Improving the health and wellbeing of our aging population is one of our key priority areas. Our aim is to support and coordinate services for older people living in the community and those living in Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs).
Key Areas and Current Programs
As part of the Western Sydney Integrated Senior’s Health (WISH) committee, we are working in partnership with the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) to improve health outcomes for older people in our community. Our current priority areas include:
- Identifying and supporting older people at risk
- Improving dementia care, including support for behavioural and psychological symptoms
- Helping GPs recognise and respond to at-risk older patients
- Promoting safe and effective medication use in the community and residential aged care
- Reducing preventable hospital visits
- Strengthening integrated and coordinated care
- Building GPs capacity and capability to support end of life planning
- Addressing workforce skill and capacity gaps
- Enhancing access to palliative care and end-of-life services
Dementia
Dementia is a term that covers a range of conditions related to gradual brain function impairment and is commonly associated with memory loss. It is estimated that 12,788 people are living with dementia in Western Sydney. This is projected to increase by more than 200% by 2050.
Informed by the work undertaken by South Western Sydney Primary Health Network and Dementia Australia, we have developed a Western Sydney Dementia Handbook, to assist you and your loved ones in accessing the support you need from the time of diagnosis and beyond.
The Dementia Care Navigator Program supports people living with Dementia, their families and carers, to navigate the health and aged care service sectors and connect with services most suitable for their circumstances. Contact Irene Robinson from Dementia Australia for more information regarding the program by email: Irene.Robinson@dementia.org.au or phone: 0482 163 434.
Advance Care Planning
Advance Care Planning helps ensure your future care reflects your wishes. It allows you to think about what matters most and share your preferences for medical treatment if you’re unable to speak for yourself.
These can be sensitive topics, so they’re often avoided—but having these conversations early with your family, carers, and GP can help everyone feel more prepared and confident about your care.
Visit the NSW Health website to find out more.
Undertaking ACP means that the future decisions about a person’s care are more likely to reflect their wishes. ACP identifies sensitive issues and clarifies the actions an individual would prefer in certain medical situations should they occur in the future. For many reasons these topics of discussion between family, carers and GPs are often avoided.
An Advance Care Directive (ACD) lets you clearly document your future health care wishes in a legally recognised way, so your voice is heard even if you can’t speak for yourself—giving peace of mind to you, your loved ones, and your care team. It’s an important step within advance care planning, which is the broader process of thinking about, discussing, and sharing what matters most to you; while planning is ongoing and flexible, an ACD puts those wishes into a formal document that can guide decisions when they’re needed most. Find out more via the NSW Health website.
Palliative Care and End of Life Planning
Ensuring that every person receives quality end of life care, including specialist palliative care where required, as they approach the end of their life remains one of the major challenges to health systems in developed nations around the world. Find out more on our Palliative Care webpage.
We have developed Palliative Care Handbooks as part of our End of Life and Palliative Care Program to assist you and your loved ones in accessing the support needed from diagnosis through to the end-of-life period and beyond.
Healthy Western Sydney
Healthy Western Sydney is a free service directory for community members and health professionals in Western Sydney offering information on palliative care, aged care and dementia services in Western Sydney.
Visit Healthy Western Sydney to access free health services.
Active and Healthy NSW
A free NSW Health online directory and resource hub that helps people aged 50+ find local or virtual exercise programs and stay active, healthy, and independent. Visit the website.
Care Finder
There are many aged care services available to older Australians, however it may be difficult for some people to access the right services. Intensive care can be accessed by older people who are a part of the vulnerable population, such as those experiencing disability or who are at risk of homelessness.
The Care Finder program is a free service that provides specialist support for older people living in a vulnerable situation. Through Care Finder, clients will have their needs assessed and be connected with a care finder who can assist them in engaging with appropriate aged care and community services.
Find out more on our Care Finder webpage.
Still Standing
Still Standing is a light exercise program to help reduce the risk of falling over and associated hospitalisation. It is suitable for those using walking aids and participants will be given access to an individualised plan with home-based activities. Find out more on the website.
Improving Care Through Digital Health
Digital health tools such as My Health Record are helping make health care more connected for individuals, families, carers and their representatives. These tools support the secure sharing of health information between health care providers, helping to improve safety, communication and coordination of care.
WentWest supports local health care providers to use these tools effectively, helping to improve care coordination and the visibility of health information for residents and care teams.
My Health Record includes representative access options that allow family members, carers or substitute decision makers to access and manage an individual’s health information when appropriate.
- A nominated representative is a person granted access by an individual to help manage their My Health Record. The individual decides what the nominated representative can see and do within the record
- An authorised representative manages a My Health Record on behalf of someone who is unable to manage their own record. This is typically a parent, carer, family member, legal guardian or someone with enduring power of attorney. An authorised representative has full access to and control of the person’s My Health Record
The 1800MEDICARE app (formerly My Health App) provides a secure way for individuals and their representatives to access key health information in My Health Record including health summaries, medicines information, immunisation information, pathology and diagnostic imaging reports. For more information, visit the Australian Digital Health Agency 1800MEDICARE app.
Progressing Health Now
Find out more about our other Services and Programs available for Western Sydney community members.
