New clients need to go through the ‘My Aged Care’ portal to be referred to the Regional Assessment Service (RAS).

Timboon and District Healthcare Service’s Continuum of Care Coordinator can help with this process.  Please phone 5558 6059 for assistance.

When we receive a referral for you, our staff will contact you within three working days to arrange an appointment to discuss your requirements.  Referral information will be helpful to our staff when assessing your needs for Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) services.

The assessment process is comprehensive and will take up about one hour of your time.  You are welcome to have other parties present during the meeting but it is important you are aware some questions are of a personal nature and might be sensitive.

Once you have been accepted as a client of the CHSP service, our staff will provide ongoing communications to ensure the services we deliver continue to meet your changing needs.

Meals on Wheels is available to any person unable to cope with cooking duties, in order to maintain an adequate diet. Meals can be provided for a few days, a few weeks, or indefinitely to meet an individual’s needs. The cost of the meal is kept as low as possible, and reviewed annually.

Meals are delivered hot between 11.30am and 1.00pm to those living in town and you must be home to receive your meal unless alternative arrangements have been made. Meals will not be left if no contact is made, and meals cannot be left in eskies or other containers due to food safety regulations.

Timboon is only able to provide meals Monday to Friday. However, frozen meals can be delivered to cover a weekend shortfall.

Clients living outside the town boundaries can receive a weeks’ or a few days’ supply of frozen meals by arrangement with other services such as district nursing if they are visiting the home, or via the Community Care worker. Alternatively, a friend or relative may collect and deliver meals to an isolated client.

The meal consists of:

• soup
• main course
• dessert
• fruit or fruit juice.

The menu is varied on a rotating basis. If the client is receiving frozen meals, instructions on the storage, thawing and heating methods will be provided.

To apply for meals, contact the Regional Assessment Services Officer on (03) 5558 6059.  Fees will apply.

A friend or relative may apply on your behalf, or your doctor, hospital or district nurse may refer you. Special diets such as diabetic, weight reduction, low-fat or low-cholesterol are catered for. If required, more than one family member in a household can have meals delivered.

The volunteers who deliver the meals are happy to pass on any suggestions you would like to make about the service. Any changes or cancellations to your meals must be made by contacting our Regional Assessment Services Officer on 5558 6059.

Community Care Workers will assist you with a variety of tasks which you may have difficulty in managing. The aim of this service is to maintain your independence while living in the comfort and security of your own home. These may include cleaning around the inside of your home, eg:

• ironing
• washing
• making beds

Other occasional tasks which can be performed include:

• cleaning out your fridge
• cleaning inside cupboards
• spring cleaning tasks.

Home maintenance is available to frail aged and disabled residents. The service provides lawn mowing on a four- to six-weekly rotating basis, depending on seasonal variations.

Also provided is the ‘Handyman Service’, which attends to a broad range of minor repairs and modifications, both inside and outside the home, which do not require a tradesperson, such as:

• fitting disability aids including wheelchair ramps, and handrails in bathrooms and toilets after assessment by an occupational therapist
• minor carpentry
• mending or changing door locks
• fitting security door locks
• removal of rubbish.

Please note: this service is only available while the client is living in his or her own home. It is not intended to provide tasks for the purpose of beautification but is aimed at attending to tasks that are for maintenance of client safety in and around the home.

Community care workers have been trained to assist people with their personal care tasks, such as:

• showering, bathing, dressing and undressing, toileting
• mobility tasks, both in and out of bed – transfer to chair, wheelchair or vehicle (only when no lifting required)
• eating and drinking assistance
• incontinence support
• prompting medication compliance.

The community transport service is designed to assist aged and disabled people to maintain their independence in the community by providing transport to necessary local business and medical appointments.

TDHS provides this service throughout the southern section of the Corangamite Shire for people who:

• cannot drive themselves or do not own a car
• have no partner, friend or relative who is able to drive them
• have no access or are unable to afford public transport.

To attend appointments, such as with a dietitian, dentist, podiatrist or physiotherapist, clients will be requested to use the service closest to them.

For travel to specialist appointments or hospital admissions, clients may be referred to the Red Cross for assistance.

Clients must be assessed for community transport to be eligible to use this service. To make enquiries please contact our Regional Assessment Services Officer on (03) 5558 6059.

It is necessary that two days’ notice be given for local trips and five days for longer trips. This is required to ensure suitable arrangements can be made where volunteer drivers are involved.

There are fees involved and our fee schedule is available here.

The social support groups (SSG) at Timboon and Cobden assist in maintaining an individual’s ability to live at home and in the community by providing a planned program of activities directed at enhancing the skills required for daily living and providing physical, intellectual, emotional and social stimulation. The groups also provide opportunities for social interaction as well as respite support for carers.

Referrals to attend the group will be accepted from:

• health professionals
• relatives
• friends
• self

Prior to admission to the social support group, each client will be assessed in their own home by the Assessment Officer. A further Lifestyle Assessment will be conducted by the coordinator upon commencement at the program.

Examples of activities include:

• sing-a-longs, entertainment, musicals, dances, plays and films
• gentle chair-based exercise to music
• card games
• word stimulations games and quizzes
• interaction with other planned activity groups
• craft
• croquet
• board games
• bingo and music bingo
• group discussion and reminiscing
• education sessions with guest speakers
• outings and full-day trips
• BBQs and picnics
• interaction with local schools.

 

Our Social Support Groups meet in Cobden and Timboon. Please contact our Reception on 5558 6000 for more information, to check availability and any fees applicable.

** These programs are supported by funding from the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments under the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and Home And Community Care Program for Younger People (HACC-PYP).

The women’s health clinic provides an opportunity for women to learn about their health, so they are more able to take responsibility for their own health and well-being. These clinics are provided by a registered nurse who has undergone additional specialised training in women’s health and family planning. This is a free and confidential service enabling women to discuss issues of concern in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Where necessary the nurse will also provide assistance in accessing other services.

Services, which may attract a fee, include:

• Pap tests and cervical screening
• instruction on breast self-examination
• menstrual problems
• contraceptive advice
• advice on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
• continence advice
• endometriosis
• pregnancy testing and counselling
• support and referral on violence and abuse issues
• general health information and health checks.

Please contact our Reception on 5558 6000 to check availability, any fees applicable and to book an appointment.

The district nursing service offers a wide range of care, treatment and education including:

• hygiene and skin care
• catheter care
• falls prevention
• palliative care
• support and counselling
• technical nursing care:
  • injections
  • medication management
  • diabetes management
  • wound care
  • pathology collection
  • blood pressure monitoring.

The district nursing service is an integral part of the total health care system, working closely with medical officers, hospitals, local government and other community service providers. We can make referrals to other appropriate services including:

• Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) – assessment for permanent placement or respite
• audiology
• Home and Community Care Assessment Officer
• diabetes educator
• dietitian
• physiotherapy
• podiatry
• speech therapy
• occupational therapy.

District nursing aims to:

• • provide high quality, professional nursing care using the Active Service Model
  • provide support for clients and their families and carers to remain at home for as long as possible
  • promote clients’ independence and self-governance.

A referral for the district nursing service can come from family and carers, medical practitioners or other health professionals. You can also choose to self-refer. Once a referral has been received, a comprehensive assessment will be undertaken by the district nurse. A care plan will then be developed in consultation with you, your family or carer.

Fees are set by the Department of Human Services and reviewed on an annual basis. The current fee structure will be provided upon admission to the district nursing service.

Please call (03) 5558 6034 for more information.

At Timboon and District Health Service, we offer a confidential and caring diabetes education program to help improve knowledge for people affected, their families and carers, as well as encourage active management of the condition.

The diabetes educator provides skills, knowledge and support for clients, their families and carers. This service assists people with diabetes using strategies encouraging acceptance of the condition and promoting active management and monitoring for a better quality of life, enabling them to:

• accept the diagnosis of diabetes
• maintain optimal management of diabetes
• accept responsibility for self management and monitoring
• understand the need for monitoring and prevention of complications
• incorporate the management of the diabetes into their lifestyle
• understand the need for ongoing education and support from health professionals on regular basis
• encourage family involvement and support in understanding and managing the diabetes.

Please contact our Reception on 5558 6000 to check availability, any fees applicable and to book an appointment.

What does the PAC program do?

• Provides community-based services to assist people to recuperate after leaving hospital
• Aims to prevent hospital readmission.

What services does the PAC program provide?

A range of community-based services based on the person’s individually assessed needs. The most common services provided are:

• community nursing
• personal care
• home care services arranged by PAC are provided for the duration of the recuperative period and are generally of a short-term nature.

PAC works in conjunction with but does not replace the services provided by other programs, such as Home and Community Care (HACC), and Sub-acute Ambulatory Care Services (SACS).

Who can access the PAC program?

• People being discharged from a public hospital (acute or sub-acute) including Department of Veterans Affairs and Transport Accident Commission clients
• People who have presented at a public hospital emergency department.

What fees are charged by the PAC program?

There are no fees charged. However people may be asked to pay for consumables such as wound dressings.

How do you refer to the PAC program?

Referrals are made by hospital staff either via the PAC service associated with their hospital or directly to the PAC service in the area where the person lives. If you think you might be eligible for this service please speak to the nursing staff during your hospital admission.

The TCP provides short term care and services to older, and sometimes younger, people coming out of hospital. This involves Case management, nursing and meal assistance.

Please contact Timboon and District Healthcare Service for more information.

Timboon and District Healthcare Service is proud of its strong relationship with the Timboon P-12 School.  Our ongoing collaboration enhances opportunities for our younger community members to have access to a range of health related resources and learning experiences, as well as participate in activities and  special events that promote optimum health and wellness.

Health promotion involves working with people before they show the signs of disease, optimising their opportunities to make healthy choices and thereby preventing disease. TDHS runs multiple community awareness programs to improve overall well-being.

Heart of Corangamite

Timboon and District Healthcare Service staff play an active role within the four working groups (Leadership, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Respectful Relationships) as well as being responsible for mentoring the Heart of Corangamite Project Worker.

Health Screenings

Timboon and District Healthcare Services offers health screenings for people of all ages.  Health screenings help in early identification of a wide range of symptoms and conditions.

Yearly speech and language screening days are provided free of charge to Timboon, Simpson and Cobden kindergartens.  These are generally targeting the 4 year old groups however, depending on your child’s age, they may qualify for formal assessment despite being enrolled in the 3 year old group.  Ask your local kindergarten teacher or contact the Speech Pathologist at Timboon and District Healthcare Service to find out more.

For more information about other health screenings that may be coming up soon, please contact us.