Our guest speaker for last week's meeting was Michelle Lekhoathy who is the Community Development Coordinator at Advocare. Michelle gave a very informative presentation about Advocare and how they support older people in WA.
They have advocates in Perth and the regions who provide advocacy and support for issues directly related to Commonwealth funded aged care services, or elder abuse. Their advocates provide relevant, up to date information and support to assist older people in making the decision that's right for them.
There are 3 types of advocacy they provide:
- Self-Advocacy - they provide information to empower clients to advocate for themselves.
- Represented - where the client doesn't have the confidence, and with their permission they can advocate on their behalf.
- Assisted - they can work with the client to address the issue via a three-way call or attending a meeting with them.
Their advocates receive well over 300 requests for information and support each month. A few common issues they receive calls about are:
- Issues with service providers
- Family issues
- Queries about Enduring Power of Attorneys
Check out the YouTube video; Advocare - What advocacy is for older people and why it's important
Another service they provide is the Community Visitors Scheme. They have over 100 Community Volunteers who look after over 161 clients and the demand is growing. They are looking for new volunteers to join their program and the commitment is one hour per week or fortnight. Some of the thing's volunteers do:
- Having a cuppa and a chat
- Listening to music
- Playing card games
- Going for walks
- Telephone or video calls
- Letter writing
Check out the YouTube video: Community Visitors Scheme
Advocare's Care Finders Service supports vulnerable older people to access aged care services and other relevant supports within the community. Their specialist team can assist by:
- Providing individual support in your home
- Guiding you through accessing aged care services
- Support the application processes and completing forms
- Check in to ensure services meeting your needs
Addressing Elder Abuse - Check out the YouTube video: What is elder abuse?
Contact:
Erin Timu
Development Manager
0450 592 867
