
hard to produce this event and are now at the final stages
of ʺtying up loose endsʺ. For those of you lucky enough to
be attending, Iʹm sure youʹre going to have a great time.
I hear the Queenstown Gathering Committee are also
working hard to give you another great event in
November, so start planning your rosters so you can
attend.
I recently took advantage of the
new Government Travel Website, to
book accommodation in Melbourne at
significantly reduced prices and
thought Iʹd take this opportunity to
bring it to your attention.
Any VAO can register to become a member, as long as
you use your DHHS email address, and when booking into
the hotel, take your VAO ID with you. Register by logging
into - http://www.government.travel and follow the
prompts.
Our CVS David continues to amaze with the amount of
work heʹs undertaking at AT on volunteers behalf. He will
be speaking at the Gathering, bringing everyone up to date
with developments so far (for those not attending there
will be a report in the next e-magazine).
I hope youʹre enjoying YOUR e-magazine, let me know
if you have any topic suggestions or if we can improve
anything.
Kind regards,
Pam Fanning
President VAOAT
Queenstown VAO Greg Whittington
West Coast Volunteer of the Year & winner of the P. J. Parssey Award
Greg received the P.J. Parssey Award Memorial Shield and his personnel award from Peter Geard (award
organiser) and Darrell Johnson (State President of the Australian Institute of Emergency Services in Tasmania).
The award was presented at a function at Hobart in late February along with the other 4 nominee’s and
Institute members. Congratulations to Greg, well deserved.
Ron Jones
Tasmanian Emergency Service Support Association
FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011 - 5
Coordinator Volunteer Strategy
New slogan for VAOAT
After 15 years, and with some regret, the time has come to change the
Association’s “More than a bandaid …. slogan.
More Than A Bandaid was a stroke of brilliance at the time, and has
been highly successful in raising public awareness, but there is general
agreement by the Board that it is time for a change.
The Association has adopted the new slogan “VAOAT CARES” (for
volunteers, for it’s members, for the Tasmanian public – however you
want to interpret it! CARES as in … communication - advocacy representation - encouragement – support.
Volunteer Leadership Opportunities
Occasionally, Ambulance Tasmania has the opportunity to nominate senior volunteers for leadership training and other
professional development opportunities.
The principle opportunity is the four day residential Volunteer Leadership Program at the Australian Emergency
Management Institute at Mt Macedon in Victoria. All arrangements and costs covered by the Attorney-General’s
Department on behalf of the Australian Emergency Management Volunteer Forum. There aren’t any specific courses
scheduled at present, but these courses usually fill quickly when they are announced. Other leadership development
opportunities also arise from time to time.
If you, or another senior volunteer in your group, would be interested in being considered for such opportunities, please
send a short Expression of Interest by email to [email protected] including:
• contact details
• a brief summary of your volunteer work (years, level, positions held etc.)
• a brief paragraph on why you think training would be of benefit and what you think you will get out of it
You can submit an Expression of Interest for yourself or on behalf of another volunteer, or feel free to forward this e-mail
to anyone in your group who you think would be a suitable candidate.
If you have previously submitted an Expression of Interest there is no need to submit another.
Second Uniform
On request, Ambulance Tasmania will now provide a second jumpsuit or two-piece uniform to any active Volunteer
Ambulance Officer who has:
a) completed their six month probation period, and
b) reasonable justification.
Normal uniform request and purchasing procedures are to be followed, so if you believe you need a second uniform (eg.
due to the number of shifts you do each month, or because your shifts tend to be back to back and there is insufficient time
to launder your uniform in between), please fill out a Uniform Request form and submit it through your BSO or Volunteer
Coordinator.
Ambulance Tasmania Staff Opinion Survey
All Ambulance Tasmania staff members, salaried and volunteer, are encouraged to complete the new Staff Opinion
Survey which is available online until 5:00pm on 11 May 2011.
All staff are encouraged to complete the survey to ensure that every aspect of Ambulance Tasmania is represented in the
results. This is your opportunity to help build a blueprint for the future.
The survey will help create a comprehensive snapshot of the Service and covers a number of topics including professional
development, team work, strategic direction and communication. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and
needs to be completed in one session. Please use the ʺDONEʺ button to save your responses.
The survey is anonymous. No one, including the researcher, will associate your responses with your identity.
(Continued on page 7)
6 - FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011
(Continued from page 6)
To access the survey please click on the link on the VAOAT website, on vGate or enter the following URL into your web
browser: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5WN9K3B
If you have any difficulties or questions please contact Heather on 6230 8020 or email [email protected]
Thanks you in advance for your participation.
Case Feedback
Ever been on a difficult case and wondered what happened to your patient
after they were taken away by another crew or after you left them at the
hospital?
Ambulance Tasmania has just published a “Case Feedback Request Form”
that volunteers can fill out if they were directly involved in patient care and
where there is legitimate reason for further information to be provided,
including where the volunteer officer believes:
• knowing the patient outcome at hospital will help you cope with any
stress resulting from the case, or
• learning the hospital diagnosis will assist development of your patient
assessment and diagnostic skills, or
• discussion may improve your case management and/or patient care in
the future.
The form can be downloaded from vGate and completed requests can be
submitted to your Regional Education Coordinator.
Employer Recognition
Ambulance Tasmania has just finalised new Corporate
Volunteering Guidelines which will improve recruitment,
recognition and retention of volunteers in rural and remote
communities whose boss lets them leave work to do ambulance jobs.
If you routinely leave work to respond to ambulance cases, please
make sure that Ambulance Tasmania knows so that they can
recognise your employer appropriately. Send details by email to
[email protected] or call (03) 6230-8010.
New Volunteers
Ambulance Tasmania is in the process of streamlining the processing of applications from new Volunteer Ambulance
Officers, and ensuring that procedures are uniform across all three regions.
The refinements will include:
• a new comprehensive Application Form;
• permission to attend cases as an Observer once the interview is complete, while the application including the Police
Records Check is being processed;
• a formalised “orientation” program to be completed prior to attending Essential Skills.
Details will be provided to Volunteer Coordinators and Branch Station Officers.
Forgotten Your vGate Password?
Most stations now use vGate to roster volunteers on-shift and track hours on-case. If you have forgotten your password,
you can:
• ask your Volunteer Coordinator or any BSO to change/reset your password
• many stations have a second (and sometime three!) vGate Admin users – they can also change/reset passwords
(their names appear in bold on the telephone list)
• if you can’t fix the problem locally, your region’s Operations Support Officer can also change/reset passwords.
(Continued on page 8)
FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011 - 7
(Continued from page 7)
DHHS Email Reminder
All VAOs are reminded that more and more information about Ambulance Tasmania and being a Volunteer Ambulance
Officer is being provided through their DHHS email account.
Those who do not check their DHHS email regularly, either at the station or via the Outlook Web interface at
https://mail.dhhs.tas.gov.au/ are strongly encouraged to set up automatic mail forwarding from their DHHS account to
their personal email address.
Instructions for setting up mail-forwarding are in the February issue of First Response
(http://www.tasmanianambulancevolunteers.asn.au/downloads/FR_Vol15_No3.pdf) or can be
downloaded from the Protocols tab on vGate.
David Godfrey-Smith
Coordinator Volunteer Strategy
e: [email protected]
m: 0488-537-000
New Zealand Urban Search and Rescue Deployment
Many AT staff expressed concern and volunteered to
be deployed following the earthquake in Christchurch.
Following a National decision to relieve the New South
Wales and Queensland Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
teams, a multi-jurisdictional USAR team was formed using
Paramedics and fire fighters from Tasmania, ACT and
South Australia. Ambulance Tasmania was asked to
provide two staff members. In addition, five Tasmanian
fire fighters were part of the team. Our Paramedics were
Adrian Abel and Peter James, who were led by a Victorian
MICA Paramedic with international deployment
experience.
The 72 member team met in Sydney on Friday night
(March 4th) for a briefing and were then flown by the
Australian Defence Force to Christchurch on Saturday.
Their deployment was for approximately 10 days before
returning home. Whilst in Christchurch they lived in a tent
city and received rations courtesy of the New Zealand
Defence Force.
To support our colleagues, AT set up the Ambulance
Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for the duration of
the deployment. This allowed for receipt and
dissemination of information as well as to provide support
to the families of our staff.
Peter and Adrian were appointed to “Bravo Watch”
and deployed into the City Centre of Christchurch to
complete their first mission. They describe the
Christchurch city centre as being “unusually quiet”, “like a
movie set”, “destroyed” and “eerie”.
“Tent City” was situated in Latimer Square just on the
eastern side of the city centre. There were 2 members per
tent, 24 hours access to amenities and 24 hour access to a
fully catered mess – both Peter and Adrian highlighted the
excellent quality of the food and the vast array of choice –
described as “5 star”. Both Peter and Adrian were
appreciative of the continued support of their colleagues
during this difficult and dangerous operation.
The Ambulance Tasmania Emergency Operations
Centre (EOC) - located alongside our State
Communications Department - was activated to provide
support, assistance and reporting during our USAR
deployment to New Zealand. The initial Ambulance
Commander for the incident was Acting Regional Manager
(North) Matthew Eastham followed by Acting Regional
Manager (South) Peter Morgan.
AT Service Updates 1 & 2, 8/3/11
VAO Discussion Forums
The winners of our monthly prizes (water bottle and lanyard) for Forum participation are… February - VAO Troy
Donnelly (Coles Bay), No Coordinator posts; March & April - No posts.
The Forum is your one stop shop to ask questions, share your ideas, express your views and get answers so please take
the time to be involved. It’s a good idea to log in regularly, say once a week, to catch up with whatʹs going on…but it
needs your input to work effectively.
VAOAT Board
8 - FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011
Queenstown Ambulance - meet two of the crew
VOLUNTEER MANAGER PROFILE – RON FOSS
VOLUNTEER PROFILE – COLIN SPINKS
• Age: 51.
• Age: Close to 70 years young.
• Organisation that you manage volunteers for: Ambulance
• Day Job: Colin is a Retiree, who spends his spare time
Tasmania.
• Paid or unpaid: Paid.
• How many volunteers do you manage? 20.
• Location where you manage volunteers: Queenstown.
• Describe the kind of tasks you undertake as a volunteer
manager: Training volunteer ambulance officers to have
the competence and confidence to manage medical and
traumatic emergencies.
• How did you get into managing volunteers? Part of my
position description.
• What is one of your favourite aspects of working with
volunteers? Contributing to their personal development.
• What is one piece of advice you might give to budding
volunteer managers? Take the time to understand their
motivation for volunteering and determine individual
learning styles.
Volunteering Tasmania eNews, March 2011
Reproduced by kind permission of Volunteering Tasmania
and Ron & Colin
improving his land and renovating his house.
• Location where you volunteer: Queenstown and
surrounding areas.
• Organisations that you volunteer for: Ambulance
Tasmania.
• Describe the work that you do: Mainly driving and
transporting patients, rostered on call, including
nightshift: for example, at 1.30am the pager rang for me
to meet up with the paramedic on the way to a call out.
• Approximately how many hours per week do you volunteer?
I have been volunteering for the Ambulance service for
11 months and during that time I have been trained at
Level 1. When I am on call I have done up to 5 x 12
hour shifts a week.
• How did you get into volunteering for this organisation? I
started playing chess with Gordon Roberts from Health
West and he suggested that I talk with Ron Foss,
Queenstown Paramedic, about volunteering in the
Ambulance.
• One of the best things about volunteering? I have been a
recluse for 7 years and this opportunity has brought me
out of my shell, meeting people and socialising with the
other volunteers. Even though I am not looking for
recognition, the best things are the sense of worth I
receive from people in the community. People say
‘Hello! How you going?’. I enjoy it and should have
done it years ago!
FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011 - 9
How Walking 10,000 Steps per Day Enhanced my
Insulin Sensitivity in a Couple of Months
Taking 10,000 steps per day (or walking about five
miles) is extremely healthy for you.
I started walking 1 month ago. I wake up every day at
5:30 and walk about 5 miles (with my pet).
Iʹm so happy with myself. Recently someone asked,
ʺWhat are you currently doing for exercise nowadays?ʺ I
informed her about the walking, and she said, ʺYeah, but
exactly what are you doing for exercise?ʺ
She declared that walking does not get the heart rate up
sufficiently and wonʹt do anything whatsoever to boost my
overall health or my waist line and that if I wished to lose
any weight, I needed a true workout.
I shared with her that this 10,000 steps philosophy isnʹt
new...however the 10,000 steps regimen has additionally
been connected to an increase in insulin sensitivity in older
adults.
In a 5 years Australian analysis of nearly 600 men and
women averaging fifty years age, walking a lot more steps
was connected with reductions in BMI (Body Mass Index),
waist to hip ratio, and insulin sensitivity.
The research, authored by analysts from the Murdoch
Childrenʹs Research Institute in Melbourne, was released
inside the British Medical Journal (BMJ). (Available here:
http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c7249.full.pdf?
sid=fc7e7b28-17b4-4173-894c-b3e493b71805)
The authors calculated a sedentary person who
modified behavior over 5yrs to fulfill the 10,000 daily step
principle might have a threefold improvement in insulin
sensitivity in contrast to somebody who worked up to
3,000 steps 5 days every week.
In line with the experts, the connection of step activity
with improved insulin sensitivity was mostly accounted
for by lower bmi.
So you? Are you still reading this report? Move out and
walk!
1) Have a pedometer.
2) In case you have a desk job, stand up and walk every
hour.
3) Park farther away from entrances.
4) Put down the telephone, eliminate that mail, and
walk.
5) Walk or jog in place during your favourite tv
program.
6) Go ahead and take stairs.
7) Pacing.
8) Go ahead and take puppy for a walk.
9) Hit the shopping center.
Stacy Federico
About the author: Stacy Federico is posting for the <a
href=ʺhttp://www.diabeticsnacks.org/ʺ>diabetic snacks
foods</a> website, her personal passion blog specialized in
tips to help website visitors to stop Diabetes and enhance
the awareness on healthy eating.
Queenstown Gathering
18-20th November 2011
Details available mid-2011.
www.tasmanianambulancevolunteers.asn.au
10 - FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011
Communicating with a Person with Dementia
“Give us time to speak, wait for us to search around that untidy heap on the floor of the brain for the word
we want to use. Try not to finish our sentences. Just listen and don’t let us feel embarrassed if we lose the
thread of what we say.” - Christine Bryden, author and person with dementia.
Losing the ability to communicate can be one of the
most frustrating and difficult problems for people with
dementia, their families and carers.
As the illness progresses, a person with dementia finds
it more and more difficult to express themselves clearly
and to understand what others say.
There are many causes of dementia, each affecting the
brain in different ways. Each person with dementia is
unique and difficulties in communicating thoughts and
feelings can be very different.
Changes you might notice include:
•
difficulty in finding a word. A related word might be
given instead of one they cannot remember
•
they may speak fluently, but not make sense
•
they may not be able to understand what you are
saying or only be able to grasp part of it
•
writing and reading skills may also deteriorate
•
they may lose the normal social conventions of
conversations and interrupt or ignore a speaker, or fail
to respond when spoken to,
and
•
they may have
appropriately.
difficulty
expressing
emotions
People retain their feelings and emotions even though
they may not understand what is being said, so it is
important to always maintain their dignity and selfesteem. Be flexible and always allow plenty of time for a
response.
What to do
•
Remain calm and talk in a gentle, straightforward way.
•
Keep sentences short and simple, focusing on one idea
at a time.
•
Always allow plenty of time for what you have said to
be understood.
•
It can be helpful to use familiar names whenever you
can, such as ‘Your son Jackʹ.
You may need to use hand gestures and facial
expressions to make yourself understood. Pointing or
demonstrating can help. A warm smile can often
communicate more than words can.
What not to do
•
Do not argue. It will only make me situation worse.
•
Do not order the person around.
•
Do not tell them what they cannot do. Instead state
what they can do.
•
Do not be condescending. A condescending tone of
voice can be picked up, even if the words are not
understood.
•
Do not ask a lot of direct questions that rely on a good
memory.
•
Do not talk about people in front of them as if they are
not there.
For further information on dementia, contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500
or visit the Alzheimers Australia web site at www.alzheimers.org.au
Article supplied courtesy of Alzheimers Australia
Centrelink NEWS FOR SENIORS, Spring/Summer 2010
WHY DO WE SAY?
*** Infant***
Thank You to the members of the
VAO unit at Wayatinah - for their very generous
donation to be used to assist training of VAOs.
The word we use for the young children at an early
stage of development comes from the Latin infantem, noun
use of the adjective with the
meaning of not able to speak
Phil Dennis
VAOAT Board
FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011 - 11
Connecting Australians in Singing
A NATIONAL NETWORK of SINGING GROUPS for MEN & WOMEN
Sing Australia is a national network of some 150 non-auditioned singing
groups that focuses on fun, friendship and providing support to their local
communities by “Connecting Australians in Singing”.
•
Nine groups in Tasmania - Hobart, Sorell, Kingston,
Launceston, Devonport, Scottsdale, Bridport, Flinders Island
and Campbell Town
• New groups can be created wherever a core number of people are
interested.
We welcome everyone to sing with us regardless of age, singing experience or
voice type. We believe the health and social benefits of singing together
should be available to all who want it. Sing Australia is great fun and it’s easy
to join.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Friendly and encouraging – all welcome
No auditions OR requirements to read music
No compulsory attendance
Large range of songs and styles
Regular national gatherings
Fun performances & events
Unique experiences
Tours – Australia & overseas
Moderate membership costs
Come along and discover the fun of Sing Australia!
Want to know more?
CONTACT: Jill North (State Coordinator) 6267 4659 / 0427 807 779
[email protected]
1300 552 296 / www.singaustralia.com.au
12 - FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011
Cooking for One
How do you fold a sheet on your own? Allen Saddler finds that it is the little things which
can be the hardest to bear as he comes to terms with losing his wife after 60 years together.
My wife died recently, and since then I have been going
through the process known as grieving. I have talked to
neighbours. One lost his wife a year ago and the other two
years ago, and they chart my progress. They tell me that
pouring out one cup of tea instead of two will feel normal
in a while. I’m not sure I want it to feel normal.
First of all there is the conviction that the absence is
temporary. That she will be returning soon. Someone you
have known for 60 years cannot suddenly disappear! This
lasts for about a week. Then the reality takes over. But even
then there is the business of talking aloud as though she
were still around, somewhere in the house. Every day I
give her a complete report on the day’s happenings. What
is in the post, telephone calls, people I have seen. I reckon
she needs to know.
The response from friends and acquaintances follows a
formula. Women put their arms around you. Men reach
out and touch your coat sleeve. I have found that people
are innately kind and sympathetic. ‘Keep punching,’ they
say. ‘Make sure you eat something. Come in for a coffee.’
Strange the way that coffee has overtaken tea as the universal healer.
I sent all her clothes to a charity shop the day after the
funeral, but things keep turning up. Bits of jewellery, odd
notebooks
in
which
she
had
written
enigmatic messages. There are things I still cannot touch. A
silk scarf on a bedroom cabinet, a travelling blanket she
always had on her side of the bed. The book she was rereading, The Grapes Of Wrath, is still on her bedside cabinet. Our son has her Swiss stationmaster’s watch of which
she was so proud.
Then there is the business of transferring our property
to my name. This is just a legal process but it feels like
treachery. We always shared everything. It seems odd that
it all belongs to me. ‘It’ll take time,’ say my neighbours. But
it’s odd going to the cinema and the theatre on my own.
No one to compare notes with. No argument over the content of the piece. I have to rely on my own judgement from
now on.
For the first month there are things to do, forms to fill
in, people to notify, but then you are into a new phase of
self-reliance. How do you fold a sheet on your own? Have
those trousers had it? Is that swelling big enough to go to
the doctor? I’m not grumbling. We had a longer period
together than most married couples. I know I’ve been
lucky. When we got married it was meant to last.
Strangely enough, her death has brought a new freedom.
After five years of being a carer I can go anywhere, for any
length of time, without worrying, and stay out late, which
I’ve tried without much joy.
I suppose this all comes under the term ‘grieving’,
which, up to now, has been an abstract, meaningless
phrase. Is it healthy? Is it a natural passage of time after
which everything will fall into place?
We met during the war. She was a nurse looking after
40 wounded German soldiers. As they were technically
prisoners of war they had to be guarded. So I was drafted
to the ward, and during 12-hour night shifts the Germans
could see that a romance was taking place.
So I have a life full of memories which, as a writer, I
am sure I shall put to good use – that is when I get used to
cooking meals for one.
http://www.theoldie.co.uk
How to Dance in the Rain
It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly
gentleman in his 80s arrived at the hospital to have stitches
removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he
had an appointment at 9:00 am.
The nurse took his vital signs and had him take a seat,
knowing it would be over an hour before someone would
to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and
decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would
evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I
talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to
remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had
another doctorʹs appointment this morning, as he was in
such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to
go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.
I inquired as to her health.
He told me that she had been there for a while and that
she was a victim of Alzheimerʹs Disease.
As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a
bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was,
that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him, “And you still go every
morning, even though she doesnʹt know who you are?”
He smiled as he patted my hand and said, “She doesnʹt
know me, but I still know who she is.”
I had to hold back tears as he left and I thought, “That
is the kind of love I want in my life.”
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is
an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not
be.
Life isnʹt about how to survive the storm, but ʺHow to
dance in the rain.ʺ
FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011 - 13
ʺTHE GREEN THINGʺ
In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman
that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic
bags werenʹt good for the environment. The woman
apologized to her and explained, ʺWe didnʹt have the green
thing back in my day.ʺ
The cashier replied, ʺThatʹs our problem today, the
older generation didn’t care about the environment.ʺ
Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles
and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to
the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it
could use the same bottles over and over. So they really
were recycled.
In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didnʹt
have an escalator in every store and office building. They
walked to the grocery store and didnʹt climb into a 300horsepower machine every time they had to go two
blocks.
Back then, they washed the babyʹs nappies because
they didnʹt have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes
on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up
220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes.
Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or
sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not
a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size
of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Tasmania. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand
because they didnʹt have electric machines to do everything for you.
When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail,
they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not
polystyrene or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, they didnʹt fire up an engine and burn fuel
just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on
human power. They exercised by working so they didnʹt
need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that
operate on electricity.
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty
instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they
had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with
ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the
razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole
razor just because the blade got dull.
Back then, people took the tram or a bus and kids rode
their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one
electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to
power a dozen appliances. And they didnʹt need a
computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest
pizza shop.
But isnʹt it sad the current generation laments how
wasteful the old folks were just because they didnʹt have
the green thing back then?
from Mike Donohue
14 - FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011
Why do men know so little about their prostate?
Back when I was practising medicine, I was a regular at
Sydneyʹs Long Bay jail, teaching the prisoners some basic
anatomy and physiology relating to sexual matters. At
first, I was a bit taken aback by how little the guys knew.
But then I remembered how little I knew about my own
body before I studied medicine. That said, youʹd still think
that an organ that gets as much publicity as the prostate
does these days would be very familiar to the half of the
population that owns one.
In fact, according to a 2008 survey of 503 men aged 40
to 80 in WA, 80 per cent didnʹt have a clue what the gland
did. This was despite the fact that 75 per cent of them had
had a previous prostate-related examination, & that about
50 per cent of them had had dealings with prostate cancer
(through personal experience or when a friend had it).
So here are some basic facts. The prostate gland was
first described in 1536, and its cancer identified in 1853. In
the US and UK, cancer of the prostate is the second most
common cause of cancer deaths in men, after lung cancer.
In Australian men, itʹs the second most common cancer
after skin cancer and is the No. 2 cause of cancer deaths.
Most prostate cancer sufferers do not have any
symptoms, do not get any treatment, & end up dying from
other causes. This is because cancer of the prostate can
grow very slowly, and most sufferers are more than 50
years of age. In studies of men who died from other causes,
autopsies show that cancer of the prostate was present in
30% of men in their 50s, & in 80% of men in their 70s.
The prostate gland is about three centimetres long, and
weighs about 20 grams. It is usually said to be the size of a
walnut or chestnut. Itʹs located deep in the pelvis, directly
under the urinary bladder, and immediately in front of the
rectum. The urethra, after leaving the bladder on its way to
the outside world, passes through the middle of the
prostate gland. So as the prostate gland enlarges with age,
it can both constrict the urethra (interfering with urination
and sexual ejaculation) and bulge upwards into the
bladder (giving a false sense of bladder fullness).
The tissue of the prostate gland is about 5% nonglandular (with fibro-muscular components) and 95%
glandular (from which cancers of the prostate arise). In the
glandular part, there are some 30 to 50 little glands that
secrete various fluids (collectively known as prostatic
fluid) into pipes that eventually lead to the urethra.
Prostatic fluid is a clear, slightly alkaline liquid with a
rather characteristic smell. The alkalinity is thought to
improve the survival rate of the sperm in the vagina.
Prostatic fluid makes up about 10 to 30% of the volume of
the semen, with about 10% coming from the vas deferens,
and the remainder coming from the seminal vesicles.
The prostate gland makes prostatic fluid but also has a
muscular function. During ejaculation, it provides
exquisitely timed waves of muscular contraction to help
propel semen to its final destination.
Now that the prostate is increasingly a media darling,
men might become increasingly aware of its purpose.
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
THE AGE - GOOD WEEKEND, August 29, 2009
Reflections on Life, Death and EMS
I bought a poppy this morning and pinned it to my
baseball cap. Too early in the season for some Iʹve been
told. Much too late for others I know.
how. No way. EMS1 will be in here in a sec to confirm.”
Then to Dispatch, “We’re going to need the police here.
Cancel the ambo crew.”
The ghost battalion of street medics. Death by stress,
suicide, or misadventure. Casualties of battles fought on
the road and in their heads. Demons picked-up along the
way like black-spirited hijackers waiting for a time to take
control.
I walked into a bedroom to find the crew looking at the
body of a fifty-something-year-old woman recently
deceased. She was dressed in stylish pyjamas and was
wearing matching sleeping covers over her eyes. Her
fingers were blue and her hands were frozen in mid-air as
if she had shaken hands with Death when he had arrived.
There was a plastic bag covering her hair—crinkled and
crumpled and standing straight up like some macabre
white plastic chef’s hat. There was an empty bottle of
vodka next to the bed and several empty pill bottles
scattered among the bed covers. Two sealed envelopes had
been found by her brother (the L.L. Bean shirt) who had
discovered the scene and had pulled the bag from her face
before calling 911.
Politically incorrect to imagine direct links between
sudden unexpected death and life wearing the caduceus on
your collar or tattooed on your shoulder.
Yesterday I received news that a young firefighter/
medic had taken his own life. Another gatekeeper of the
cracks who somehow managed to slip into the abyss that
exists in the shadows between the ranks of fellow EMS
providers.
ʹHe was a gentle soul who was genuinely caring and a
real pleasure to work withʹ... and he was practiced in the
art of self-isolation enough to drift in ethereal misery until
he finally capped his own existence.
---Jamie Flanz was murdered two springs ago. His
passing had no connection to the EMS world other than the
fact that his obvious state of death probably didnʹt require
a streetmedic to declare the absence of life signs.
He was a good medic and was a gentle, reassuring
presence with many of our most senior patients. He put in
many a shift at the last minute because I called and asked
for his help.
It is the transient and intense nature of EMS that
lifesavers often come and go without much in the way of
heralding their arrival or their departure. They touch lives
and impact universes and then they move on to live the
rest of their lives.
There are, apparently, no guarantees on how long the
rest of their lives will be. Maybe some of them have an
inkling of sunset rapidly approaching and decide to go out
flaming while others simply pull the bedcovers up over
their heads.
---Almost a decade ago, I responded as back-up to a call
for a 50-year-old patient in cardiac arrest. While rolling I
thought I heard the dispatcher say the patient had been
found with a plastic bag over her head. I remember
thinking to myself “that can’t be right.” The dispatcher
didn’t repeat the message and I thought it was because the
medic crew was thinking the same thing I was and didn’t
question the information provided.
I rolled onto the scene just a few moments after the
crew and followed the sound of their voices into the
apartment. I passed a somber group of folks gathered in
the hallway around the front door. “They’re in there,” a
middle-aged man with an L.L. Bean lumberjack-style shirt
and a tear-stained face said to me. Heard Jen tell Boris, “No
We sealed the apartment. Shooed the brother and the
building manager and the guy from the apartment across
the hall out of there. We waited on the police officers who
took our report and then asked us to wait outside. They
emerged a few moments later with some of the dead
person’s identification. “Her name was ------ …” There
seemed to be a wave of air that came out of nowhere and
hit me right in the gut. I felt an enormous weight slam into
my shoulders that forced me down to my knees. I heard
myself mutter, “Sweet Jesus.” And then I was kneeling on
the carpet in the corridor fighting the urge to hurl vomit
and bile out of my mouth.
Jen and Boris were by my side in a heartbeat. “Hal, are
you all right?!” I was unable to answer at first—too intent
on listening to all of the air rush out of my lungs through
my clenched teeth. “Yeah. I’m okay.” Wrong answer. I
tried to get back up to my feet but my sense of balance had
been thrown into temporary disarray. “OhmyGod. I just
spoke to her on Friday afternoon.”
She was a colleague of mine - an experienced
emergency care provider who worked for a parallel health
care organization. We interacted on a regular basis and had
forged a strong bond during the Montreal Ice Storm
Disaster of 1998. I had seen her practicing the art of caring
with elderly clients forced into a shelter by the
combination of darkness, cold, and ice. She had been
particularly effective with the Holocaust survivors who
had retreated into some tormented memories none of us
could penetrate. Her combination of compassion and gutsy
courage had gotten through to folks living a nightmarish
flashback of forced evacuations all those years ago.
My pager went off right then while I was struggling to
regain vertical mode. The message read, “Shall I send out a
SMART alert?” (SMART is an acronym for our Stress
Management Response Team). I radioed Dispatch, “Yeah.
For me.” I was really upset that I hadn’t recognized her…
as if I somehow should have realized it was her even
though I had no idea where she lived. As if one might
(Continued on page 16)
FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011 - 15
(Continued from page 15)
expect to encounter a friend dressed in her death-best
outfit. It was an irrational reaction to a surreal scene. The
lead police officer came over and asked if I was okay.
“Yeah. I’ll be alright. A couple of wicked bad dreams and
I’ll be ready for the next tragic response.”
I cleared the scene and then drove over to that parallel
health organization where I broke the news to her
colleagues. It was a rough scene. Naomi Cherow, part of
SMART, arrived a few minutes after me. Naomi took the
lead and walked the staff through a very tough evening of
sadness, anger, and lingering unanswerable questions.
I went home and had a couple of wicked bad dreams.
Exercises for Seniors
The Doc told me to start an exercise programme and not
wanting to harm my old body, Iʹve devised the following.
Monday
Beat around the bush
Jump to conclusions
Climb the walls
Wade through the morning paper
Tuesday
Drag my heels
Push my luck
Make mountains out of mole hills
Hit the nail on the head
Wednesday
Bend over backwards
Jump on the Band Wagon
Run around in circles
Thursday
Toot my own horn
Pull out all the stops
Add fuel to the fire
Friday
Open a can of worms
Put my foot in my mouth
Start the ball rolling
Go over the edge
Saturday
Pick up the pieces
Sunday
Kneel in prayer..
Bow my head in thanksgiving..
Uplift my hands in praise..
Hug someone and encourage them.
The next night I had a couple more.
Then on the third day a baby boy drank chlorox and by
the time I got home I was focused on ensuring all the
methyl ethyl bad stuff in our home was securely locked
away from the prying fingers of our daughters. No more
bad dreams. Although I did have a dream wherein I saw
my late colleague sleeping peacefully on a sofa in one of
the Ice Storm evacuation shelters. She was surrounded by
elderly Holocaust survivors. I could tell they were
survivors because of the numbers tattooed on their
forearms. One of them said, “She’s our angel.”
I don’t understand suicide. Never have. I can’t imagine
anything that could drive me over the threshold of the
living and into the valley of the dead. With no opportunity
to hook a u-turn and head back home if the experience
didn’t pan out the way I thought it was going to go down.
It must be a torturous decision to make. I don’t know what
drove my friend to the edge of the void and then into the
vast beyond of emptiness. I only hope she is at peace
wherever her soul has gone.
What a Workout!
Be well. Practice big medicine.
Hal Newman
Oct 27 07
http://www.bigmedicine.ca/halnewman.htm
from Steve Dashwood
Promote Volunteer Ambulance Officers
VAOAT Polar Fleece Vests & Polo Shirts ~ now available
(For social functions only, not to be worn on cases or when representing TAS)
• Polo Shirt (short sleeves) with VAOAT logo, range of colours, S to 5XL ~ $25.00
• Polo Shirt (long sleeves) with VAOAT logo, in navy, black or white, plus a limited range
of other colours (contact Marg & we’ll try to accommodate you), S to 3XL ~ $30.00
• Navy Blue Vest with VAOAT logo, sizes from XS to 3XL ~ $30.00
• Windcheater with VAOAT logo, various colours, sizes from S to 5XL ~ $40.00
To order, contact - Marg Dennis 4 Nevin Street, Rossarden 7213
Tel/Fax: (03) 6385 2147 Email: [email protected]
OR go to our website Online Shop: www.tasmanianambulancevolunteers.asn.au/online_shop.php
16 - FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011
WORD SEARCH
How many words of 4 letters or more can you make
from the given letters?
Namesakes by Virgo
The following pairs (sometimes famous in different fields)
each share the same surname.
Answers are in alphabetical order.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
21)
22)
23)
24)
25)
26)
27)
28)
29)
Anthony and Louis (9)
Barbara and Johann Sebastian (4)
George and Rosemary (7)
Phil and Pauline (7)
James and Oliver (8)
Peter and Ted (4)
Brian and Jacob (7)
David and Robert (5)
Richard and Ruth (6)
Nathaniel and Nigel (9)
Ben and Paul (5)
Amy and Henry (6)
Alan and Tom (5)
Graham and Nigel (7)
Ben and Charles (8)
Jerry and Hayley (5)
Gus and Paul (8)
Bert and Isaac (6)
Cynthia and Richard (5)
Clive and Wilfred (4)
Brad and William (4)
Dennis and Randy (5)
Debbie and Joshua (8)
Charlie and Martin (5)
Mark and Robert (6)
Kim and Oscar (5)
Esther and Vaughan (8)
Edward and Joanne (8)
Loretta and Robert (5)
In making a word, each letter may be used once only.
Each word must contain the centre letter & there must be
at least one 9-letter word in the list. No plurals or verb
forms ending in “s”, no words with initial capitals and no
words with a hyphen or apostrophe are permitted.
The first word of a phrase is
permitted (eg inkjet in
inkjet printer).
Target - 23 words
Solution - The Back Page
X
Y
T
E
T
H
E
R
P
A woman who had thrown a dinner party, at which
raw oysters, curried lamb, and steamed mussels were all
served, met her physician on the street the following day.
“I’m sorry you weren’t able to come to my party last
night,” she said. “You are so busy these days, and I think it
would have done you some good to have been there.”
“Your party has done me good,” he said. “I’ve just seen
five of your dinner guests.”
When you get right down to it, one of
the most important tasks of a leader
is to eliminate his people's excuse
for failure.
~ Robert Townsend
The Australian Crossword Club
Solution - The Back Page
At a psychiatric hospital a psychiatrist sets a test to
determine the mental progress of his three top patients.
He gets three chairs and repaints them. Before they dry,
he repositions them in a room in such a way that one is in
front of the other. After this, he calls the three patients and
asks them to seat down. The first two gladly sit on the wet
chairs at the front. However, the third who comes in last
takes one look at the wet chair and then proceeds to the
corner of the room where there is a pile of papers. He takes
one sheet which he drapes on the wet chair before sitting.
Surprised by the action of the third, the doctor asks him
why he draped the sheet of paper on the wet chair, ʺThatʹs
easy,ʺ came the reply, ʺSeeing that I am seated at the back, I
needed to be a bit raised if I wanted to see whatʹs happening at the frontʺ
FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011 - 17
VAOAT Online - http://www.tasmanianambulancevolunteers.asn.au
DISCUSSING THE ENVIRONMENT WITH HIS FRIEND, JOHN ASKED “WHICH OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES
DO YOU THINK WILL BECOME EXHAUSTED FIRST? “THE TAXPAYER,” REPLIED HIS FRIEND.
Who’s Who?
President:
Pam Fanning
[email protected]
Ph: 6462 1404
V/President: Cheryl Wilson
Ph: 6265 3703
[email protected]
Treasurer:
Lesley Green
Ph: 0404 466 019
[email protected] OR
[email protected]
Secretary:
Dianne Coon
Ph: 6471 7017
[email protected] OR
[email protected]
Solution to KWIK KWIZ
1/Armstrong; 2/Bach; 3/Clooney; 4/Collins; 5/ Cromwell;
6/Egan; 7/Epstein; 8/Frost; 9/Gordon; 10/Hawthorne;
11/Hogan; 12/ Irving; 13/Jones; 14/Kennedy; 15/Kingsley;
16/Lewis; 17/Mercurio; 18/Newton; 19/Nixon; 20/Owen;
21/Pitt; 22/Quaid; 23/Reynolds; 24/Sheen; 25/Taylor;
26/Wilde; 27/Williams; 28/Woodward; 29/Young.
Solution to WORD SEARCH
ether, exert, expert, HYPERTEXT, pert, peter, petty,
pretext, pretty, rete, retype, teeth, tether, text, thee, there,
they, three, tree, tret, trey, type, tyre.
Board members:
Marg Dennis
Ph/Fax: 6385 2147
[email protected]
Wayne Doran
Ph: 6259 5697
[email protected]
George Hudson
[email protected]
Ph: 6375 1560
Keitha Munro
Ph: 0414 076 815
[email protected]
Pat Taylor
[email protected]
Ph: 6375 1046
Jack Van Tatenhove
Ph: 6428 6462
[email protected]
Public Officer }Dianne Coon
Publicity Officer }
TAS COMMITTEE REPS
Fleet:
George Hudson
Equipment: George Hudson
Uniform:
George Hudson
Ph: 6471 7017
Ph: 6375 1560
Ph: 6375 1560
Ph: 6375 1560
Any concerns? - we’re here to help, but before approaching
the Association please try to resolve problems first, via
the correct chain of command in your region.
I start a new job in Seoul next
week. I thought it was a good
Korea move.
Closing Date for next
edition of
First Response
- 16th July 2011
(but please send a.s.a.p.)
VAOAT Newsletter Policy
All contributors must ensure that material for inclusion
in the newsletter or on the website has the approval of any
persons mentioned in the article.
Marg Dennis
Editor, First Response
***
ADVERTISING RATES
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subject to available space; rates are:
Opinions expressed in the newsletter are not
necessarily those of the editor.
Compiled by Margaret Dennis,
4 Nevin Street, Rossarden 7213.
Tel/Fax: (03) 6385 2147
Email: [email protected]
Printed at the office of Dick Adams MHR
18 - FIRST RESPONSE - MAY 2011
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