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Pam Dittmer Rotary Port Phillip, on the left and Rotary Club Hawthorn member and Committee member Katrina Flinn packing items for a care bag.
 

SMALL COMFORTS FROM COMMUNITY

PDG Bronwyn Stephens —

Provision of care bags and clothing helps soften the experience of entering the mental health unit.

Article by PDG Bronwyn Stephens, D9800 and Chair of “Small Comforts from Community” project.

Research demonstrates that a welcome experience, including provision of a care bag improves outcomes for people entering mental health facilities (Mental Health Unit [MHU]) by up to 20%. The Unit Manager of The Alfred MHU armed with this knowledge, desperately tried unsuccessfully to start a program providing care bags. Funding couldn’t be secured; partners weren’t available and short-term programs fizzled out. Then a conversation with a Rotarian occurred.

Alfred staff members, Fiona Whitecross and Elsa Carr, with 2 care bags and cartons of clothing ready to take up to the unit.

Even a pandemic couldn’t interfere with eight Rotary Clubs, Rotary Donations in Kind, a local church and The Rotary Foundation (TRF) getting going, ensuring that every person entering not only The Alfred MHU, but now also Box Hill Hospital’s Upton House and Forensicare (Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health) all being provided this important welcome. It has further extended to provision of clothing. The Club of Wyndham has extended the project to the Mercy Hospital and other Rotary Clubs are having conversations with hospital MHUs in other areas.

L-R; PDG Bronwyn Stephens, Alfred staff members: Elsa Carr, Gamze Sonmez, Fiona Whitecross, Nurse Barry and Rtn Pam Baker, with various items of care bags and they are standing in the foyer of the Alfred.

Psychiatric patients generally require 2-3 weeks in the MHU and 40% are homeless. Before this program was started, the only clothing available in the MHU was backless white gowns or hospital PJs for their 2-3 week stay. Feedback demonstrates that the stated aim of providing a hospital setting that is as close to a home away from home experience as it can possibly be, and where community extended beyond staff are caring, is being achieved. This tells us that this project is essential.

A District Foundation Grant was of huge assistance for the first two years of this program, now we have an urgent requirement for donated or wholesale support for basic track pants, track tops, undies and bras. In our wide world of Rotary help in this area would be so gratefully received.

If your Rotary Club has a potential partnership such as this with your local hospital, we have learnings and resources to assist and are most happy to help.

Rotary - Small comforts from Community