Community Services

Aids and Equipment Program This Government scheme is a subsidised program for people with a permanent disability. Assessment is required for the supply of equipment including functional aids and equipment, home oxygen, continence aids, prosthetics and home modifications. Telephone: (03) 5671 3343

Asthma Education

The Clinical Nurse Consultant offers education and individual consultations for asthma management in children, adults, carers, schools and community based services.

Availability: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
Time: 8.00 am – 5.00 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3336

Breast Care Nurse

The Clinical Nurse Consultant provides information, comfort, counselling and support to clients with breast cancer, their family and carers, throughout their breast cancer journey.

Availability: Thursday
Time: 9.00 am - 1.00 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3409

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Phase I:

This is an initial rehabilitation program for in-patients with a cardiac episode. This program introduces activity, mobilisation and education to help patients who have suffered a cardiac event to return to independence and activities of daily living.

Phase II:

This is the “Step to a Healthy Heart Program”, an eight week program recognised by the National Heart Foundation. It is an educational and rehabilitation program for clients and their partners who have suffered a cardiac event, i.e., angina, heart attack, bypass surgery, angioplasty and stenting or anyone who is at risk of developing heart disease.

Phase III:

This is the Wonthaggi Association of Heart Support Australia. The group meets on the 3rd Friday of the month and has on-going education and information sessions.

Availability: Friday
Time: 1.45 pm – 4.00 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3333

Community Rehabilitation Centre A wide range of both rehabilitation and maintenance programs are provided to residents within the Bass Coast Shire. These programs include Independent Living Skills, Falls Prevention and Cardiac Rehabilitation. A monthly men’s outing - MATES - Men’s Adventures to Exciting Sites program is funded through the Commonwealth Respite Centre. Transport is available for some of the programs. Availability: Monday – Friday Time: 8.30 am - 5.00 pm Telephone: (03) 5671 3343

Community Rehabilitation Program

A multi disciplinary team consisting of a Rehabilitation Medical Consultant, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Social Worker and Speech Pathologist provides coordinated goal directed rehabilitation.

Availability: Monday – Friday
Time: 8.30 am - 5.00 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3343

Continence Service

The Continence Service is available to anyone with a bladder or bowel control problem. The Continence Nurse Advisor provides assessment, development of a management plan and specific education with regards to the problem. For children the service provides advice and management with regard to bed-wetting, day wetting and soiling. Assistance can be given with toilet training difficulties.

Availability:
Tuesday 8.30 am - 1.00 pm Wonthaggi
Wednesday & Friday 8.30 am - 5.00 pm Wonthaggi
Thursday 9.00 am – 1.00 pm Warley Hospital, Cowes
Thursday afternoons - Home visits
Telephone: (03) 5671 3255

Dental Clinic

The Dental Clinic provides general dental treatment and denture services to healthcare or pension cardholders. Pre-schoolers up to age 5 years can have check-ups and treatment attended for a nominal fee, as can school students from year 9 upwards with healthcare cards.

The School Dental Service provides dental treatment to all school aged children (Year Prep - Year 12) or up until 18 years of age with a healthcare or pension card at no charge. Students from Year Prep - Year 6 without healthcare or pension card can be treated for a nominal fee.

Availability: Monday – Friday
Times: 8.30 am - 4.00 pm (Monday - Thursday) and 8.30 am - 1.00 pm (Friday)
Telephone: (03) 5671 3268

Diabetes Education

The Clinical Nurse Consultant provides education and advice to clients and families on various aspects of diabetes management.

Availability and Times:
Monday (alternate Corinella/Inverloch) 9.00 am - 4.00 pm
Tuesday 7.00 am - 3.30 pm Wonthaggi
Thursday 8.30 am - 5.00 pm Wonthaggi
Friday 8.00 am - 4.00 pm Inverloch
Telephone: (03) 5671 3290

Dietitian

The Dietitian advises clients on all areas of nutrition and dietary needs. This includes weight loss and gain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and gastrointestinal problems.

Availability and Times:
Monday - Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3252

District Nursing

The service provides home-based care nursing/clinical care and assessment conducted by registered nurses.

Availability: Monday – Sunday
Times: 7.00 am - 9.30 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3249

Family Day Care

This is a home based childcare option whereby carefully selected providers care for children up to the age of twelve. The children have the advantage of small group care in a safe, secure and stimulating home environment.

Availability: Monday – Friday
Time: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Telephone: (03) 56723408

Family Resource Centre (Social Work and Welfare Services)

The Family Resource Centre offers a professional social work and welfare service, by experienced and trained workers offering assessment and counselling. Services include:

Sexual Assault/Abuse Counselling – The Sexual Assault/Abuse Counsellor is available for counselling, information and support to past/present children and adult survivors of domestic and family violence and sexual assault. The service provides a caring and flexible approach to healing and recovery work.

Generalist Counselling – Assists and supports people with emotional, physical, psychological and medical problems arising from grief and bereavement, illness or crisis.

Financial Counselling – Provides information and support to families and individuals who are experiencing financial problems. Advice and assistance with regard to paying bills, fines or debts; negotiating with creditors, preparing budgets and legal ramifications are available.

Family Services – Assists families with children aged 0-18 years. The program seeks to empower families by building on existing strengths and skills of all family members. Services include advocacy, mediation, home based support and group work.

Family Counselling (Alcohol and Drug) – Provides counselling, assistance and support for families dealing with drug and alcohol issues.

Aged Care Social Worker – Provides assistance for older people, their carers and family members on issues such as appropriate care, future accommodation and the process of placing elderly people in Hostels and Nursing Homes.

School Focussed Youth Service – Assists schools and agencies to develop partnerships and enhance existing relationships which support young people (10-18 years) in continuing their education and reducing the risk factors associated with self harm, mental health issues and suicide.

Availability: Monday – Friday
Times: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3278

Lactation Consultant

A lactation consultant is available to provide counselling and education on breast-feeding. All mothers are welcome to contact the lactation consultant through the hospital, if necessary a four hour short stay to hospital can be arranged.

Telephone: (03) 5671 3333

Meals on Wheels

This service provides a nutritious meal to individuals who have no other options for supporting their nutritional needs, other than having a meal delivered to their home. Charges apply.

Availability: Monday - Friday and weekends as required
Telephone: (03) 5671 3247

Midwifery

Team midwifery care offers continuity of care for families antenatally, during the birthing experience and following birth. Postnatal care includes assistance in adjusting to the new role of parenting and advocation of breast-feeding.

Telephone: (03) 5671 3333

Needle and Syringe Program

The Needle and Syringe Program has the primary aim of harm minimisation to intravenous drug users and the wider community. This is achieved by supplying sterile injecting equipment and safe disposal options. The service operates from the Family Resource Centre and the Urgent Care Centre, with a night time delivery shute.

Availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week

Occupational Therapy

This department offers a variety of services to improve function and help promote independence. Services include: assessment and rehabilitation of physical and functional skills for both inpatients and outpatients, rehabilitation in individual and group settings.

Availability: Monday – Friday
Time: 8.30 am - 5.00 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3343

Orthotist

A visiting orthotist service attends the Physiotherapy Department for fitting and supply of orthotics and prosthetics.

Availability: Monthly, every 2nd Monday
Telephone: (03) 5671 3343

Palliative Care

Holistic care that involves coordinated medical, nursing and allied health services is provided for clients with a terminal illness. This service is delivered, where possible, in the environment of the persons choice. It provides physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual support for clients, families and friends.

Availability and Times: Monday – Sunday 7.00 am - 9.30 pm (on-call overnight)
Telephone: (03) 5671 3333

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy services are provided to inpatients, outpatients and residents in the aged care facilities. Services include general physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, community rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation Phase II and lymphodema treatment.

Availability: Monday – Friday
Time: 8.30 am – 5.00 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3343

Planned Activity Groups

These programs provide a planned program of activities directed at enhancing the skills required for daily living and provide physical, intellectual, emotional and social stimulation. Groups are held at Garnham House, Wonthaggi (in the hospital grounds) and the Inverloch Community Care Centre. An extension of these programs is the Weekend Outreach Program, which offers eligible residents within the Bass Coast Shire, fully supported weekends in suitable selected holiday accommodation. Transport is available for all of these programs.

Availability: Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday (Wonthaggi), Tuesday & Thursday (Inverloch)
Time: 9.00 am - 4.00 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3343

Podiatry

Podiatry deals with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of medical and surgical conditions of the feet.

Availability: Monday – Thursday (Wonthaggi) and Friday (Inverloch)
Time: 8.30 am – 4.30 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3343

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

This is an eight-week program designed for people who have lung disease, such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The program offers a twice weekly individualised exercise program, and weekly education sessions.

Availability: The program is conducted regularly throughout the year.
Telephone: (03) 5671 3343

Speech Pathology

The Speech Pathology Department provides assessment and therapy service to people experiencing communication difficulties that may be speech, language, voice, fluency (stuttering) or hearing related. Assistance with swallowing dysfunction is also available.

Availability and Times: Monday – Friday, 8.30 am - 4.30 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3343

Stomal Therapy

The Stomal Therapist is available for education to patients, and their families in regards to stomal care.

Availability and Times: Thursday, 7.30 am - 4.00 pm
Telephone: (03) 5671 3249

Support Groups

The organisation works collaboratively with various support groups including: Arthritis Self Help, Carers, Heart Support, Stroke, Pulmonary and Prostate.