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WELCOME. Partnering to Support Greek Speaking Carers of People with Dementia Presenters: Betty Kalambokis & Aliki Kyrkou VCSN – BEST PRACTICE FORUM 19.08.10. UnitingCare Community Options – Agency Overview.
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WELCOME Partnering to Support Greek Speaking Carers of People with Dementia Presenters: Betty Kalambokis & Aliki Kyrkou VCSN – BEST PRACTICE FORUM 19.08.10
UnitingCare Community Options – Agency Overview • UnitingCare Community Options (UCCO) was established in 1987 and works with over 4000 Participants/ Clients per year. • UCCO is auspiced by the Uniting Church • We work within both ageing and disability streams. • Some of the programs we run include CACP, EACH,EACHD, Linkages, Flexi packages. • In the Eastern region, the Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre operates within the umbrella of UCCO.
Fronditha Care –Agency Overview Residential Care • Five facilities across Victoria and New South Wales Community Care • 40 Independent Living Units for financially and socially disadvantaged • 125 Community Aged Care Packages • Planned Activity Groups • 2 Host Homes • Other small programs
Project Overview • Funded by the Victorian Department of Health. • Collaboratively responding to an identified need for carers of Greek speaking background. • Elements of the project: - Two information sessions - Carer Support Group - Host Home
THE PARTNERSHIP • Experience in program planning and implementation • Previous experience in Host Home • Strong infrastructure • Bi-lingual and bi-cultural staff • Existing links to the community and established media contacts • Carers of Greek speaking background known to each agency HOST HOME PROGRAM CARER SUPPORT GROUP • Responsible funding allocation • Steering committee • Regular meetings • Clear responsibilities • Collaborative approach in all areas of the • Project e.g. documentation • Joint promotion
Benefits of the partnership- for the target group • Expansion of service provision to the Greek community in the Eastern Region • Responded to an identified service gap • A culturally and linguistically sensitive service response • Opened up the scope of support available to carers • Improved access to information
Benefits of the partnership- for the target group cont… • Decrease in social isolation for the carer and care recipient • Peer support and carer empowerment • Building of informal networks • Building community awareness
Benefits of the partnership- for the partnering agencies • Learnt about each others activities and the communities that each agency supports • Promoted each others activities at various forums • Shared skills and expertise which contributed to professional development
Benefits of the partnership- for the partnering agencies cont… • Refined the understanding of the needs of our Greek speaking clients • Built service provider awareness of the needs of the Greek community in the Region. • Allowed for sustainability beyond the life of the project • Enables the origanisations to engage each other for input into future projects or initiatives.
Reflection The success of this partnership has been a recognition of each others strengths; our willingness to share resources and information, to achieve a common goal and our capacity to work constructively together based on trust and mutual respect.
Contact Details Betty Kalambokis – Partnership with Carers Worker UnitingCare Community Options Ph: (03) 9239 2500 E-mail: betty.kalambokis@ucco.org.au Aliki Kyrkou – Community Services Manager Fronditha Care Ph: (03) 9495 2308 E-mail: alikik@fronditha.org