• Community Partner Program (CPP)
• Centre Based Day Care (Frail aged)
• Disability Program
• Villa D'Este Housing Project
• Community Integration Project
• Mental Health Program
• Overseas Pension Assistance
• Cemetery Visiting Project
• Community Outreach Program
• Centre Based Day Care Dementia
• Social Support Program
• In-Home Respite Program

Community Partner Program (CPP)

The aims of the Community Partners Program:

Identify specific barriers to access to aged care services for older people from a culturally and linguistically diverse community, ie: Italian

More aged care support services delivering culturally appropriate care to older persons from a CALD (Italian) background

Older persons from a CALD (Italian) background have greater capacity to make informed decisions about aged care support services

Formalised arrangements made that will sustain the benefits of the Project and its strategies and continue to promote and facilitate increased access by CALD (Italian) community to aged care support services

Target Group: Italians

Funding Body: Department of Health and Ageing

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Centre Based Day Care (Frail aged)

Centre based daycare offers a day to enjoy the company of others who share similar interest, culture and language. The participants are picked up from their home and returned by minibus. All participants are served a hot lunch and morning tea.

The Centres operate from 10.00 am. to 2.00 pm. on weekdays.

Target Group: This service targets the frail aged who because of their infirmity, disability and isolation find themselves house bound. At the same time the service also provides support for carers giving them the opportunity to spend some time to perceive other interests: shopping, visiting a doctor, seeing friends/relatives.

Service Objectives: To provide a comprehensive, coordinated and integrated range of basic maintenance and support services for frail aged people. To support these persons to be more independent at home and the community, thereby enhancing their quality of life and/or preventing their premature or inappropriate admission to long term residential care.

Description: Centre Based Day Care services refer to the provision of structured group activities designed to develop, maintain and support the capacity for independent living and social interaction, which are conducted in a day care centre setting. Centre Based Day Care also includes group excursions/activities conducted by centre staff but held away from the centre.

Activities:

• Personal care (eg: assistance with toileting)
• Provision of a meal and assistance with eating
• Allied health care as a group activity such as health education
• Outings and day trips
• Social activities such as bingo, cards, sing along, watching an Italian film

Fee: A small fee is requested from each client

Referrals: Participants are usually referred by other welfare agencies, their doctor, a relative, a carer, or they can also refer themselves.

As not all referrals are appropriate, the Coordinator is also able to assist the family and participants by providing information about other services and programmes.

Other: The service is supported by a group of volunteers.

Funding Body: NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and HomeCare under Home and Community Care

Areas Covered: Wollongong, Balgownie, Dapto, Unanderra, Warrawong, Albion Park

Eligibility: It is the policy of ItSoWel to assist clients who are Italian born, Italian speaking or identify as being Italian but it does not discriminate in relation to age, sex, religion or region of origin.
The programs of assistance that ItSoWel offers are based on Federal and State Government funding and may thus have certain restrictions in regards to eligibility criteria. Where this does occur ItSoWel will endeavour to refer the client to a more appropriate agency or service.

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Disability Program

The aim of this service is:

• to network with disability agencies
• provide support, information and advocacy to carers and persons with a disability
• referral to appropriate agencies

Target group: persons of an Italian background

Funding Body: Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care

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Villa D'Este Housing Project

Villa D’Este is a Community Housing Project. It consists of eight self-care units. The project aims to assist older, single, financially disadvantaged Italian persons by providing affordable accommodation.

The core objective of the CPP program is to promote and facilitate increased and sustained access by culturally and linguistically diverse communities with significant aged care needs to aged care support services.

Target Group: Italian

Funding Body: Department of Health and Ageing

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Community Integration Project

The aim of this service is:

• to assist persons with a disability from English and non-English speaking background to participate in community activities which are promoted in conjunction with Interchange Illawarra.

Funding body: Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care

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Mental Health Program

A mental health service is offered fortnightly. The psychologist is Dr Charlie Pollicina. The service is by appointment only. A Mental Health Plan is required, this can be provided by the GP.

An in-home mental health services is also provided if required. The psychologist is Marcelo Di Martino. The service is by appointment only.

Both services have fees which are charged directly to Medicare.

Target Group: Italian speaking community who have a family member or themselves suffering from a mental illness.

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Overseas Pension Assistance

In partnership with the Patronato Ital-Uil a pension consultancy service operates daily from ItSoWel. The service is offered free of charge.

All types of Pension Applications, such as Aged, Survivor’s, Disability and Family Allowance, are processed for all countries with whom an accord exists, such as:

Assistance is also provided with documentation and declaration of income and assets.

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Cemetery Visiting Project

This service provides monthly transport to the cemetery. The clients are picked up from their homes, taken to the cemetery and transported back home.

The service is assisted by volunteers. There is a small fee.

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Community Outreach Program

This Program is funded by NSW Health and is in partnership with South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service.

The program focuses on informing, educating and promoting good health amongst the ageing Italian community in the Illawarra.

Information seminars are regularly organised with Italian speakers/interpreters.

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