What is the Dementia Network Sunshine Coast?
The Dementia Network – Sunshine Coast, is a community information network to assist people living with dementia, their family, carers and staff.
What is the Aim of the Dementia Network – Sunshine Coast?
The aim of the Dementia Network – Sunshine Coast is to assist people find helpful and relevant information about dementia, connect people with other people, places, events and organisations in their local community.
Who Operates the Dementia Network – Sunshine Coast?
The DN SC is operated by volunteers and network partners who contribute with venues, speakers, financial contributions, administration and lucky door prizes. Contact Us to become a volunteer.
Who Facilitates the Dementia Network – Sunshine Coast?
Vince & Lorrae O’Rourke are the Volunteer Facilitators of the Dementia Network Sunshine Coast.
Information about Vince & Lorrae O’Rourke – Volunteer Facilitators
Vince O’Rourke, author of I Wish I Were a Leper cared for his first wife who died from Young Onset Alzheimer’s disease. The book details his care for her at home & in a nursing home.
Lorrae Martin worked for Alzheimer’s Qld facilitating carer groups & education programmes around Qld and worked with many of the organisations involved in dementia and caring. She was the primary family carer for her aged mother who had Alzheimer’s & other illnesses. Pearl died in 2015 in a SC nursing home.
They met when Lorrae invited Vince to speak at a Conference at Toowoomba. He later spoke at other community events at Noosa, Nambour, and at Support Groups. They married on 1st January, 2010 and bought their home to share and care for family carers on 1st July, of the same year.
Carers Outlook opened its doors mid August, 2010 for an Ipswich carer and her friend. There have been over 450 carer respites from as far as Charleville and Mackay. Many have come from South Brisbane referred by the Carers Qld counsellor. Carer weekends for dementia, parents of adult children with intellectual disability, couples retreats from Bundaberg have been rewarding. They organised a seminar for Parkinson’s SC Support Group co-ordinators due to their working relationship with Suncare/Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre which funded the seminar and other workshops on the SC, Gladstone, Rockhampton and Yeppoon.
They have for years given talks for Medical and Psychology Students at Uni of Qld (St Lucia and Ipswich campus) and the Bundaberg Respite Centre.
Vince has Masters in Philosophy and Theology and speaks on the Spirituality of Caring and Dementia and spoken for Marist Brothers Past Mothers Assoc, Catholic Church Bundaberg and Nambour.
We would like to take the opportunity to say THANK YOU to ALL who have supported the Sunshine Coast Dementia Network. You have been part of its evolution to be an effective local voice and grass roots community support for people with dementia, their carers and staff.
The many willing hands make the will go stronger!
Please contact us if you need support or would like to contribute in some way to help those in the dementia world.
History of Sunshine Coast Dementia Network
The DN SC was Initiated by OzCare, which had been funded by Home and Community Care (HACC) to establish regional dementia advisory and support services around the state.
The DN SC in its infant stages focused on staff and service providers to come together and discuss the services and related referrals.
In late 2011, Vince and Lorrae O’Rourke (Carers Outlook) as members of the DN SC were asked to continue the facilitation in on ongoing capacity by Ozcare, Older Persons Mental Health social worker and Smadar an independent social worker.
Vince and Lorrae initiated a dementia-specific, Family Carer Support Group facilitated by Carers Qld and attended the monthly meetings. Family carers were invited to a meeting and requested that they be included in the Dementia Network. 2012 was the beginning to create Dementia Month activities.
The O’Rourkes saw the need to create the Dementia Information Day (DID) Central Sunshine Coast and Hinterland at the CWA Hall, Nambour. This free Dementia Hub operated bi-monthly with speakers and a social gathering and morning tea for people with dementia and their family carers and staff. (2016 – 2023) It was ceased so that resources could be used to give information at other sites on the Sunshine Coast.
2012 was the beginning to create Dementia Month activities.
Seminars for Dementia Month, September, were held at Suncare Maroochydore, Nambour College (twice), Sanctuary Park Nambour, and Sunshine Coast libraries at Maleny, Noosa, Nambour, Cooroy, Caloundra, and Kawana, Ecumenical Services were held at Churches of Christ Nambour. In
The SC Dementia Network is not funded and it operates with the kind support from organisations and individuals. The organisation of events and presentations are voluntary. The volunteers, like Chrissy and Tracey help to create the events and the people at the registration desks, serving morning tea all makes the Network “work”.
Nursing Homes, (Opal Health and Estia Health), Bromilow, Suncare, Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre, Diversicare, New Staff Home Care and Unity Water via Nambour Chamber of Commerce supported the Dementia Hub with the hall hire and morning teas. Other organisations have provided lucky door prizes and paid for tables to display material at conferences like, Carinity Care, Aged Care Seeker, Blue Care, OzCare, Steps Training, MGA Insurance, Seasons. Nambour College, Mooloolaba TAFE, Southern Cross Care, Estia Health, Sanctuary Park gave their venue at no cost. The organisation of events and presentations are voluntary.
Organisations and Educational institutions have provided speakers at no cost – Dementia Training Australia, Alzheimer’s Qld, Dementia Support Australia, Dementia Australia, University of Sunshine Coast, Thompson Institute, LifeTec, University of Qld – Psychology, Driving study
Bromilow Community Care now named My Home Care by Bromilow provided the staff time and funds to create the DN SC website.
In 2021, the DN SC continued to operate with the voluntary facilitation from Vince and Lorrae O’Rourke, (Carers Outlook) who encourage the interaction and networking among people with dementia and their family carers and staff.
Continuation:
Information and Support:
Dementia Information Days: held bi-monthly
Phone Contact List for Dementia and Care
Calendar of Events
Sunshine Coast Dementia Network website – Bromilow Community Care provided and designed the Website. Sarah form RangeCare is helping to maintain it.
Sunshine Coast Dementia Facebook page
Individual calls and referrals to organisations.
Support to other organisations: displays of their marketing material, e.g. I Age Well EXPO, advice on programmes, sitting on committees e.g. Healthy Ageing Partnership, Elder Abuse, Sunshine Coast Council Access
Urban Angels: free meals to people with dementia and carers. Catered for 2019 Conference.
Advocacy:
The SCDN advocated for a Dementia specific Carers Support Group which Carers Qld operated the monthly SG for several years. Lorrae and Vince attended this Group to support the carers and Carers Qld facilitator, Janine Dowdell. Suncare started Dementia Cafes and Lorrae and Vince attended similarly to support the group. These groups have folded due to funding changes.
Due to sending a letter with resources to the SC Lord Mayor discussions opened about Council creating gardens and parklands for people with dementia. The Maroochy Botanical Gardens were to be developed with secure peaceful space for people with dementia and others with sensory impairment.
Advocated with local Federal Member of Parliament and State Independent MP for respite services.
Social Outlets:
Catch-up Cuppa: 2021 Nambour, Maleny and Caloundra held bimonthly. Extended to Maroochydore and Coolum.
Fun lucky door prizes and competitions e.g. Dementia Mechanical companion pets
Education and training:
Dementia and Technology at the Sanctuary Park Retirement Village
A seminar on Dementia – Abuse and Neglect at the Southern Cross RACF at Caloundra.
Seminars: 2017 and 2018 at Nambour College
Dementia Conference 2019 (120 attendees) and 2020 (80 attendees) at Mooloolaba TAFE
Workshop: Dementia and Compassionate Care at Estia Health, Nambour in partnership with Vicki Doolan, Gracefully Ageing.
Community Awareness:
September is Dementia Month:
Ecumenical service at Catholic Church and talk, Nambour and Maroochydore. Ecumenical service Churches of Christ, Nambour with Anglican Church Guild providing morning tea.
Talks on Dementia and Caring role for:
SC Council libraries: Nambour, Maleny, Caloundra, Kawana, Cooroy, Noosa, Maroochydore.
Support Groups: Carers Qld – Maleny, Beerwah, Caloundra, Noosa, Maroochydore. Suncare – Cotton Tree, Maroochydore; Parkinson’s – Nambour, Caloundra
Rotary Groups- Nambour 2 districts, Caboolture, Lions Nambour, Veterans Caloundra RSL, Mens Sheds- Buderim, Woombye, Glasshouse, View Club-Bribie Is, Older Women’s Network Gympie and its AGM, Meals of Wheels AGM Nambour,
Stall at: Festuri Multicultural Festival withy Carinty Care and Diversicare; SC Council Healthy Ageing Seminar
Carers Week.: Attended lunches. Included in SC Daily Newspaper article on carers needs.
Mental Health Week: Considering Mental Health of people with dementia and family carers. Grant form Qld Mental Health Week for Dementia Information Day event.
Movie showing at Sunshine Coast bcc Cinemas: Still Alice. Funded by Estia Health.
Radio interviews, Sunshine Coast Daily newspaper articles, Sunshine Valley Gazette, Local TV News coverage on Dementia Information Day (Technical Aids and Dementia and Driving) Local Facebook pages.
Seniors Week: SCDN Facilitators awarded Seniors Award at IAgeWell Awards. Interviews on local news. Helped to promote dementia and carers.
Flyers and information to medical centres, hospitals, shopping centre noticeboards.