Page 1436 - Week 05 - Thursday, 13 May 2021
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The Connect in Canberra hub was established to provide an online information portal to help Canberrans stay in the loop, keep connected, be part of the community and access assistance and support as needed. The Australian Red Cross was engaged to provide the wellbeing call service, available to all ACT residents to register for a free one-off phone call or arrange regular check-ins. This was a particular focus for those who have experienced social isolation due to COVID.
The know your neighbour campaign was rolled out to support Canberrans to connect with their neighbours and refocus efforts on community connection. Additional, targeted messaging was developed to reassure the Canberra community that health and medical appointments are safe to attend and that health and wellbeing must remain a priority.
A new fortnightly community partner COVID-19 update was introduced as a further way to reach our community, particularly those who may not regularly access mainstream media, social media and other online sources. The publication is being distributed to almost 250 organisations, including those which support older Canberrans. An online smart form and phone line was established to refer Canberrans to assistance, information or referrals they may need during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this service, clients are contacted within one business day of their inquiry.
The ACT government rolled out a media campaign promoting safe travel through COVID-19 and the continuation of the essential service of public transport. This was vital to provide services for older Canberrans who had no other means of transport, particularly through the early lockdown periods. Libraries ACT have modified the way they support the community and are continuing to deliver popular services, such as story time, using digital channels, as well as the establishment of a telephone helpline to assist older Canberrans and others to access digital resources on their devices.
In May 2020, the ACT government announced a $4.5 million mental health support package, providing additional funding for mental health services in response to the anticipated increase in demand by Canberrans impacted by COVID-19. This included the announcement of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Innovation Grants Program, inviting proposals from individuals and organisations.
The following initiatives relating to older Canberrans were successful in receiving grants. COTA ACT received funding of $10,000 to coordinate the development and performance by older Canberrans to communicate the experiences they faced during COVID-19; and Palliative Care ACT received funding of $75,000 to expand their support for carer respite during COVID-19.
The ACT government COVID-19 community support package included the following funding to boost resourcing to organisations who support older Canberrans. COTA ACT received funding of $20,000 to enhance their capacity to support older members of the Canberra community during the pandemic; and Woden Valley RSL and the Vietnam Veterans and Veterans Federation ACT Incorporated were also provided with funding of $20,000 respectively, in recognition that older Canberrans can be prone to social isolation when veteran specific services are unavailable.
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