September 2010
Our speaker for August was Victoria Barger. Victoria has a degree in Nursing from Sydney University, specializing in Mental Health.
She spoke to us about her experiences working in Mental Health in public hospitals and in community health centres.
Because we have been hearing a lot about this during the election campaign it was interesting to hear from someone who has worked in this area, where funding always seems to fall short. The State Government funds public hospitals and the Community Mental Health Centres. The Federal Government gives funding to special projects e.g. Headspace.
Victoria spoke about the differences she experienced between working in Sydney and in Nowra - city and country.
She commenced working in public hospitals on the North Shore of Sydney where two psychiatrists have worked together to set up good services for public and private patients afflicted by mental illness.
When she came to work in Nowra she found there was no private psychiatrist working in the area and there was only partial cover in the Shoalhaven Hospital and the Community Mental Health Service from visiting psychiatrists.
This leaves the nurses and other health professionals left to do the work of doctors. (When people arrive in emergency at Shoalhaven Hospital with a serious mental health problem they have to be attended to immediately.)
Victoria explained about the four main categories of serious mental illness and she spoke with great compassion about the people dealing with these illnesses.
She gave us a potted history of treatments over the years and explained how much treatment has improved since the introduction of medications which are improving all the time, thus giving seriously ill people a chance to have a better quality of life.
Her talk was interesting and informative with many questions to follow.
Thank you Victoria for coming to speak to us.
The next lunch will be on September 10
The speaker will be Chris Brangwin, who will be talking about international educational qualifications.
Don't forget our Gala Day on October 14 at the Kangaroo Valley Bowling Club.
Details will be in next month's Voice.
Please let Barbara Bloom know by the Wednesday before if you are not coming:
4464 3808, 0417 290 397 or bloomfields182 @bigpond.com.
As usual we invite and welcome anyone who is interested to attend our meetings.
Please ring Margaret McLachlan, 4465 1946, for details.
Jenelle Brangwin
P