REDLAND DISTRICT COMMITTEE ON THE AGEING INC

REDLANDS FIFTY PLUS

REDLAND COTA MAIL

Volume 12 Issue 2

June, 2017

From the Vice President

As 2017 rolls on, there is still plenty

happening in RDCOTA.

Fundraising is a big part of our activities as we are totally self supporting. Consequently we held a Garage Sale at the end of April and we had many generous donations which enabled us to offer more treasures than trash. Many people dropped in to buy and we were pleased with our success. We plan to hold others during the year, and will again be part of the

big 'Garage Sale Trail' in October.

On May 11th we held our ‘Total Lifestyle Expo’ at RPAC, courtesy of a grant from RCC. Many people attended to listen to the 4 speakers, and tour the tables to learn what is of interest and available to us to enrich our lives. This RCC grant is also funding the much smaller expos that are going on the Islands, the second one being held on Russell Island on Tuesday 30th May. These Expos are being organised and held with the help of Carers Qld, Relationships Australia, fsg and Home Instead. Two more are planned on July 25th and

September 12th.

Our 'Broadband for Seniors' Programme is running a series of sessions aimed at keeping Seniors aware of the developments in this technology. The aim is to update people and then provide tuition in our regular bookable classes, for anyone who needs to brush up their knowledge in order to take advantage of what now is in use. For more information,

dates and bookings please contact the office.

——————————————————————-

Total Lifestyle Expo—11th May, RPAC Report

Winner of the Lucky Draw Round Trip to Stradbroke

Island was Terry Smith. An excellent day with thanks

to Redland City Council for providing funds.

Printed at 57 Wynyard Street, Cleveland

REDLAND COTA MAIL—June 2017

HOME CARE PACKAGES—(referenced from www.myagedcare.gov.au website)

The Home Care Packages Program helps you live independently in your own home for as long as you can. The Australian Government provides a subsidy to an approved home care provider towards a package of care, services and case management to meet your individual needs. From 1 July 2017 all home care packages will be delivered as CONSUMER DIRECTED CARE. This means you and your family or carers will be able to exercise more choice about how yours services are delivered to best meet your specific care needs allowing you to choose to have the service delivered from another provider if you wish.

You may be eligible for a home care package if you are an older person who needs coordinated services to help you stay in your own home. Home care is not intended for visitors to Australia or people requiring temporary or short-term care. To find out if you are eligible for a home care package or any other help at home services, call My Aged Care

on 1800 200 422 who will ask a series of questions to determine if you need an assessment by an Aged Care

Assessment Team (ACAT). A care plan will be developed on your assessment and how that best fits your lifestyle.

During an assessment the ACAT will determine if you are eligible for a home care package and which level best meets your

needs—there are four levels.

Level 1—basic care needs

Level 2—low-level care needs

Level 3—intermediate care needs

Level 4—high-level care needs.

You will be approved for one level of home care package and will be prioritised for care based on your assessed needs.

Each level of home care package provides a different subsidy amount and this amount is paid to your selected approved

home care provider. The subsidy contributes to the total cost of your services and care delivery. It is expected that you

will contribute to cost of your care where your personal circumstances allow.

The types of services you can access under a home care package include but are not limited to:

Personal services

Nutrition, hydration, meal preparation and diet

Continence management

Mobility and dexterity

Nursing, allied health and other clinical services

Transport and personal assistance

Management of skin integrity.

The package may also be used to support the use of:

telehealth, assistive technology, aids and equipment.

There are care and services that you may not use the home care package funds for:

items that would normally be purchased out of general income such as household bills or appliances

Buying food, except as part of enteral feeding requirements

Payment for permanent accommodation, including assistance with home purchase, mortgage payments or rent

Payment of home care fees

Payment of fees or charges for other types of care funded or jointly funded Australian Government

Home modifications or assets that are not related to your care needs

Travel and accommodation for holidays

Payment for services and items covered by Medicare Benefits Schedule or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

The Australian Government subsidy is paid directly to your chosen provider. The subsidy paid is different for each level of

home care package. If you are eligible you are expected to contribute to the cost of your care where your personal

circumstances allow. The maximum income tested care fee you are expected to pay will be determined by the

Department of Human Services. There Is a fee estimator to help you estimate the likely cost of home care fees you can

expect to pay. You can also call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 for more information about home care fees. It is

recommended that you arrange a formal income assessment by the Department of Human Services after you have been

assessed by ACAT. If you are already receiving means tested income support payments you do not need to arrange an

income assessment.

To find out more about home care packages, information can be assessed by phoning My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

A booklet “Your guide to home care package services” can be downloaded from

www.myagedcare.gov.au/help-home/home-care-packages or ask your assessor for a copy.

OR contact Seniors Information Plus at RDCOTA on 3488 0680

Page 2

Page 3 REDLAND COTA MAIL—June 2017

Residential Aged Care Facilities

and Retirement Village

Accommodation Options

Redlands 2017

RDCOTA’s Broadband for Seniors Kiosk

Do you find yourself in this embarrassing position?

having to ask your grandchildren for help!

Assistance is close by, located at 57 Wynyard Street

Cleveland. RDCOTA’s helpful Senior Aged Tutors are on

standby to answer questions on Smart Phones, Tablets and

Laptops. The lessons are free. Just phone 3488 0680 for

an appointment. A suitable Tutor and time will be matched

to your needs. Free lessons are now available Fridays, on

Macleay Island in the Community Hall. Phone RDCOTA to

arrange a booking.

RDCOTA’s

Seniors Information Plus

Located in the RDCOTA office,

57 Wynyard Street, Cleveland. This

service if free and has been

operating since 2011.

Volunteers are on site to assist with

finding solutions to your questions.

Finding your way around a

computer web site is not for the

faint hearted. The Government

Web site “My Aged Care” is

comprehensive, for some it’s hard

to negotiate. There are many other

topics that escape the usual means

of negotiation. These are the

questions our volunteers will

endeavour to assist with.

Call on 3488 0680

Check out our Web Site

www.rdcota.org.au

Send us an email

seniors@rdcota.org.au

FRIDAY MEN’S MORNING TEA

9.30AM TO 11.30AM

RDCOTA OFFICE 57 Wynyard Street, Cleveland

All Welcome

There’s always a place for a new face:

Make Friday “MY DAY” - Friday Morning Men’s

Morning Tea, no cost, no agenda and no official

business.

3488 0680 for information.

Booklet is now available from the RDCOTA

office, 57 Wynyard St. Cleveland

(free of charge)

Page 4 REDLAND COTA MAIL—June 2017

. Grocery Collection –RDCOTA

RDCOTA collects packaged groceries on behalf of Redland Community Centre in line with their emergency relief

assistance program. A list of suggested items is available on

the Redland Community Centre website at

www.redlandcommunitycentre.org

Please help, if you can, by dropping items off at our office,

57 Wynyard St, Cleveland Please remember the less fortunate in our community who

benefit from this assistance particularly in winter

RDCOTA BROADBAND FOR SENIORS

MACLEAY Island Community Hall

Seniors on Macleay and nearby Southern

Moreton Bay Islands may be interested in taking

advantage of Tutorial services now available on

Fridays at the Macleay Island Community Hall.

For Information and bookings for a free

computer/smart phone or tablet tutorial,

call RDCOTA—phone number 3488 0680

History of RDCOTA—14

2003. At this point in time fund raising was at the

forefront of activities. The chief source of funding

had been, courtesy of the Capalaba Lions Club,

volunteers selling tickets in meat trays at the

Grand View Hotel, Cleveland Point. This was

coming to an end due to Management at the

Hotel deciding to allow another service club to

take over. Other income needed to be

investigated. In the meantime, good progress

was being made on the “Seniors Services

Directory.” The rights of grandparents, through no

fault of their own, bringing up their grandchildren

on behalf of their children, was being

investigated. As part of the current fund raising

drive, enough funds were raised, with assistance

from a Melbourne based Lighthouse Christmas

Wrapping scheme to purchase a Bladderscan

Instrument. This was eventually donated to the

Redland Hospital by Pres. Robert Quail. Other

programs on the go were, “Tournament of the

Minds” under the capable wing of Eva Kass and

“Generation Chats” conducted in primary schools

for children (what it was like to be a child in the

older days). Social isolation of Older People,

“Men’s Wellbeing Group”, and “Be Wise with

Medicine” workshops were ongoing. With funds

now at an all time low, Pres. Robert Quail

approached through Mayor Don Seccombe, the

Redland Sporting Club, under the direction of Rick

Veale to ascertain if RDCOTA a non profit

organisation would qualify for funding under their

scheme. As this was the case RDCOTA is forever

grateful to the Redland Sporting Club for it’s

regular support of sponsorship.

STEP FORWARD TOGETHER

YOUR WELLBEING, YOUR PLAN

These interactive sessions provide practical information

and include discussions about:

Wellbeing and the benefits of staying well

Identifying and achieving your goals and wishes

Getting the most out of support services

Opportunities to improve services

COTA Volunteer Peer Educators will visit your group to

explore active ageing and wellness. Sessions are led by

seniors for seniors. Your Wellbeing, Your Plan sessions are

free to seniors clubs and groups.

To Book call COTA, (Council on the Ageing)

3316 2999

Page 5

2017 RDCOTA

MEMBERSHIP/ RENEWAL FORM

Redland District Committee on the Ageing Inc.

ABN 89 778 445 390

Name: (Individual / Organisation)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Postcode . . . . . . . . . .

Telephone: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mobile: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Email Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

REDLAND COTA MAIL—June 2017

I wish to Apply for / Renew financial

Membership for 2017 or

Our organisation wishes to apply

for/renew financial membership for 2017

I/We wish to make a financial contribution

in support of RDCOTA

Annual Subscription 2017

Individual $5.00

Organisation $30.00

Donation $. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cash / Cheque

enclosed $ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Office Use Only:

Database Noted . . . . . . . Receipt No. . . . . . . . . . . .

CotaMail/AGM List Noted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Donald Simpson Community Centre,

What do you know about DEPRESSION?

An information session will be held on Wednesday 21 June from 9.30am to 11.00am. Two speakers will be attendance and

morning tea provided courtesy of Victoria Point Community

Bank Branch of Bendigo Bank.

Marjorie Green—is a retired medical research scientist, a

widow with three sons, three granddaughters and one grandson. She is a speaker with Beyondblue an organisation to

raise awareness about anxiety and depression, reduce the

social stigma and encourage people to get help.

Corinne Coe—is a psychologist with almost 20 years

experience treating people with mental illness, including

depression and anxiety. She has a private practice in

Bloomfield Street, Cleveland.

GPS PROJECT—MONEY FINDER

The GPS program has been implemented to assist

members of the community to gain a greater

understanding of money management. The project is

funded by the Department of Communities and will be

facilitated by the Redland Community Centre for a period of

5 years. The early intervention focus aims to address

financial management problems before they reach crisis

point.

The program is based on one-on-one booked appointments

and group workshops/training by a Financial Literacy

Worker and a Financial Counsellor and acts as a referral

pathway to supports such as Emergency Relief and No

Interest Loans. Clients can be referred via a number of

ways: emergency relief program, community and/or inter-

agency and self referral.

The program is open to residents in the Redlands,

Wynnum/Manly and Bay Island areas and focuses on

young people who have recently left home, the homeless

or those at risk of homelessness, seniors or people who

have recently escaped domestic and family violence.

GPS is a free program and you can have multiple

appointments. Individual cases will be followed up to

ensure you are OK. A free calculator, satchel bag and

handbook will be provided at your appointment. When

your appointment is confirmed you will be advised of what

information/documents are required.

Anyone can book into this program.

Either drop in, phone or email

Redland Community Centre at 29 Loraine Street, Capalaba

Phone: 3245 2117 (leave a message after hours)

Email: moneyfinder@redlandcommunitycentre.org

Page 6 REDLAND COTA MAIL— June 2017

SAVVY SENIORS—Healthy Ageing on the Islands—Free Events

Session 3 —25 July 2017 9.30—12 noon

Active Ageing & Wellness; Home care Packages

Russell Island Recreation Hall

OVER 50’s CHIT CHAT, pop in for a Chat.

Victoria Point Library in conjunction with

RDCOTA Volunteers are hosting regular Chit Chat

Sessions every second and fourth Friday of the month

from 9.30am to 11am— so if you are in the vicinity of

the Victoria Point Library, why not pop in. A gold coin

donation would be appreciated.

RDCOTA

Welcomes Capalaba shoppers to

Capalaba Library—”REFRESH” morning teas

1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month

9.30am to 11.30am

A gold coin donation would be appreciated

For further information phone 3488 0680

SENIORS AND TECHNOLOGY AT RDCOTA

Thursday 15th June 2017

This session will be helpful for seniors of today

who are required to use digital communication

for personal communication, dealing with

various government departments and banking.

The session will cover basic information

on present day technology and will begin in

June. Participants do not need to have any

devices with them. Various types of devices

will be discussed and will be available for

participants to see and operate. Tea and

coffee will be provided and a gold coin

donation would be appreciated.

If you wish to attend, please call RDCOTA on

3488 0680 to register your interest.

ALL SENIORS

WELCOME

RSVP to HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE—3245 5517 or

admin@hiscbayside.com.au (all Sessions)

Please advise any dietary requirements and if you require transport from the ferry

I find it helps to organise chores into categories:

Things I won’t do now;

Things I won’t do later;

And

Things I’ll never do

Page 7

REDLAND COTA MAIL— June 2017

Redlands Ladies Probus Club Inc.

Active retired ladies are welcome to join the

only Ladies Probus club in the Redlands

Meets: 2nd Friday of the month. 9.am for 9.30,

until 12 noon.

Venue Lions Community Hall 122 Shore St

W, Cleveland QLD 4163

Contact Pres. Edythe Saggin 38217993

Sec. Denise Partis 38240726

Fees: Joining fee $20

Annual membership $ 40.00

Format of meeting Welcome, formal business, morning tea and fellowship, guest speaker

usually followed by lunch at a local venue.

Outings / Activities Club outings take place on the third Friday of the month. Some of these are bus trips outside Brisbane. Other outings are to local attractions, including special lunches, and

visits to local points of interest.

AGED CARE AND THE FAMILY HOME

New rules on how you pay for aged care accommodation.

Summary: Before January 1 this year, the financial

consequences for individuals deciding to sell their

home to make a one-off accommodation payment

before going into aged care were the same as for

those choosing to keep their home and use the rent to

pay for their costs. That’s changed, and keeping your

home can have huge implications.

Key take-out: There are no hard and fast rules, and

the best pathway will depend on each individual’s

circumstances, assets and income needs.

Key Beneficiaries: Retirees, category: Retirement.

If you require any further information please contact RDCOTA on

3488 0680 for a copy of the article which contains the full report

Seeking Financial Advice would assist before any

decisions are made

(source Eureka Report 30/5/17)

ENERGY AND WATER SAVING TIPS

Energy and water affordability is a challenge for

everyone, but particularly for those on lower

incomes. Reducing the amount of money spent on

energy and water can help take the pressure off the

budget and free up money for other things.

The Queensland Council of Social Service has

developed some factsheets with tips about how to

save money on water and energy costs.

If you would like copies of these factsheets, they can

be downloaded from

https://www.qcoss.org.au/water-factsheets

and

https://wwwqcoss.org.au/energy-factsheets

Or Contact RDCOTA SIP volunteers on

3488 0680

ELDER ABUSE HELPLINE

Anyone can make the call

There is someone you can talk to if you are experiencing

abuse or suspect someone you know is being abused.

ELDER ABUSE HELPLINE 1300 651 192

ADA AUSTRALIA— Your aged care and disability

advocates.

Are you concerned about the quality of care you

receive in your home or aged care facility?

Are you finding it difficult to access the care and

support you need?

Freecall : 1800 818 338

Or www.adaaustralia.com.au

Phone 3637 6000

Email: info@adaaustralia.com.au

In filling out an application,

where it says “In case of emergency Notify”

I always put in ‘Doctor’

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.

Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

RDCOTA would like to acknowledge its supporters and sponsors:

Without our sponsors, Redland District Committee on the Ageing Inc.

would not be able to reach out into the community as much as it does.

RDCOTA welcomes all contributions to this newsletter.

DISCLAIMER Whilst every care is taken by RDCOTA in the compilation and publication of this newsletter, RDCOTA does not warrant or represent that the

newsletter is free from error nor accept responsibility for any listings, entries, or articles published therein.

In particular, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, RDCOTA expressly denies any responsibility regarding qualifications, expertise and/or experience claimed on behalf of a person or entity referred to in the newsletter, including any product or service offered by any such person or entity. Should any concerns exist, then RDCOTA recommends that independent inquiries should be undertaken by the reader.

RDCOTA shall not be legally responsible for any misrepresentation, loss, damages, cost or expense as a result of any reliance, act, or omission, referred to herein or undertaken by any person or entity howsoever arising.

Mail: P.O. Box 1051, Cleveland. 4163 Phone: 3488 0680

Office: 57 Wynyard St, Cleveland 4163 Email: seniors@rdcota.org.au

Website: http://www.rdcota.org.au

Office Hours: 9.30am to 2.30pm Monday to Friday Check our Facebook page (RDCOTA Community)

USEFUL phone numbers

Cleveland Meals on Wheels—3286 2626

Elder Abuse—1300 651 192

Donald Simpson Centre—3821 1089

Star Community Services—3821 6699

Alzheimer’s Association—1800 639 331

Public Trustee—1300 360 044

C.A.R.E. Community Assist 3822 4058

My Aged Care—1800 200 422

www.redland.qld.gov.au/WhatsOn

Communityevents@redland.qld.gov.au

Redland Sporting Club

Rotary Club of Cleveland

Rotary Club of Redlands Sunrise

Rotary Club of Capalaba

RSL Cleveland

Redlands Foundation

Bendigo Bank Cleveland

Redland City Council

Great Southern Memorial Park

Star Community Services Ltd

Office Works—Capalaba

RDCOTA wishes to thank the Redland City Council for its Community Grant which

purchased uniform shirts to make RDCOTA

volunteers more recognizable.