Anam Cara House Colac Inc
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Mission Statement
To provide the South West community with excellence in respite and end of life care within a home-like environment, embracing respect and compassion for all people.
About This Cause
Anam Cara House Colac opened in 2011, it's development was inspired by a group of rural regional residents who saw the need for a hospice in the region 6 years earlier. With a huge local effort and donations, not only financial, but also in materials and labour, a family home on 11 acres was purchased and converted to a warm and welcoming hospice. Since the day the hospice opened we have had the unwavering aim of providing home-like end of life and flexible short-term respite care to people, their carers and families. The hospice has 5 guests rooms, fully equipped with an adjustable hospital bed, presented in a homely way and a fully accessible ensuite. Each room has access to the outdoors through a sliding door and there are warm and homely spaces to enjoy the company of family and friends or other patients or guests. Our service is busy and we operate without recurrent government funding, we help people all over the south west of Victoria. We offer care to people of all walks of life, of any age with a chronic life limiting illness at any point after diagnosis. Last year we provided 944 episodes of care to people with a chronic life limiting illness, care which supported both the individual and their carer to have a break. We also supported 20 people and their families at the end-of-life. We were open throughout the COVID 19 pandemic and were able to continue to allow our end of life guests to have visitors under the guidance of the DHHS, a COVID safe plan, and due to our unique layout. Care is delivered by registered Division 1 and Division 2 nurses and supported by Personal care Attendants and specially training Palliative Care Volunteers. We are a Quality Improvement Council (QIC) accredited and commended service under the Health and Community Services Standards and we work closely with our local hospitals, medical clinics and allied health professionals in the region and beyond. Other services we provide include: An in-home respite service for those who are nearing the end of life and wish to die at home. A bereavement support group, run by volunteers with nursing support. A Parkinson's Support group which operates monthly. A Memory Lane Dementia Support group. Free Advance Care Planning service to support people in navigating the completion of an Advance care plan. A free equipment loan out service. Our care model is person centred, meaning we mirror as closely as possible the routines and preferences of each individual to support them to feel as though they are staying in 'A Place like Home". Food is cooked on site, in accordance with dietary requirements and to guest preferences, the smell of warm, homemade food often permeates the house in a welcoming and non-clinical way. We rely on donation, philanthropic funds and trusts, our own annual fund raising events and our foundation fund to support our delivery of care. As a team we are governed by a volunteer Committee of Management with a robust and diverse skill set from medical to financial and governance backgrounds. Our President Emeritus, Diane Wright is also the founder of Anam Cara House Geelong, member of the Victorian Women's Honour role and recipient of an Order of Australia in 2019. We are guided and supported by an experienced Committee of Management. We are working hard to lobby our state and federal governments to recognise the unique and valuable contribution of Community based Hospice Care. The social impact of our service is well evidenced by the consistent positive feedback we receive, the economic impact is evidenced by the significant reduction of costs in care of a person in hospice for respite and supporting them to stay at home as long as they can and indeed the high cost of a hospital bed versus a hospice bed. Until this recognition takes place and recurrent funding is granted we remain dependent on the generosity of donation, our fundraising activities, philanthropic funds and trusts and community grants to help fund the care we deliver.