Services:

• Older People
• Youth, Children & Families
• Mental Health
• Elder Care Canterbury

Presbyterian Support Provides New Service for Mid Canterbury

Professional community support for older people and their families will now be available in Mid Canterbury through Presbyterian Support.

Regional Manager Jackie Girvan is very pleased to announce the appointment of Rosey Crone to the full-time position of Community Social Worker for Older People. “Older people need access to the right range of services in a well-coordinated and managed way,” Jackie says.

The appointment follows on from the commitment made to this community after Cameron Courts Home and Villas were sold, that Presbyterian Support Upper South Island would move towards other community services for older people.

Over the past 18 months Presbyterian Support, working from The Trevor Wilson Centre, has co-ordinated the Stay On Your Feet Falls Prevention Programme for older people and this is still ongoing.

Jackie says the review of the Ashburton Hospital Services creates an opportunity for greater collaboration, co-ordination and delivery of services. “We are actively looking at rural Mid Canterbury to offer social support to older people living in their own homes.

 “It is exciting to be able to add this new resource in our community to work with older people. The community social worker role will not step on services already available, but will complement and add to them.”

Rosey has a BA and a qualification in social work. She has a wide range of experience in social work and has worked with older people in a variety of settings. Her role is to assist older people to live at home with dignity and purpose. She joins the social work and counselling team at The Trevor Wilson Centre and is a welcome addition to the staff.

Referrals are accepted from any source: the older person themselves, GPs and other health professionals, families, friends or other agencies. A phone call, letter or fax to the Trevor Wilson Centre is all that is necessary. There is no fee for this service, however donations are welcome.

Funding for this new service has come from the Trevor Wilson Trust and Presbyterian Support. There is a possibility of another similar organisation providing part funding for the role over the next three years.