Aged care forum ends the year on a high note

In November the Brisbane North aged care breakfast forum was held at Caboolture Hub, providing people working in the local health and aged care sectors with an opportunity to come together to further their professional development and education.

Change Futures Executive Director and psychologist, Julie Aganoff spoke on delivering mental health services to vulnerable and marginalised members of the community in a complex environment, including to dementia patients.

Education Services Director for Redcliffe, Caboolture and Kilcoy Hospitals, David Liddy presented on the Caboolture Healthcare and Industry Academy. He described how the academy was up-skilling young people while still at school for a career in health—a possible model to address the future staff shortfall in aged care.

Carmel Williams AM, a nurse and para-Olympian represented the voice of the consumer, encouraging the audience to develop their skills of both telling and listening in an interactive session.

Ms Williams demonstrated the skills required in her long-term involvement with Karuna Hospice Service client biography program, where she records life stories and gives those in palliative care the precious gift of personal narrative.

Brisbane North PHN Healthy Ageing Coordinator, Susan Breckenridge presented the Older Persons Health Profile 2019.

The document is a valuable planning infographic specific to the Brisbane North and Cabool aged care regions that covers population growth and life expectancy, health and wellbeing status, lifestyle behaviours and what older people in the region have told us about their healthcare preferences.

The event was chaired by GOC Care Program Manager, Maria Martakis.

Download the Older Persons Health Profile 2019 here.

Pictured above: Attendees, including carer and consumer representative Laurel Scott and Health Alliance Director of Operations, Lisa Hannigan at one of the many aged care forums in 2019.