Agency as we age
Pictured: Chloe, a participant in our allied health in aged care program.
(Image: Leigh Henningham)
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For many people the first thing they lose as they grow old is independence. NWMPHN believes it should be the last.
We fund and commission many programs designed to provide the care and support needed to help older adults stay healthy and vibrant – in their own homes, or in residential aged care. And when people enter the final chapters of life, we’re there, too, helping to build better access to palliative care and support.
views of our end-of-life services directory, Precious Time
local services and community groups represented
Psychological treatment services in residential aged care homes
NWMPHN commissioned Better Place Australia and APMHA Healthcare to deliver free, low to medium intensity psychological treatments for aged care residents.
Pictured: Psychologist Ronan Galloghly with a resident at Dorothy Impey Home. (Image: Leigh Henningham)
Precious Time – services and support for end-of-life care
Growing out of the Australian Government’s Greater Choice for at Home Palliative Care initiative, Precious Time is a website providing information and resources for people with life-limiting illness and those who care for them.
Allied health in residential aged care
Our allied health in aged care program reduced falls through group therapy sessions based on the Sunbeam Program.
Started during COVID-19 lockdowns, it provided a much-needed physical outlet for residents at risk of deconditioning. Providers are now working with aged care homes to embed the model in daily practice.
Chronic pain service – Merri Health
Merri Health provides an evidence-based, multidisciplinary service to help people self-manage and recover from pain.
It is for people over 18 who have had chronic or persistent pain for longer than three months. It is available for residents of Hume, Darebin Merri-bek, Yarra, Melbourne, Moonee Ponds and the Macedon Ranges.
Improving access to palliative care medicines
The Palliative Care Access to Core Medicines project increases access to essential medicines for people who wish to die at home or in an aged care setting.
The project recruits community pharmacies, which agree to stock the medications most commonly prescribed to control symptoms experienced by people in the final period of their life.
Doing so eases access, making the process of acquiring them simpler for the families and carers of the dying, as well as reducing discomfort and suffering.
Imprest systems in aged care homes
If a resident falls ill outside normal business hours, finding a pharmacy can be difficult, even impossible. NWMPHN has developed an innovative solution.
It’s known as an ‘imprest’ system, and means that certain prescription medicines are held inside a securely locked safe on the premises of the aged care home.
Health equity from cradle to grave
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We acknowledge the people of the Kulin nations as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our work in the community takes place. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
We also recognise, respect and affirm the central role played in our work by people with lived experience, their families and carers.
All photos by Leigh Henningham unless otherwise noted.
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