Home Nursing Support Services incorporates:

• District Nursing Service
• Bendigo Community Palliative Care
• Chum House Day Hospice
• Regional Continence Service

Home nursing and support services provides holistic health care to people in their homes or at our clinics. The services provided will endeavour to be flexible, responsive and customer focused.

In line with the Department of Human Services Action Plan 2006-2009 'Recognising and Supporting care relationships for older Victorians' and the Home and Community Care active service model, Home Nursing Support Service has an overall goal to improve independence, health, wellbeing and quality of life for older people and their carers at home. This involves being more proactive when considering potential outcomes for clients and working with clients to improve or maintain their overall quality of life.

All staff work closely with cultural diversity workers to help improve access to services for clients and carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Community Palliative Care Service adopts the 'Palliative Approach' in the view that death, dying and bereavement are all an integral part of life (Palliative Care Australia 2005). The service provides specialist palliative care for complex symptom control, loss, grief and bereavement, along with sufficient time available to spend with patients and their families to address complex issues. The palliative care approach has also been promoted and adopted by the District Nursing Service (DNS). Home Nursing Support Service will continue to educate and support general practitioners and other generalist service providers to adopt a palliative approach and to access specialist palliative care as needed.

The Regional Continence Program remains involved in promoting the role of the physiotherapist in preventing incontinence. Incontinence and pelvic floor disorders can often be corrected by surgery but in many cases can be treated effectively with conservative measures preventing the need for surgery or hospital admissions (Neumann T et al, (2005). Continence nurses and physiotherapists work closely with generalist staff and the community to promote and educate people on appropriate preventative and ongoing care for incontinence within Bendigo Health and throughout the region.

Home Nursing Support Service has developed a strong team approach between programs to enhance communication and reduce the duplication of assessments for our clients. Development of common care plans, standard systems and processes with staff having the opportunity to gain experience and work in the various specialist areas.