Jason showed us a very interesting Power Point presentation which firstly showed the regions which Family Care is divided into in Victoria. The area centred at Shepparton which Jason is part of has 12 people employed in supporting Family Care.
Carer Gateway is an Australian government program providing free, practical services and support for carers throughout Australia. Services include tailored support packages to help you in your caring role, access to planned and emergency respite, counselling in person or over the phone and coaching in person or self-guided online.
Carer Gateway also can provide connection with other carers through on-line or in-person support groups and online skill courses as well as practical information and resources. Carer Gateway can be accessed on 1800 422 737 Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm or online at https://www.carergateway.gov.au.
Comments I received afterwards included people saying they wished these services had been available when they were looking after a family member a few years ago. It was interesting that we had new members in the audience who were U3A members but came specifically because of the topic, showing that there was a need for this type of information. For those who missed the presentation a link to Jason’s power point is provided here:
Our guest speaker for August Meet and Mingle which will be held on Wednesday 21 August at 10am in Room 1 of the Benalla Seniors and Community Centre will be Senior Constable Marty Nicholls from Benalla Police. Senior Constable Nicholls will give us an overview of the new Police station which is being built in Martin Street Benalla and will also tell us about the latest scams which the Benalla Police have come across. All welcome.
Margaret Jenkins