A Collaborative Approach: practically supporting older carers of people with disabilities

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A Collaborative Approach practically supporting
older carers of people with disabilities

• Lui DiVenuto
• Eastern Regional Collaboration Project
• Lui.DiVenuto_at_state.sa.gov.au

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Collaboration Fad or way forward?
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What is the Eastern Regional Collaboration
Project?

• Multi sectorial
• Share The goal
• Outcome driven
• Its a process
• Its cultural

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Historical Perspective

• ? Demand to ? DEMAND
• How do we meet need?
• Driven by the region
• A bottom up approach

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Collaboration Continuum

• Networking ? Cooperation ? Partnering
• Low Level of trust ? High level of trust
• Weak focus ? Strong focus
• Individual control ? Shared control
• Individual values ? Shared values

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The Path is not always clear

• Its hard work
• Time
• Organisational culture
• Lack of trust
• Rigidity
• Cyclical energy
• We need
• Competition
• Lack of understanding of collaboration

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What you need!!

• Commitment
• Open view
• Flexibility
• Humour
• Respect
• Passion
• Energy
• Willingness
• Leadership
• Concrete outcomes
• Know your skills
• can help
• Support

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What makes a Collaborative successful?

• Neutral Coordinator
• Innovative lateral thinking
• Outcome based meetings
• We speak the same lingo
• We are a knowledge base
• We have purpose driven networks
• We have purpose driven relationship building.

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Its not what you know its who you know!

• Purpose driven networks
• Make it your business to become a knowledge base.
• Be passionate!

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Not only is it who you know but how you get to
know them!

• Purpose driven relationship building
• Get to know the right people
• Keep building
• Think of it as restoring a 100 year old cottage.
• Better can lead to best and best can always be
  bettered!

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Its a bit like snakes and ladders
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Older Carers of a person with a disability

• Purpose driven network
• The carers have cared for their son/daughter for
  30 years plus and our aim was to link the carer
  into HACC services
• Taking a break a worthwhile one. Many had never
  been separated in 30 years

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Stages of development

• Initial conversations at the broader
  collaborative level

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Profile the Carers

• People with experience and expertise in
  assessment of Older people were used
• Significant shift. Talking to them on their level
  about THEIR needs.
• Packages sent to all carers
• Give some time to digest

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The Link Worker

• Not your every day role
• Take whatever time necessary to build trust in
  the relationship
• Relationship is the foundation to success

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Outcomes

• Purpose is that carers take a break. The money
  is for the older carers
• Give em a ball. A reward for caring for someone
  for 30 or more years!
• Access to HACC services
• Taking a break - a worthwhile one

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Stats

• No. Carers supported 62
• No. carers active 49
• No. Carers YTD 64
• Average age of Carer 80
• No. carers linked to supports / community
  services 49

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Agencies engaged

• ACAT Ax Team
• ACH Group In Home Care
• ACH Group Stay at Home Programme
• Aged Rights Advocacy Service
• All Care Home Support
• Alzheimers Assoc
• Carers Association of SA
• Centre Care Catholic Family Service
• Centrelink / Carers Allowance Payment
• Com Carer Respite Centre Meals on Wheels
• Commonwealth Carelink Centre
• Disability Advocacy Complaint Service
• Disability Mediation Counselling Service
• Disability resource Centre
• DOM Care
• Guardianship Board

• Helping Hand / Interlink Program / Carers
  People with Disabilities
• Helping Hand / Long Term Planning
• Local Councils / Salisbury, TT Gully,
  Campbelltown, Burnside
• MALSSA
• Mental Health Crisis Intervention Team
• Minda Home Social Work Dept
• Multi Cultural Aged Care
• Northern Carers Network
• Office For The Ageing
• Planning in Partnership
• Public Advocate
• RDNS / Continence Management
• Red Cross/ Volunteer Transport
• Royal Adelaide Hospital
• Seniors Information Service
• Soc Wk / CALD
• St John Neighbourhood Care

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Service relationship map-in an ideal world
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Service Relationship Map- the way it is!
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Taking a break!!!!

• Number of families YTD supported 24
• Number of respite experiences YTD 47
• Number of hours YTD 1504
• Day trips/ outings of clients choice, some of
  these include
• Visits to see Christmas lights
• Trips to the museum
• Movies
• Shopping trips
• Lunches out
• Visits to zoo via pop eye the ferry
• Visits to Cleland and Monarto wild life parks
• The Beach House fun park at Glenelg
• Sheep dog and Agility trials
• Dolphin cruise
• Clipsal 500
• WOMAD
• Holidays, intrastate and interstate, using
  generic B Bs and hotels. Some of these include
• Seven nights in Queensland
• 14 night driving from Adelaide to Queensland

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Next steps.

• Accommodation options
• Dementia support
• Planning time for the person with a disability

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Questions???

• Contact for further info
• Paul Harris
• Pharris_at_ach.org.au