TEAMhealth provide ‘palace’ of recovery for Fred

Fred, a 75 year old TeamHEALTH Participant said that if it wasn’t for TeamHEALTH’s HCP program, he may not have had a roof over his head.

“Back in 2011, I was living in a hostel and had a diagnosis of complex health issues, seizures, decreasing self-care and poor nutritional intake.”

 Fred arrived in Australia in his thirties and has spent the majority of his life living and working in communities and towns between Katherine and Darwin, residing in community, or hostel/backpacker style accommodation.

Fred was referred to TeamHEALTH in 2011 and was provided with assistance through a TeamHEALTH Home Care Package.

In November 2014, due to continued seizures and mobility issues, the hostel advised they were no longer able to provide accommodation for Fred.

“I began to have many admissions to hospital due to my medical concerns and was worried about what would happen to me,” Fred said.

 “I was unable to sustain suitable accommodation options, with many services refusing to support me,” he said.

 TeamHEALTH’s Home Care Packages Team supported Fred through ongoing discussions with Territory Housing and with other service providers to find suitable accommodation for Fred.

In May 2015, TeamHEALTH obtained a Territory Housing Unit in an Aged Care complex for Fred; without this support Fred may have been without a home.

“TeamHEALTH staff provided me with the support I needed to live independently within the community and have supported me in furnishing my unit with help from various programs and local Op Shops.

“I call my unit ‘The Palace’ and I keep the unit neat and tidy”, he said.

“Since I moved into my own space I have not had any admissions to Royal Darwin Hospital, I socialise with my new neighbours and attend social activities that are of interest to me,” Fred said.

TeamHEALTH Home Care Packages (HCP) offer individualised planned and coordinated packages of low level, community care services. They are designed to meet the specific needs of older people so that they may live independently in the community.

The program offers support for the aged to carry out their daily activities such as organising transport arrangements, social activities, domestic duties, grocery shopping, appointment setting, paying bills and banking.

TeamHEALTH’s Home Care Packages are provided in accordance with the Australian Aged Care Act and Home Care Package guidelines.

The program is provided within the Darwin and Palmerston urban areas.

TeamHEALTH operates across the Top End of the Northern Territory, providing mental health advocacy, education, prevention and early intervention services to the regional and remote communities of the Northern Territory.

TeamHEALTH’s programs are provided within a model of recovery focussed psychosocial rehabilitation and within the framework of the National Mental Health Plan and Standard.

TeamHEALTH works closely with other local specialist service providers such as Top End Mental Health Services (TEMHS), drug/alcohol services and other non-government organisations.