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Last Updated
22-Jul-2002
FAR NORTH COAST SERVICE INFORMATION
MID NORTH COAST SERVICE INFORMATION. THIS WAY>>
The Far North Coast Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre has two offices, employing a total of 10 people. Our main office is located in Alstonville and our outreach office is in Grafton. All our coordinating staff have professional qualifications in social work or social science and several staff have been in a caring role themselves.
Our Mission Statement
The Far North Coast Carer Respite Centre exists to support caring relationships
between carers and their dependent family members or friends. The Far
North Coast Carer Respite Centre is committed to providing carers with:
- accurate and up to date information
- providing a referral service that is appropriate to the carers needs
and wishes
- coordinated short term and/or emergency respite services that are relevant to the carer's situation.
The outcomes The Far North Coast Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre are working towards are:
- that carers can have a break from their responsibility of looking after someone who is frail aged, chronically ill or a younger person with a disability
- that people who are frail aged or disabled can remain in their own home
- that family or other primary caregivers are supported in their role.
Our Philosophy
The policies and procedures of the Far North Coast Carer Respite Centre are based on the following principles, values and beliefs.
The FNC CRC recognises the importance of the role played by family members and friends who care for dependant people at home:
The FNC CRC recognises the importance of Carers to both the achievements of the Government policy objecteves in aged and community care and to the well being of those dependent persons in our communities who would find it difficult to remain living at home without the help of their carers.
The FNC CRC has a commitment to the empowerment of Carers with whom they work:
The FNC CRC aims to provide Carers with information, knowledge, skills and access to resources so they can gain greater power over their lives and be able to make appropriate decisions about their respite needs.
The FNC CRC recognises every Carer has the right to:
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The FNC CRC recognises the importance of Carers' individual needs and
circumstances:
The FNC CRC recognises that every Carer may have differing needs according
to their circumstances and we accept that these needs are important. To
achieve this principle, we need to communicate in a non-judgemental, open
minded and empathetic way. We therefore recognise that Carers with similar
needs may have different outcomes.
Privacy Statement
This service works within the Privacy Act 1988 (updated December 2001). We aim to collect from you only the information that is absolutely necessary to offer you our services. Our staff will seek your consent before they collect any personal information from you. Our staff will also explain for what purpose information is collected and how it is stored. We will not give your personal information onto any other service except where we have your express consent. You can withdraw this consent at any time. If you wish to view personal information we hold about your situation, you will need to make an appointment with our Programme Manager.
What can the Far North Coast Carer Respite Centre offer you?
The Far North Coast Carer Respite Centre can provide carers with:
- Information and advice about your respite options. We hold information
on all types of respite across our area, both government funded and
private agencies. We can also link you to any other respite centre across
Australia.
- Help with organising planned (long term regular) respite. When carers
need planned respite, we refer the carer onto the most relevant service
in their area. If we cannot find a service to refer to or the service
is full, we advise the Commonwealth and State governments of the gaps
in respite services.
- Paying for respite when needed on a short term or occasional basis. When a carer needs short term or occasional respite we can help fund or subsidise the cost when people cannot fund the respite themselves. This may be a few days away for the carer or a morning or afternoon respite for a carer to attend appointments.
- In home respite care in times of crisis or emergency. We are available
24 hours a day. We operate a 24 hours 7 day a week service offering
emergency in home respite. When the carer calls us we take the details
of the person being cared for and buy the respite needed from an existing
respite agency.
- Booking for respite in nursing homes and hostels. We handle bookings
for all respite or short term vacancies in nursing homes or hostels.
We can advise on what to bring, the cost and any additional information
the carer may need. In certain circumstances we may be able to subsidise
the daily cost of $24.63 set by the Commonwealth.
- Finding a volunteer 'friend'. In the Tweed Shire we fund a programme
called Carers Friends which matches carers with volunteer friends. The
friends and carers spend time together, may go on outings and generally
aim to make the carer feel less socially isolated.
- Opportunities for carers to get together and network. We provide different
ways for carers to get together and network:
- Carer Support Groups – Where we know of support groups, we strongly recommend carers attend. If there is no support group in the area the carer lives in, we will consider setting one up (see also Support Groups)
- Carer Retreats – We fund and organise holidays away for carers
(the person being cared for stays at home with support). Sometimes these
are for women only, some for men only and some for particular target
groups (see Calendar of Events).
- Boat Cruises, Picnics, Morning Teas, Pampering Days – From
time to time we organise social gatherings for carers which offer carers
fun, relaxation and a chance to get to know each other (see Calendar
of Events).
MID NORTH COAST SERVICE INFORMATION
Mid North Coast Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre is based in Macksville and has a Manager, 4 Service Coordinators, 1 Information Coordinator and 2 part-time Administration Assistants and 1 Administration Trainee. We also subcontract Emergency Coordinator for our after hours service.
All our staff are committed to empowering carers and assisting to lessen the burden of their caring roles. We will endeavour to...
Our Services include:
INFORMATION & COORDINATION OF RESPITE EMERGENCY ON CALL SERVICE
This is an after hours emergency service, that is available to carers overnight, weekends and public holidays, for carers in times of crisis, such as:
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To access this service in an emergency call our
Freecall Number 1800 059 059
and our coordinator will discuss their needs.
RESIDENTIAL RESPITE BOOKING SERVICE
Booking for respite in nursing homes and hostels in the shires of Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca, Kempsey and Port Macquarie. We handle bookings for all respite or short term vacancies in nursing homes or hostels. We can advise on what to bring, the cost and any additional information the carer may need. In certain circumstances we may be able to subsidise the daily respite fee that is set by the Commonwealth
CARER SUPPORT GROUPS
We help carers to set up and run support groups and where we know of support groups, we strongly recommend carers attend. If there is no support group in the area the carer lives in, we will assist with setting one up (For a support group in your area see Carer Support Groups)
Carer Retreats
We fund and organise retreats (holidays away) for carers (the person being cared for stays at home with support). Sometimes these are for women only, some for men only and some for particular target groups (see Calendar of Events).
Carer/Care Recipient Holidays
We fund and organise holidays away for carers and the person they care for. Sometimes these are for couples, some for mothers and their sons or daughters only, some for men and their sons and some for particular target groups (see Calendar of Events).
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
"Our task is to link Carers to respite"
PHILOSOPHY OF THE MNC CRC
The policies and procedures of the MNC CRC are based on the following principles, values and beliefs:· The MNC CRC recognizes the importance of the role played by family members and friends who care for dependent people at home.
- The MNC CRC recognizes the importance of Carers to both the achievements of Government policy objectives in aged and community care and to the well being of those dependent persons in our communities who would find it difficult to remain living at home without the help of their carers.
- The MNC CRC has a commitment to the empowerment of Carers with whom they work.
- The MNC CRC aims to provide Carers with information, knowledge, skills and access to resources so they can gain greater power over their lives and be able to make appropriate decisions about their respite needs.
- The MNC CRC recognizes the importance of Carers' individual needs and circumstances:
- The MNC CRC recognizes that every Carer may have differing needs according to their circumstances and we accept that these needs are important. To achieve this principle, we need to communicate in a non- judgemental, open minded and empathetic way. We therefore recognize that Carers with similar needs have different outcomes.
OUR COMMITMENT TO CARERS
We will at all times:
- Work with carers to plan options which wuit the carers needs and the needs of the person they care for
- Strive to enable carers to have better access to locally based services
- Assist in identifying gaps in service provision for carers
PRIVACY STATEMENT
We recognise that we hold a position of trust in holding your personal and sensitive information. The Mid North Coast Carer Respite Centre and Commonwealth Carelink Centre have a strong commitment to maintaining the privacy of clients contacting the centres. In compliance with the Privacy Act 2001 the centres will adhere to the following privacy principles:
1. The centres will only collect personal/sensitive information which is directly related to a function or activity of our service.
2. The centre staff will inform clients from whom they seek personal/sensitive information, prior to collection or as soon as practicable thereafter:
- The purpose of the collection of information
- Any third party which information will be sent to
3. Personal/sensitive information will only be used for the purposes which are relevant
4. The centres will strive to ensure the information collected is relevant to the purpose of collection, is of good quality and not too intrusive.5. The centres will ensure that any personal / sensitive information is securely kept and access is limited to appropriate members of staff.
6. Clients have a right of access to their personal information
7. Centres will not disclose to anyone else personal information, except:
- Where the individual concerned is reasonably likely to have been aware, or made aware under Principle 2, of the practice of disclosure
- With consent of the person
- To prevent a serious and imminent threat to a person's life or health
- As required or authorised by law
- Where reasonably necessary for the enforcement of criminal or revenue law
Any recipient of information under one of these exceptions may only use it for the purpose for which it was disclosed.The Centres full privacy policy is a public document and access will be granted on request. For further information or explanation please contact Sandie Downsborough, the Program Manager, on 6568 4164 or 1800 059 059 or email general@carer-respite.org
