International Day Against Homophobia

For those of you who work in the aged care industry, let me ask a question. Do you presume that all your clients are heterosexual? Have you ever considered that they may not be? What if you had a client who identified as being gay, lesbian or transgender? Do you think they would share that information with you? Would they feel safe to do so in your organisation? How would you act/react if they did?   Did you ever have this discussion in your aged care course?

I hope I have chellenged  you and  given you some food for thought on this very important day. Inetrnational Day Against Homophobia. What can you do to mark this occaision? May I make some suggestions?

• Educate Yourself. If you are unaware of the issues facing GLBTI people in aged care do some research.
• Educate Others: Talk about International Day Against Homophobia with your work colleages. Spread the word and share what you have learned.
• Have a chat with your residents about how they would feel if you had a GLBTI resident.

Here is a link to the Ageing Gay and Lesbian Victoria which addresses issues such as dementia, aged care services and health issues. Check it out!

http://www.glhv.org.au/?q=taxonomy/term/40

Here is another link to International Day Against Homophobia website. See what you can discover about this annual event.

http://www.homophobiaday.org/default.aspx?scheme=1204

Note: GLBTI = Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Intersex

National Volunteer's Week 2011

This week it is National Volunteers Week in Australia. Volunteers play an important part in our work force and no industry is need of voluteers more than the Aged Care Industry, so for this reason I would like to say a huge thanks and offer gratitude the the people out there who get out of bed in the morning and head to work to offer a service free of charge.

What can I do in aged care as a volunteer I hear you ask? A simple conversation with an older person can be of great value. You could learn something too. Our older folk are human history books and are able to share with you their experiences of how it was in days gone by. So sign up to be a volunteer, grab a cuppa and start chatting! As you uncover the stories you may wish to create story books for the residents in a facility which contain photos and stories that map out a person's life and perhaps act as a reminder to those with memory loss.

if you are a little crafty you may want to create a story board to hang in your new friends room. You can do this by using photos and the block mounted canvas art boards you can find in most "cheap" shops.

If you work in a facility that has volunteers please take this opportunity to thank them personally for their contribution. you could also download a certificate of appreciation to present to them: Below is a link to the volunteering Australia website where you will find the free downloads and other information and ideas. Have fun!

http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/html/s01_home/home.asp