With the support of our Aged Care and HACC clients, along with Nhulundu Health Service staff and invited guests from Port Curtis Day Respite Centre, we celebrated Seniors Week on August 30.

The aim of the gathering was to use the medium of story telling to inform and educate both young and old on the ideas and perceptions of how both age groups see ageing. With the gathered stories from both young and old, the group was able to, in a relaxed environment; receive many varied comments on what our invited guests perceive ageing to be and how they manage their lives as Australia’s ageing population.

The stories that were told by each of the clients, gave an excellent insight into not only their lives as young children and adults, but also to the thoughts they have on ageing and the youth of today. The consensus was that our ageing population are not frightened of getting old and informed us all that you are not “old”, until you are over the age of 85!

They were concerned however, with the numerous health issues that go with the ageing process. Not to be able to do the things they once took for granted played heavily on their minds; but to slow down and

remain independent within their own homes was a priority.

The comments raised by our aged clients for our young guests, was that they be treated with respect and that the children of today should not answer back to their parents, grand parents or great grandparents, and that they be grateful for what they have. They informed the younger guests who attended on the day that when they were growing up as youngsters, they had to make their own fun, that playing video games, texting, and other mod cons were not available and games played outside was their main entertainment.

The older generation expressed how much they loved to be visited by younger people; this included family members and those who worked at Nhulundu Health Service who gave support to them both in and outside the home. Our aged guests were concerned that once the support workers reach the age they are today, there would be a lack of care for those who belonged to the generation X, this also was voiced by the Generation X guests themselves.

A wonderful time was enjoyed by all, with sixty-five guests and staff in attendance at the function.

Welcome to Nhulundu News,

your monthly newsletter from

Nhulundu Wooribah Indigenous Health

Organisation.

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Tell us your storyAbove: Aged Care Manager Jo Kersey and Linda O’Hagan enjoy the day with guests.

Matthew Cooke CEO

It was with a great deal of pleasure I attended the inaugural Queensland Murri Carnival Gala Dinner launch at the Gold Coast in September. This sporting event is proudly sponsored by QAIHC, and as the deputy chair of QAIHC I was delighted to present a speech on their behalf at the dinner. Not only is the carnival a great way to get our people out on the sporting fields and keeping active, but all participants are required to have a health check from their nearest Aboriginal Medical Service – too deadly.

September was a huge month for me personally with the local branch of the Australian Institute of Management, announcing me as their Young Manager of the Year. I am honoured to have received this award and look forward to the state finals in Brisbane later in the year. Thank you to those business people who supported me to win this award and for your help and encouragement along the way.

JADA Building Service tradesman continue to be in and out of our building as the refurbishment of our kitchen area continues. This refurbishment, when completed will allow us to offer 5 day a week Centre Day Respite for the frail and aged. Continuing on a building note, the purpose built supply cabinets are now installed in the treatment room and are proving to be a very useful addition for our staff.

A good roll up of Nhulundu Health Service staff attended the PCYC fundraiser ball in early September. It was great to see the staff supporting the PCYC at this event. PCYC will use the money raised to run programs to aid young people in the community. Nhulundu Health Service enjoys good support and an excellent working relationship with the PCYC and are always keen to support them whenever possible.

Our advertisement is now up on the big screen at Gladstone Cinemas, spreading the good health message to the whole community. We continue to receive excellent feedback from our newsletter. We welcome your ideas and thoughts.

Left: Shirley McCann and Nhulundu Health Service’s Kerri Marlin swap stories.

Visit our website at www.nhulundu.com.auNhulundu Health Service offers a safe and non threatening medical

environment where our patients feel cared for and valued in an environment that has a zero tolerance policy of aggressive and threatening behaviour.

As many as 400 delegates from across Australia and the Oceania region are expected to attend the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference, which will be held in Brisbane, from October 18 - 20, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Regional Tobacco and Healthy Lifestyle Co-ordinator Carly Cooke and Elaine Daylight Tobacco Action Trainee will be attending

from Nhulundu Health Service.The theme of the conference is ‘Burying the Habit: moving to a tobacco free future.’ The conference is expected to inspire new partnerships in tobacco control and continue the agenda for change agreed upon at the 2009 Conference in Darwin.The conference is presented by the Cancer Council Australia and hosted by Cancer Council Queensland. Carly

said both she and Elaine were looking forward to the conference and were keen to bring back new ideas and information to help their community members break the hold tobacco has on their lives.The female staff at Nhulundu Health Service are also looking forward to October’s ‘Girls Night In’ fundraiser. ‘Girls Night In’ is an initiative of the Cancer Council that each year brings together women around Australia to join the fight against all women’s cancers.In 2010, the girls at Nhulundu Health Service hosted a ‘Girls Night In’ event, and raised valuable dollars towards the fight against cancer whilst also having a fabulous time dressing in pink, singing karaoke and playing various games. 2011 has brought a bevy of female trainees to Nhulundu Health Service, and this definitely means a bigger and better ‘Girls Night In’! This year’s theme is ‘old school prom’! Good friends and a good cause - it’s the perfect recipe for a great evening. If you would like to support the Nhulundu Health Service girls in raising funds to support the fight against cancer, please visit http://qld.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/NhulunduNight or you can make a donation at the front counter.

Doctor Sabitha’s new hours are 8.30am-2.30pm

Monday to Friday.

She commences maternity leave on Tuesday November

1 and will return to work February 28, 2012.

Smoking is responsible for one in five of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples deaths and is the most preventable cause of poor health and early death.Around fifty per cent of the combined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population are current smokers, more than twice the prevalence among the Australian population as a whole. It has been estimated that if all tobacco-related deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people could be

eliminated, then life expectancy would increase by 2.5 years for males and 1.7 years for females.Nhulundu Health Service provides SmokeCheck, a brief intervention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who smoke tobacco.For further information or to make an appointment, please contact Elaine

Daylight, Tobacco Action Trainee at Nhulundu Health Service.

Nhulundu Health Service is now ONLINE

The new surgery hours for Doctor Sabitha Yakkala

Nhulundu Health Service supports Cancer Council activities

Some facts about tobacco

Below: Nhulundu Health Service staff got into the spirit on last year’s ‘Girls Night In’

The month of November is fast approaching and that means it is time for all good men to let their ‘mo grow’ for Movember.Senior Health worker Richard Geesu saw an opportunity to use the high profile generated by Movember to promote a range of men’s health activities at Nhulundu Health Service. Two years ago Richard and his band of three merry men raised just under $1,000 for the cause but took the opportunity presented by Movember to raise the awareness of prostate cancer and men’s depression. Last year, with a few more ‘growers’ on board, the amount raised for the cause rose to just under $3,000.The group organised activities throughout the Gladstone community for a month which included attending Melbourne Cup Day at Ferguson Park to spread the word, going to the local pub to set up donation tins in the bar and gaming room, asking a Rugby League Football Club to grow their Mo’s to promote awareness of prostate cancer and men’s depression, and finishing off the month with a well earned healthy BBQ to announce the total funds raised.The Nhulundu Heath Service team called themselves The Mokei Team, which is a word taken from the (Murray Island Language) Meriem Lore (Traditional Law) in the Torres Strait Islands.Richard and his team are keen to partner with other local organisations and community groups to improve their fundraising efforts for 2011. Please contact Richard to register your interest.

About Movember:During November each year, Movember is

responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in Australia and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.

On November 1, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face and then for the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo growing efforts.

This service provides a culturally acceptable and readily accessible place for local Indigenous community members, and offers access and referrals to a range of mainstream and Indigenous specific services including health care, child care, court support, education, employment, housing and an internet café.

Firth Park at Mudgeeraba was the place to be September 22-25 when budding rugby league players of all ages converged for the Queensland Murri Carnival. This drug and alcohol free event offered up a range of entertainment, fine footy, expo and employment stalls, market stall and a kids carnival and rides, not to mention the opportunity to meet Artie Beetson and Lionel Morgan.A Gladstone U15 team proudly sponsored by Nhulundu Health Service, Gehgre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation, Rio Tinto Alcan, TJS Cleaning Services and Kingz Kai-Kai, travelled down to the Gold Coast to participate.

The team consisted of players from Gladstone, Woorabinda, Blackwater, Emerald, Duaringa, Mackay, Tamworth (NSW) and Tingha (NSW).These 15 year old sportstars have the opportunity to be picked in the U16’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Qld team to play against their NSW counterparts in the curtain raiser to the ALL STARS game in February next year. Importantly, as part of the players involvement in the carnival, all participants were to undertake a health check with their closest Aboriginal Medical Service.Congratulations to all the players from our combined team who finished the carnival in third place.

Prepare to ‘grow your mo’

General Practice services, immunisation, maternal and child health, mental health support, diabetes support, men’s health, women’s health, chronic disease support, skin checks, Indigenous health incentives, smoking cessation and healthy lifestyle education.

Nhulundu Health Service is a bulk billing practice. Operating hours are Monday to Thursday 7.00am – 5.00pm and Friday 8.00am -5.00pm - appointments necessary.

This practice is AGPAL accredited for quality assurance and is currently undergoing ISO accreditation.

Nhulundu Health Service offers a comprehensive community-based aged care program called Community Aged Care Package, designed to improve and maintain independent quality of life for the aged living in their home and residential environment. The Aged Care team also runs the Home and Community Care Program.

All clients must have an aged care assessment before being accepted into any program.

QAIHC Queensland Murri Carnival

Left: Eujene Ghee and Richard Geesu set up their information tent for Movember at Ferguson Park last year.

Safe Work Week aims to raise awareness of the importance of a safe and healthy workplace for all Queenslanders. State of Origin coach and rugby league legend, Mal Meninga, is once again the Safe Work Week Safety Ambassador. Mal is personally committed to the importance of zero harm at work and will be sharing his experiences at events and activities around the state.

To promote and raise awareness of the importance of maintaining a safe and healthy workplace, Nhulundu Health Service Staff will be offered a Safe Work Week information session and a Zumba class.

Congratulations go to Matthew Cooke, Chief Executive Officer of Nhulundu Wooribah Indigenous Health Organisation Inc. Matthew was announced as the winner in The Young Manager of the Year category at the recently held Australian Institute of Management (AIM) Awards. The award recognises the most successful young entrepreneurs and business leaders up to the age of 30 who have been in their position for at least 12 months. This category acknowledges rising stars and aspiring leaders from business, government and industry and who are making their mark in the industry in which they work.They must be aged between 18 and 30 and employed as a manager within an organisation, or managing their own business that employs five or more people.Nominees in the Young Manager of the Year category are this State’s “high potentials” - it’s part of AIM’s commitment to recognising, educating and developing Generation Y who have been in the workplace for 5 to 8 years and turn 30 in 2011.To take out the Award Matthew was required to demonstrate the ability to manage complex tasks, people, processes and the macro-environment; recognition by others as showing excellence in management and leadership; effective communication of his organisation’s goals and vision to all stakeholders or customers; commitment to mentoring or other leadership activities and demonstrated financial management.Matthew will now proceed to the State finals in this category.The 2011 Queensland Managers of the Year will be announced at the Queensland Gala Dinner held in Brisbane on Friday 11 November 2011.

Young Manager of the Year

Left: Djuran Johnson,

(Indigenous teacher aide State High),

Deidre Carey, (teacher aide, Tannum High)

and Tannum High students

talk tactics prior to their touch game.

Toonee Touch Day The annual Toonee Touch Day was held at Dennis Park, Boyne Island on September 13. Nhulundu Health Service in partnership with Education Queensland planned and facilitated the day which was attend by students from Toolooa, State and Tannum high schools. Participants on the day were treated to a healthy BBQ lunch and fruit, with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle. Students rotated through a range of activities including Cultural Yarning with Aunty Jacqueline Johnson, a Healthy Lifestyles Art Competition, touch football and Murri Trivia. The overall winner’s touch football trophy was taken home by Toolooa High School.

Safe Work Week is celebrated 23-29 October