But perhaps it should be?

A group of Chorus customers have started visiting the Bright Futures Children’s Services Family Day Care centre to spend time doing activities with children.

Organised by Paula Cronan, Team Lead Community Connection at Chorus in Kwinana, the series of visits were inspired by experiences overseas, which show intergenerational interactions do a world of good for both the children and the older people taking part.

The benefits of intergenerational interaction

Experts say intergenerational care programs (a more formalised version of Chorus day care visits but based on the same principles) have proven social benefits which include:

• giving children the opportunity to learn from and connect with an older generation;
• improving children’s behaviours and attitudes towards older people;
• improving the general wellbeing of both the children and the older people;
• allowing older people to pass on their knowledge and experience to children in a meaningful way;
• enhancing older people’s experience of self-worth as they feel more valued for their contribution.

Days at day care loved by kids and customers

Paula said an intergenerational program was something the Chorus team had been hoping to introduce for a while, and she was thrilled with how well it was received by both young and old.

“We put three or four children in groups with each customer to do some activities they’d like,” she said.

“We’d matched the customers and children by their personalities and interests.”

“The customers just loved it. For a lot of them, their families are over east, so they don’t have a lot of contact with their grandchildren, or their grandchildren have already grown up and there are no young children around.”

The Chorus customers spent a couple of hours with the children, enjoyed a singalong, had morning tea with them, played organised games, and gave out cupcakes baked specially by the team in the Chorus Kitchen as small gifts.

“It’d bring tears to your eyes watching it,” Paula said. “And then each time they came back from the centre, our customers would start talking, reminiscing about their own childhood, their children, Christmases.

“It just made their day; it really did. They all asked me afterwards if we were going to continue doing throughout the year.”

Bringing back happy memories, and creating new ones

The visits inspired one customer to pick up his harmonica so he could create music with the children.

“Afterwards, he said, ‘Thank you so much for asking me to bring this, because I haven’t played it for ages and I forgot how much joy it brings me’. Now he brings it every week.”

Paula said Chorus hopes to continue with the visits in 2020, and said several other day care centres had expressed a wish to be involved.

“It’s something different,” she said. “It’s a fresh approach. Instead of doing the same things over week in, week out, it’s something interesting for our customers to do. It brings back a lot of happy memories for them.”

“It gives them something to look forward to. You can see them planning as soon as we get back from a visit, ‘What can I do with them next time?”

If you’d like to know more about Chorus’s intergenerational visits, please call 9591 5555 . For more information on our aged-care services, get in touch on 1800 264 268 or at chorus.org.au.

The post You are never <br>too old to play appeared first on Chorus.

With summers in Perth so incredibly hot, leaving your beloved garden while you go away for a few days on holiday can be a worrying thought.

Will it still be alive when I get back? Or will I return to find wilted roses and dried up petunias?

If you’re going away this summer, whether it’s just for a few days or for a few weeks, there are some things you can do to give your garden (and indoor plants) the best possible shot at survival.

Here are seven things you can do right now (or ask the Chorus gardening team to help you with) according to Chorus Manager of Gardening and Home Maintenance, Andy Harold.

Mulch your garden

Most gardeners will have mulched in spring before the very hot weather. But if you haven’t, Andy said be sure to do it before you go away.

“What you want is a real coarse, chunky mulch,” he said. “Spread it as thick as you can make it – usually 100mm.”

“You don’t want a mulch that forms a mat easily, because it  tends to act like a sponge and retain the water, so it doesn’t get down into the soil and you end up with weeds coming through.”

Andy said to buy a mulch “that’s so rough you can’t walk on it with bare feet”, but don’t buy “jungle mulch” as it doesn’t perform very well.

Add a wetting agent

Perth’s soil is terrible at retaining water. To get around this, gardeners should regularly add a wetting agent to the soil. That ensures water will be absorbed into the soil, rather than run off the top, and that much of the water that gets down into the root zone will stay there.

“Add it to your whole garden – including your lawn and pots, because our potting mixes tend to be water-repellent as well,” he said.

Test your reticulation

Andy advises every gardener to get their reticulation tested. It’s something the Chorus gardening team can help you with.

“Make sure all your sprinklers are overlapping and that you’re getting at least 10mms of water within your 15-minute watering cycle,” he said.

“If you’ve got any plants in pots and it’s difficult to water them, get them into a shaded area.”

The Water Corporation has designated two days a week for watering the garden for every house, with one extra day for houses with a bore. The rules allow only 15 minutes per watering station, per watering day.

“That’s why it’s really important that every drop of water you put in your garden needs to stay in the garden – you don’t want it evaporating,” Andy said.

Try a clever watering trick for pots 

Pots dry out much quicker than plants in the ground – especially if they’re in terracotta pots, and particularly in 42C heat.

Andy has a helpful trick: get a plastic bottle, put a few small holes in the bottom, fill it with water, and push it into the soil of the pot.

“It’ll just trickle away. It can last a few days,” he said.

Move your indoor plants

If you’re going for a few days, you can also use the “bottles in pots” trick to keep your indoor plants watered. Andy says that will work for four days or so.

He also recommends:

• Moving the plants to the coolest part of the house
• Moving them away from windows with direct light/heat
• Making sure they’re away from hot draughts.

If you’re going away for a longer period, ask a neighbour or friend to pop around and check on your indoor plants.

A couple of things NOT to do

Andy also had two gardening jobs people sometimes do at this time of year that aren’t a good idea.

“Do not fertilise your lawn,” he said. “Do that at cooler times of the year.

‘And don’t trim any bushes. If you do it at this time of year to something like a diosma or any of the natives, they will die.”

The post Seven jobs to do in the garden before your summer holidays appeared first on Chorus.

Run by the Federal Government through the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the NDIS was created to give people living with disability the support they need to live an ordinary life.

It helps people living with a disability to:

• Live more independently
• Find and maintain employment
• Be involved in their community
• Get financial assistance
• Find services in their local area.

Navigating the NDIS can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be if you know how to apply for help and what assistance is available.

Who is eligible for help from the NDIS?

To access the NDIS you must:

• Have a permanent disability that significantly affects your ability to take part in everyday activities
• Be younger than 65 when you first enter the NDIS
• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or hold a Protected Special Category visa.

The type of disability could be a physical, intellectual, or mental health condition (referred to in the NDIS as psychosocial disability) or involve developmental delays in the case of children up to six years old.

The NDIS can, however, provide support to people who do not meet these access requirements by connecting them with mainstream support services. More information is available at www.ndis.gov.au.

What assistance is available under the NDIS?

If you’re deemed eligible for the NDIS, then together with your carers and a NDIA representative you will create a plan that looks at your existing supports, needs, and goals for the next 12 months and beyond.

Funding – which can either be self-managed or agency-managed, or to pay for a specific service – is then linked to outcomes in your plan that could include:

• Activities that increase your social or economic participation
• Equipment such as a wheelchair, mobility cane or bedrails
• Home modifications
• Auslan support for people with hearing loss
• Help with further education.

How to apply for support from the NDIS

You can call Chorus on 1800 264 268 and ask to speak to one of the navigation team members who will help you with the NDIS application process.

You can also call the NDIS directly on 1800 800 110 and ask to make “an access request”. You can also call that number and ask for a form, if you prefer. (You can have someone act on your behalf.)

As part of the access request process you’ll be asked:

• To confirm your identity (and that of anyone acting on your behalf)
• A series of questions to check your eligibility
• To provide consent to the NDIS to check your details with other agencies and organisations
• Questions about your disability and how it impacts your day-to-day life.

If you need help with English, call the NDIS TIS service on 131 450. If you have hearing or speech loss, the TTY service is on 1800 555 677 and Speak and Listen is on 1800 555 727. You can also use the NDIS Relay Service online.

After your access decision from the NDIS

After assessing your information and all the evidence they will have asked you to provide, the NDIS will contact you with an access decision.

If you are not deemed eligible, you have the right to request a review by the NDIA. If that review upholds the access decision, you can apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a final review. You can reach them here or by calling 1800 228 333.

If you are deemed eligible, you will be given an NDIS plan. Once you have the plan, you can contact Chorus – a registered NDIS provider – to discuss what support can be offered.

Our navigation team will have a conversation with you to explore what’s in your plan and how you want to achieve your goals.

This could include informal support, such as connecting you to your local community, or setting up formal support services that are tailored to your specific needs, such as help with employment, in-home support, centre-based day activities or psychosocial support (Mental Health).

An important point to note about Local Area Coordinators

Some aspects of the NDIS application process have been outsourced to partner organisations, including Mission Australia and APM.

In particular, local area coordinators, whose job it is to help people understand and access the NDIS – now often come from these organisations.

Visit the NDIS website or call 1800 800 110 to find out who your local NDIS partner is.

Chorus has skilled support staff in Perth available to help you navigate the NDIS. Get in touch on 9500 7170  or email ndis@chorus.org.au if you’d like to speak to someone about the scheme.

The post How to get help from the NDIS and navigate the system appeared first on Chorus.

You’re not alone! We seem to live such busy lives these days that it’s hard to imagine finding the spare hours we’d like to give to causes we believe in.

So, why not try micro-volunteering instead? You might not even have to leave your couch to do it.

What is micro-volunteering?

Micro-volunteering is based on one very simple problem: people are more likely to volunteer their spare time to a good cause if it doesn’t take up much time and isn’t too much of an inconvenience.

Micro-volunteering is all about doing little things that can help make the lives of others easier, better, or more connected. It might just be doing something neighbourly, like helping someone put their bins out on rubbish collection day if they find the task difficult.

READ MORE: Australian Volunteers 2019: A study by Chorus and Curtin

But it can also be something you do online. In fact, research shows 80 per cent of micro-volunteering occurs this way. Take the Be My Eyes app, for example. It’s a free phone app that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers, who provide visual assistance through a live video call.

You might only be on a Be My Eyes call for a few minutes, but the assistance you’re able to provide can make someone’s life immeasurably easier in that time.

So micro-volunteering online means you can volunteer wherever you are, whenever you have a bit of spare time – whether that’s during your lunch hour, on a bus ride home, or while there’s an ad break on the telly!

Micro-volunteering ideas in your community

Emer Duggan, Group Manager of Volunteering at Chorus, said what many people love about volunteering is the connection it creates with other people – and that’s something to keep in mind when you’re thinking about micro-volunteering opportunities.

“Micro-volunteering could be something really simple, like checking in on your neighbour, asking them if they need anything from the shops, baking them a cake or taking their bins out,” she said.

“So it could just be about being a good person in your neighbourhood. But imagine if everyone did that. We could make a collective impact because we’d all improve our connections and build a stronger community.

“It’s not a new idea. It’s something we’ve always done. But these days we’re all very busy and we don’t always take the time to make the effort. Micro-volunteering is about getting back to being good community members.”

Micro-volunteering a great cure for loneliness and isolation

Building those community connections is now more important than ever.

Micro-volunteering can help create a sense of community many people feel we have lost.

In 2018, research by Swinburne University and the Australian Psychological Society found 26.7 per cent of Australians feel lonely at least three days every week. One fifth of us said we either rarely or never feel we have someone to talk to or turn to for help.

PODCAST: Chorus Voices: What is Loneliness?

Emer said micro-volunteering can help people who feel lonely or isolated because it helps build those missing connections. She said the lead-up to Christmas, when so many people feel lonely, is a great time to start micro-volunteering.

“Christmas is also a time when people feel they want to give back – we get a lot of enquiries from new volunteers in January after their New Year’s resolutions – so why not think about ways you can micro-volunteer and make a difference in your community or even your own street,” she said.

“We can all find little ways to pay it forward and make a big difference.”

To find out more about volunteering email volunteering@chorus.org.au, call 08 9318 5700 or click here

The post Little ways to micro-volunteer and make a big difference appeared first on Chorus.

While it’s not a path anyone chooses, it’s important to remember you can still live well ­– even as your lifestyle and relationship change and adapt.

A person living with dementia can have a good quality of life. Dealing with changes in memory and personality is not easy for the person living with dementia and it’s certainly not easy for their carers. With the right support and outlook, it’s possible to experience laughter, joy and enriching life moments in this new phase.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for living well with dementia. Every person experiences dementia differently and what works for one person or family may not be right for you. The suggestions below are here to help you start thinking not just about how to care for your loved one but how to look after yourself as well.

Focus on your own wellbeing

When caring for someone with dementia, it’s easy to get sucked into a vortex of activity, guilt and expectation. You’ll be in a steep learning curve about dementia, working to navigate the care system and dealing with cognitive changes in your loved one. You may feel like there’s no time to eat properly or to rest. Finding time for sport or exercise might seem selfish. Don’t be unrealistic about what you can accomplish.

Dementia is a long game – you’ll be running a marathon, not a sprint. To provide the best possible care, replenish your own physical, emotional and spiritual stores. Skimping on sleep, letting your fitness levels plummet and eating poorly will not be helpful to providing care. Be kind to yourself and consider your own health and fitness as a vital part of providing excellent care.

Keep talking to each other

The way you and your loved one experience their dementia will be very different.

Talk to each other about what you’re experiencing. This way you each have the opportunity to understand where the other is coming from, allowing you to feel acknowledged, and avoid unnecessary frustrations or resentments building up.

Dementia is a progressive condition. You’ll be dealing with a changing personality, so you can’t assume everything you’ve known about the person you’re caring for is going to remain the same. They will almost certainly change their tastes, opinions and maybe even their personal values. Maintaining the conversation, providing reassurance and learning together is going to help both of you cope.

Make sure there are still plenty of leisurely conversations, too. Make jokes, tell funny stories and don’t hesitate to point out silly or ridiculous behaviour in people around you. People with dementia can be closed off from the lighter side of life, but a diagnosis doesn’t mean they’ve lost their sense of humour. A little levity can go a long way to making you both feel better and help establish camaraderie, as well.

Keep friends and family close

Sadly, it’s quite common for people with dementia to become socially isolated. That can mean you, as their carer, also feel cut off from your support network.

Sometimes this happens because the person with dementia withdraws from their social networks, and we need to encourage them to maintain those connections.

Often, however, it happens because family and friends are worried they don’t know how to react to a person with dementia, so they begin to avoid contact.

In that situation the solution starts with demystifying dementia and removing those little hurdles. Reach out to friends and family and help them understand what dementia is, how you’re experiencing it, and how energising it is for you both to see familiar faces.

Whenever possible, continue to include the person you’re caring for in family gatherings and celebrations. Even if it’s only for a short while, make a point of being present. This helps normalise dementia within the family. It also helps family and friends, who may be uncertain what to do, learn from you.

Prepare for change

The person you care for is going to be different. Some changes will be apparent and may happen quickly; others will be slower and less obvious. You may experience phases of behaviour lasting only for a short time. This can be frightening for you and your loved one.

If you embrace the inevitable change occurring, you’re likely to discover many positive opportunities to foster a new or different relationship. The person you love is still there and some things won’t change at all. A lowering of inhibitions is common and you may find your loved one relaxing in ways they hadn’t before. The changes can be fun, and funny, and these new experiences can deepen the relationship for both of you.

Support, don’t disenable

As you see your loved one falter, you may feel inclined to do everything for them. Let them maintain as much independence as they can, for as long as they can. Many people will demand this – and not necessarily in a nice way. It can be detrimental to their self-worth if they feel like you’re trying to encroach on their freedom to make decisions or participate in activities.

Making small provisions can be extremely helpful. If the person you’re caring for has trouble dressing themselves, buy clothes that don’t have buttons or zippers. If they struggle to use a knife and fork, make sure they have food that doesn’t need cutting or can be eaten with a spoon – or even their hands. The satisfaction someone gets from being able to eat a sandwich on their own is valuable to their self-esteem.

There will be times when it seems easier for you to step in, but resist the urge, especially if they don’t ask for help. Provide encouragement and patience as they grapple with new challenges.

Show people what to do

Like anything, dementia can be demystified through experience. Don’t feel like you have to sequester your loved one away. Plan regular outings in places where you both feel safe. Find a quiet café or restaurant nearby and make a regular appearance for coffee or lunch during a slow period. Get to know the staff so they get to know both of you. If necessary, make a visit beforehand on your own and tell them what to expect.

Give regular updates to your family and friends – and the family and friends of your loved one. Tell them what changes to expect and how they can help. Don’t be hesitant to explicitly ask for help. It can be something as small as asking people to join you on a coffee outing, make a favourite food or stop in for a 10-minute visit. The more you prepare the rest of your support network to help you, the less fearful – and more willing – they’ll be to help.

Remember the person experiencing dementia still has a quality of life. They still experience happiness and sadness, joy and sorrow. Their experience is different than it was, and your experience with them is different. It might not be what any of you wanted, but it doesn’t mean you can’t still have a satisfying relationship.

Looking after yourself and enlisting support are critical to your ability to manage the care of a loved one with dementia. Chorus is here not only to help your loved one lead the life they choose but also to support you in your efforts. Listen to Chorus Voices to hear one woman’s experience of caring for her mother who has dementia.

Get in touch on 1800 264 268 or hello@chorus.org.au if you’d like to speak to someone about your in-home care options.

The post How to care for someone with dementia without losing yourself appeared first on Chorus.

As moustaches start to grow on the upper lips of our friends and colleagues taking part in Movember, it’s a good opportunity to have a conversation about men’s mental health and ways we can all make a difference.

The conversation around men’s mental health needs to change

Slowly but surely, the way we talk about mental health in Australia is changing – and not before time.

As the remarkable documentary series Man Up recently highlighted, our culture of telling men to “harden up” or “suck it up” and generally be tough all the time has created a crisis in mental health.

Let’s look at the facts, according to MensLine Australia.

• Australian men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women
• The number of men and women living with mental health conditions in Australia is about the same, but men are less likely to seek help (they account for only 40 per cent of Medicare-subsidised mental health services)
• Men are also approximately twice as likely to die from drug- and alcohol-related causes than women.

Some of the most common mental health conditions men experience are related to loneliness and isolation, stress, depression and anxiety.

Sometimes these conditions – especially in older people – can be triggered by big life changes, including illness, frailty, bereavement, loss of independence, financial stress and times of change.

According to Beyond Blue, between 10 and 15 per cent of older people experience depression and about 10 per cent experience anxiety, with rates of depression among people living in residential aged care thought to be around 35 per cent.

Recognising the need for help in our loved ones

Be alert to changes in mood and behaviour.

So, how can we help the men in our lives? First of all, we can be alert to any changes in their mood or behaviour.

For example, here are MensLine Australia’s tips for recognising depression:

• A persistently low or sad mood that lasts longer than two weeks
• Anxiousness
• Tiredness and a loss of energy
• Significant change in appetite or weight
• Difficulty making decisions
• Expressing negative thoughts, such as feelings of worthlessness and guilt
• Being self-critical
• Physical symptoms, including weakness, headaches and sleeping problems
• Avoiding social activities and interests they previously enjoyed.

BeyondBlue also has some useful tips for recognising anxiety and depression in older people.

How we can support men on their mental health recovery journey

At Chorus we’re used to being a part of the mental health recovery journey for our customers. Chief executive Dan Minchin says the best approach is to provide support that gives customers the space to find their own journey.

“It goes back to the heart of what Chorus is about, which is recognising the humanity in every person regardless of the experiences they have had,” he said.

Create a safe space where men can share their experiences. Often talking shoulder-to-shoulder is better than face-to-face.

“We recognise that the way men engage with their mental health and their recovery path can be different to the way women deal with it, so in the past year we’ve been running a dedicated men’s group.

“That’s really about creating a safe space where men can share their experiences. Really it’s a lot about creating connections. The guys running these programs talk about people coming to that group who don’t have anyone’s phone number in their phone, then the first name and number that goes in there is someone from the group.

“The way it works is very much around leaving space for them to develop their own path and their own activities, to empower them, giving them a sense of how to be effective in their lives.”

Dan said Chorus continues to operate these sorts of groups and also has one-on-one support available to customers.

“They are really effective in terms of how it helps people find a sense of belonging,” he said.

Tips for talking to men about mental health

It can be notoriously difficult to get some men to talk about what they’re feeling. MensLine Australia has some great tips for anyone seeking to support someone who might need it.

• Talk shoulder-to-shoulder rather than face-to-face (going for a walk can be a good option). Often men are more open to talking without eye contact
• Instead of talking about “feelings”, talk about “goals and solutions”
• Talk about getting help as a sign of strength, “taking control” and “getting back on track”
• Approach the conversation in a friendly and familiar environment, perhaps at a sporting or outdoor location.

Where to get help

Here are some places where you or your loved one can get support for mental health recovery.

• BeyondBlue: if you’re feeling anxious or depressed. Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online
• SANE Australia: if you’re living with a mental health condition. Call 1800 18 7263
• At Ease: Support for veterans, ADF personnel and their family (online help)
• Black Dog Institute: for mood-related conditions (online help)
• Suicide Call Back Service: if you’re thinking about suicide. Available 24/7. Call 1300 659 467
• Lifeline: if you’re having a personal crisis. Call 13 11 14 or chat online
• MensLine Australia: for help from a professional counsellor. Call 1300 789 978 or chat online.

For information on our mental health support services, as well as our aged-care and disability services, get in touch on 1800 264 268 or at chorus.org.au.

The post Looking after mental health in men appeared first on Chorus.

In fact, research shows that while 8 in 10 Australians know they should plan for their later years, only 1 in 4 do anything about it, with the most common reasons being that they’re not sick, they’re too young, the subject makes them uncomfortable, or they don’t want to upset their loves ones.

But growing old is a reality for all of us, so it’s important to have a discussion about getting older – even when you’re still young.

What do I need to consider when discussing my aged care options?

While money and property might be the obvious areas,  there are plenty of other things to consider around health and lifestyle to ensure your family knows how you want to be cared for and supported as you get older.

You might want to start with some of the following topics:

• Who do you want to make decisions about your finances if you’re not able to do that for yourself? If your health declines, or you have a sudden accident or illness, do you have an Enduring Power of Attorney to cover decisions about money and property?
• Who do you want to make decisions about health interventions if you’re not able to do so yourself? For example, if you have dementia later in life, would you be comfortable having a GPS-style tracker attached to you so you could be found if you went wandering? Similarly, a do-not-resuscitate order gives clarity on what actions you want loved ones to take. An Enduring Power of Guardianship will enable someone to make a health or lifestyle decision on your behalf.
• Funeral or service arrangements. What will happen when you pass away? How will this be paid for? This topic is often avoided, yet death is one of the few things that are guaranteed in life.
• Do you have a will? Writing a will is important to ensure your wishes are accurately conveyed when it comes to your funeral and your assets, and it can avoid family disputes.
• How do you want to be remembered? What is important to you at your funeral service?
• Your lifestyle and aged care services. Most people want to live as long as possible in their own home and stay independent. However, we know that’s not always possible. In the event you need the services of an aged care facility, what are your preferences? What do you think might be important to you?

Chorus Head of Brand and People Louise Forster said an Enduring Power of Attorney, and an Enduring Power of Guardianship, as well as your will need to be in place well before they’re needed.

“It sounds obvious, yet how many of us have these in place?” she said.

Ms Forster recommends you make two copies of all documents and ensure key people know where they are kept in if they’re needed.

What are my home care assistance options if I want to stay at home?

Everybody wants to stay in their own home for as long as possible, and Chorus aims to support people to live the life they choose in their homes and communities.

Depending on the aged care provider you choose, there is a wide variety of home care assistance available in Australia. At Chorus, we provide in-home support and home care services as diverse as personal care, transportation, help with cleaning and gardening, and social events. More information about your options and how we can help is detailed here.

However, if you want to stay at home in your older years, you may first want to consider:

• Whether your house is suitable and perhaps think about some modifications ahead of time.
• If changes are needed, do you need to install rails next to any steps or a chair in your shower?

Where do I begin having a conversation about my future care options?

Now you know some of the areas that need to be discussed, where do you begin?

Ms Forster said having the conversation at a family gathering is a good place to start as everyone is in the same place and usually more relaxed, which will help with discussing difficult subjects.

“Make it easier for yourself and have the conversation that we’re going to have to have at some point anyway and do it while everyone is able to have the conversation and engage in it,” she said.

Chorus can help you stay at home in your older years and advise you on eligibility criteria and how to be assessed for home-care services. Get in touch on 1800 264 268 or hello@chorus.org.au if you’d like to speak to someone about your in-home care options.

The post It’s time to have a conversation about your future appeared first on Chorus.

Maybe you’ve stopped working for some time, or still working but finding work a challenge.

Either way, there are things you can do to make it easier to find and retain work, with mental health employment assistance available from a number of organisations, including Chorus.

What are the challenges of finding employment when you have a mental health condition?

Chorus Employment Services Specialist Claire Marsh said the challenges of finding work when you’re in mental health recovery are diverse and can include:

• An extended period of time out of work
• Becoming unwell while you’re employed
• Problems with housing, financial instability or family violence.

“With mental health, there could be a lot of things going on that are going to affect someone’s employment,” Claire said.

“It can be really hard, especially if there’s been quite a large period of time between when they last worked.”

She said by not disclosing your condition to employers, you could face the fallout of underperforming in your role or not receiving the support you need at work.

In some cases, it can lead to dismissal if you’re not performing your duties.

“A big reason why people don’t disclose is that they feel that they might not actually get the job,” Claire said. “They’re up against candidates who don’t have any issues with their mental health.”

What can you do when considering returning to the workforce?

There’s no doubt a lot to consider when balancing your own health with a return to the workforce.

Claire said it’s important to start somewhere, with psychologists quite often recommending some form of work as part of your mental health recovery.

With the help of an organisation such as Chorus, you can start with some of the following steps:

• Putting together a fresh resume
• Brainstorming potential employers and job opportunities
• Submitting an application online
• Developing your own micro-enterprise or subcontracting business.

Claire said Chorus works through these steps with customers at a pace they are comfortable with.

What is the role of employers in helping people with a mental health condition?

Mental health recovery is an ongoing process that requires the support and understanding of family and friends as well as employers.

Claire said while it may be difficult, where possible you should speak to your employer about your situation.

She said employers also need to offer an inclusive and flexible work environment that acknowledges people with a mental health condition can do the job but also factors in changes such as:

• A reduction in work hours for someone in a highly stressful job
• More regular breaks during the workday.

Claire said many employers, including Chorus, are understanding and supportive of people on a mental health recovery journey.

What other help is available?

If you have a mental health condition, you can receive ongoing support through Chorus and other providers. This can include:

• Chorus, as a Disability and Employment Services provider, can speak to your employer and offer the necessary support and awareness training to allow you to continue working
• Chorus can also put you in touch with agencies to help in other areas such as housing, financial assistance or National Disability Insurance Scheme planning
• Other organisations such as Headspace, which focus mainly on youth mental health, might refer you to Chorus.

Claire encourages anyone in mental health recovery who is looking for work to get in touch for a face-to-face chat.

Chorus has skilled staff who can assist you with finding a job when you’re in mental health recovery. For more information, get in touch at 1800 264 268 or hello@chorus.org.au or visit Chorus Disability Employment Services

The post Finding work when in mental health recovery appeared first on Chorus.

Learning to cope with change – whether it’s at work, in a relationship, or within your family dynamic – is important for your wellbeing. If you’re not sure you have these skills, the good news is that there are proven strategies that you can implement and work on regularly.

What are some common life changes that might affect me?

Changes are  happening to everybody all the time. Positive ones, negative ones, and those that fall somewhere in between.

Common life changes include:

• Losing or starting a job
• Changes in your current workplace or your role
• Beginning or ending a relationship
• The death of someone you love
• Moving house
• Lifestyle disruption caused by financial constraints
• Children leaving home
• Having a baby
• Diagnosis of a medical condition.

Charm White, Chorus Mental Health Recovery Support Worker, said there is only so much we can control. If the change is beyond our control, then it’s important to accept it and move through it with the support we need.

What coping mechanisms can I employ to process the change?

Abby Rammelkamp, Director and Principal Consultant at Veraison Training and Development, said that the “change curve” has four main elements. Recognising what stage you’re in will help in moving forward:

• Denial. This can manifest itself in withdrawing, disinterest, negativity, or avoiding the change.
• Resistance. Characterised by sadness, a lack of motivation, shutting down, refusal and frustration.
• Exploration. Here you might start asking questions, brainstorming and putting forward some ideas.
• Commitment. In this stage, you’ll be happy, enthusiastic, motivated, positive and future-focused.

Abby, who works with people on change in the workplace, said that denial and resistance focus on the past, and centre on you and how you’re feeling about the change.

“Over time, and when we realise that the change is here to stay, we start to work through the exploration stage,” she said. “It looks at how we can actually get on board with it.”

“Finally, we get into the acceptance of the commitment phase, and this is where we really want people to be.”

Abby said that techniques to help cope with change include:

• Acknowledging and validating a person’s feelings
• Putting in place expectations to help them move forward
• Allowing a person time to adapt to the change.

“When you’re resisting change it can cause frustration and anger, apprehension, and you tend to find faults rather than see any positives,” she said. “The aim is to validate and acknowledge, and also to ask some questions to think about what you can do differently to get on board with the change.”

What are some other ways I can cope better with change?

There are a number of things you can do each day to better cope with change and improve your well-being.

• Stay connected to the community and take part in creative outlets and physical activity
• Eat well and get enough sleep (adults need seven to nine hours sleep each night to function at their best)
• Don’t use electronic devices just before going to bed
• Drink enough water (adults need about two litres a day) and avoid too much caffeine and sugary drinks
• Use the Act, Belong, Commit strategy to find an activity you enjoy and share it with others. More information can be found here.

How can change affect my mental health recovery journey?

Charm White said that big things happen in people’s lives all the time but when you have a mental health concern as well, it can be harder to manage those changes.

“We suggest to people that they look at getting support that is either with services like Chorus or with their own community – reaching out to their family and friends or their GP,” she said.

Charm said that people already working with Chorus through our mental health support services are encouraged to regularly keep in touch with their support worker about any life changes.

“We want to know if things aren’t going well so we can review our support plan,” she said. “Mostly, we want to make sure that if they’re not feeling well, they tell someone so that we can get them the support that they need.”

This can include psychosocial support, such as Chorus offers, psychological support through counselling, or an in-patient stay at a mental health treatment facility.

For more information on our mental health support services, as well as our aged care and disability services, get in touch on 1800 264 268 or at chorus.org.au.

The post How to cope with change appeared first on Chorus.

Negative language about older people enforces negative stereotypes and these stereotypes can affect how older people behave and think. Stereotypes can impact your physical health, including how you recover from illness and your mortality; they can also affect mental health and cognitive function.

Using words like ‘active’ and ‘happy’ when talking about older people, and seeing older people mirror this behaviour can go a long way in reversing stereotypes.

Kevin and Elizabeth

After all, older adults enjoy a range of activities. They get out and volunteer in the community; they connect on social media; they fall in love. Like Kevin, 86, and Elizabeth, 84, who, after a courtship of roses, coffee dates and playing hard to get, married in January 2019.

Love and roses 

“I wanted to be with Elizabeth very, very much,” said Kevin. “I knew that there was a lovely relationship to be had between the two of us, but I didn’t really want to just live together. It needed to be deeper than that for me.”

On their first date Kevin presented Elizabeth with roses from his garden with all the thorns taken off. Elizabeth was impressed. “Well, he’s not bad,” she thought. “Perhaps we could have a coffee.”

Next week at church Kevin ignored Elizabeth. “Yes, I played hard to get,” agreed Kevin. “I just thought she was a bit tough on me and as it happened, Elizabeth contacted me.” And the rest, as they say, is history.

Seeing Elizabeth and Kevin together makes so much sense. They’re happy. They’re content.

But isn’t this sort of behaviour reserved for young people?

“There’s a lovely sense of completeness for me,” said Kevin. “I was floundering a bit after my wife passed away. I really had no aim in life except just getting through the day. And then when I met Elizabeth, things looked as if they could be pretty good for the rest of my time here.”

Ageing and loss can go hand in hand – losing someone we love, like Kevin and Elizabeth, losing our memory or letting go of something we took for granted – can seem inevitable. It doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the road but how hard is it to keep going when things seem like they’re slipping away?

Be active, stay happy 

Ian (left) from Chorus North Perth Home Maintenance team with Alan

Alan has been volunteering for 10 years at Chorus. He gave up his driver’s licence recently. But he’s certainly not phased by that.

“Sometimes it’s hard,” Alan said. “But if I can’t drive a car I’ll just go for a walk.”

Two days a week he’s out in the community helping seniors and people living with disability. “The only thing I’m not managing now is a motor car,” he added.

Thanks to Alan’s wife, who still drives, Alan arrives at Chorus with a beaming smile ready for a day out in the ute with the gardening and home maintenance team. He also volunteers in the office on another day. Life continues to be an adventure for Alan.

“In the morning they straight away say: ‘G’day Al, how you going today?’” he said.

Having purpose and connection has played a big role in Alan’s positive outlook on ageing.

“I’m still active in the lawn bowling club and I still go for my walks.”

Positive role models can be helpful for younger people’s perception of ageing and motivational for older adults. But the flip side of the positive role model is that not everyone can or wants to do those things; and if it’s unrealistic it could create anxiety. After all, we’re all different.

Nevertheless Alan, Kevin and Elizabeth have flipped negative stereotypes and rejected a perception that things will get better rather than worse as they age. Which is quite inspiring – no matter your age.

I asked Alan what ageing meant to him.

“If I started thinking about that I wouldn’t be here now with all you guys. I’d just be at home, ageing.”

Listen to Chorus Voices podcast: Love your age

For more information on volunteering with Chorus at any age click here.

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