Facility to close

Kyneton District Health Service board president, Graham Jasper, and CEO, Jennifer Gale, this week announced the impending closure of the hospital's Thomas Hogan Aged Care wing.

Angela Crawford

Kyneton District Health Service has announced the impending closure of its Thomas Hogan Residential Aged Care wing.

The facility's 35 staff were notified on Wednesday morning, and the families of its 15 high-care residents were informed later that day.

It will cease operating as soon as July 1.

KDHS chief executive officer, Jennifer Gale, said the health service is hoping the move will free up about $150,000 operationally a year. These funds would enable the hospital to provide additional services aimed at keeping residents in their homes as long as possible, before they need to enter residential aged care.

"There will also be additional in-hospital services," she said.

"This change is part of an Australia-wide trend for public hospitals to move away from operating nursing homes to instead providing a range of services available to all elderly members of the community."

Ms Gale said that in recent years the facility had seen a steady decline in the number of residents, as people chose to stay at home for longer, or entered residential aged care at low-care stage, moving through to high care at the one facility. 

"At the same time there has been a growth in the number of beds provided locally by both private and not-for-profit operators, to the point where there is really no need for us to provide a nursing home," she said.

"We believe aged care is a service that we should provide to the whole community, and this will be a much better way for us to deliver that service.

"It is more rewarding for people to stay in their own homes, with appropriate support, for as long as possible, and we aim to ensure that is delivered in our region."

A daughter of one of the residents, however, pointed out that the hospital's idea to provide care that will enable more people to stay at home for longer, would actually mean that a higher number would end up going straight into high care.

"My mum doesn't want to move, she's settled in now," the daughter said. "She had the choice of going to three (facilities) and she picked Thomas Hogan because she knew people there and it was attached to the hospital.

"I think it's a shame that this well-equipped facility is not going to be utilised."

Ms Gale said the hospital will work closely with residents and families to enable a smooth transition of its residents to a new home.

"We've been discussing with them the future of our service for the last year, because we've been operating at 60 per cent occupancy with no waiting list (for the past three years)," she said.

"At 15 residents, it was approximately $50,000 a month that we were losing, about half a million a year at our current occupancy levels.

"Commonwealth and state subsidies still left a funding shortfall of about $250,000 a year, even when the facility was full."

Ms Gale said no determination has yet been made about the number of staff who will be made redundant. 

"That will be worked out with them individually over the next two weeks. At this stage, they all have positions until the 30th of June at least," she said. 

"Where we have vacancies within our service we'll look to redeploy them and we're talking to other facilities in our shire and within the Loddon Mallee to see where they may have vacancies so we'll be assisting the staff with transfers if that's what they want."

Kyneton Hospital's executive is currently undertaking a site masterplan which will determine how the Thomas Hogan wing will be used.

Positive messages passed on

The enthusiastic Live4Life crew, made up of 35 year nines and 10s from five local colleges, launched Live4Life 2013 for their year eight peers this week.

Kylie Kitchen

Macedon Ranges year eight students were given a captivating introduction to youth mental health initiative, Live4Life, on Tuesday.

The students are set to follow in the footsteps of past Live4Life groups in transforming internal awareness, social attitudes and schoolyard dynamics through the year-long program.

Since its beginnings in late 2009, students, teachers and parents have sung high praise for the locally-born Live4Life.

Teens are educated to identify, talk about and manage their mental health and that of their peers.

At the 2013 launch this week, mental health messages were delivered via mediums ranging from poetry slam and song, to videos and talks.

"The students get some really great, simple messages," council youth development unit coordinator, Pauline Neil said.

"One is that we all have mental health issues and there are some key support people in their life and if they're worried at all about what is going on for them that they can tell an adult and get the support they need.

"The other key message is that talking about mental health is very fun. We've worked very hard at making sure the association with the Live4Life brand as one of fun and trying to address the stigma.

"As Sam Hasell (a participant in Live4Life's first year) said in his opening, 'Live4Life is not just a community, it felt like I was part of a family'. To be involved in a mental health program and to get that sense from it as a young person is quite extraordinary."

An energetic year nine and 10 crew hosted the event, drawing on their experience as Live4Life participants in the past two years.

Ms Neil commended the crew for successfully holding the attention of 600 young teens. 

"It was certainly the best launch we've had to date," she said.

"The way in which the Live4Life crew worked toward the launch and really took control on the day was fantastic.

"It was high energy, the students said it was a lot of fun."

The interactive event included a DVD on sexting, a game busting mental health myths, a short play depicting issues around mental health, and a session addressing the question, 'Why is it important to destigmatise mental illness?'. 

"They really enjoyed it and they though the DVD was really powerful," Ms Neil said.

"The message was really that each person sitting there has the ability to make good choices and can predict the impact of making a poor choice on themselves and those around them."

Live4Life is an initiative by Cobaw Community Health, Macedon Ranges Council, Victoria Police and local schools, Sacred Heart College, Kyneton Secondary College, Braemar College, Gisborne Secondary College and Macedon Grammar.

In terms two and three, the year eights will cover topics, 'What's up', 'In Your Head', 'Body Talk' and 'Helping Hand'. Parents will have the opportunity to participate in Youth Mental Health First Aid training as part of the program.

Young voices to broadcast

Cobaw's WayOut project worker, Lachlan Slade and WayOut member, Sam Morris practice interview skills as Cobaw prepares for is new youth radio program, Outlands.

A new youth radio program is calling for young people people to give it a voice.
The program, Outlands, will be broadcast on 100.7 Highlands FM in about two months.
The Cobaw Community Health facilitated project was launched at the Kyneton Botanic Gardens this week.
Outlands aims to give its young presenters a program to share youth interests, music and issues, also giving them skills in radio production and interview techniques.
"It gives young people an opportunity to really put their voice out there more than they would on any other platform," Outlands facilitator and Cobaw's WayOut project worker, Lachlan Slade said. 
Organisers are seeking people who are interested in radio presenting, production, and reporting stories.
Cobaw hosted a launch barbecue on Wednesday as an opportunity for young people to register their interest in participating in the program.
"Outlands is a great opportunity for young people to get their voice on radio and make a real difference to the community they are living in," Mr Slade said. 
"We are seeking people between the ages of 14 and 21 who are enthusiastic and excited about learning more about radio and broadcasting to become involved and help present the program."
"You don't need any special skills or knowledge. We will provide full training, including how to make the program sound amazing."
For more information and to apply to be involved, contact Lachlan Slade, at Cobaw Community Health on 5421 1666, at lachlan.slade@cobaw.vic.gov.au or via Facebook: facebook.com/outlands1007