ANNUAL REPORT - Northern Health

are now represented as patients in all 76 of Northern
Health’s speciality clinics. Presentations have risen from
1311 attendances in 08/09 to 1527 attendances in 09/10,
indicating an increasing acceptance of Northern Health
services by the ATSI community.
The number of ATSI identified babies born at The Northern
Hospital has also increased during the last seven years.
This can be attributed to a number of factors including the
increase in the ATSI population in the catchment, better
processes to identify patients who identify as Aboriginal
or Torres Straight Islander, and the increasingly positive
view of the ATSI community towards Northern Health. This
increasingly positive view is also reflected by the gradually
increasing number of Aboriginal people joining the staff at
Northern Health, particularly in nursing.
The Northern Health Primary Care and Population
Health Advisory Committee develops annual work plans
to identify population health issues and strategies to
address them. Northern Health continues to support
Planning for a healthier North and is working towards
WHO International Health Promoting Hospital status. The
committee is proposing to further develop Health Literacy as
a fundamental concept in training and education.
Improving services for families
Local children in the Craigieburn community and surrounds
have the opportunity to enhance their developmental skills
with the opening of the Craigieburn Health Service Resource
Library. The Resource Library, a special library of games and
toys, is designed to enrich a child’s development through
positive play and interaction. Children are able to enjoy
playing while achieving developmental goals.
Parents attending Craigieburn Health Service’s Children’s
Services are able to borrow select toys and equipment to
help work towards their child’s short-term goals which may
focus on hand-eye coordination, strength and balance,
mobility and speech and language skills. Clinicians
match the right toy to a child’s specific developmental
need according to their therapy program. Many of the
educational toys purchased for the Resource Library are
expensive and may only be needed for a short period of
time to help the child develop a new skill. The Library
provides an opportunity for families to enhance their child’s
development through positive play and interaction, without
committing to the high cost.
Parents will be provided with education and fact sheets on
the use of library toys and equipment. They will also be given
alternative play activities using day-to-day household items
and other low cost ideas. The new Resource Library is made
possible thanks to a generous $5,000 donation from Variety
Club and is supported by Craigieburn Sporting Club.
Unique opportunities for ‘Old Blokes’
The Old Blokes’ Shed, located at Bundoora Extended Care
Centre is providing many new opportunities for clients to
engage in rewarding rehabilitative and social activities. The
Old Blokes’ Shed was built with the generous support of the
Rotary Club of Bundoora.
Three different sessions are run in the shed including
Occupational Therapy, Planned Activity Group(PAG) and
casual drop-in sessions. Occupational Therapy and PAG
sessions are therapy related and run by Allied Health staff,
supported by volunteers.
These sessions are designed to restore or maintain a
patient’s ability to perform tasks used in daily living and
include activities such as woodwork, mosaic, card and board
games and macramé among others.
The Drop-In sessions, run by volunteers, focus on providing
patients with an opportunity to socialise in a relaxed
environment.
09/10 Northern Health Annual Report 27