New dementia support team

Wimmera Health Care Group will establish a new dementia advisory service in Horsham.

The announcement coincides with Dementia Awareness Month.

The newly established service builds on the health care group’s previous Memory Support Nurse Program and includes two new staff members, Louise Bellizzi and Kinaz Naji as dementia support clinicians.

Ms Naji brings a wealth of experience as an occupational therapist with an extensive community and elderly client background.

Ms Bellizzi is a registered nurse who has focused her career on dementia and has strong clinical knowledge of the disease and treatment pathways.

Ms Bellizzi said the service aimed to provide specialist, clinical expertise and leadership in the area of memory and dementia, ensuring delivery of quality support and best practice care throughout the four local government areas of Horsham, West Wimmera, Hindmarsh and Yarriambiack.

“We will work with people and organisations such as councils, general practitioners and carer groups to ensure individual needs of carers and people living with dementia are adequately met and managed,” she said. “The service doesn’t duplicate any other service but facilitates co-ordination of care across the region.”

Ms Naji said the service would work with families, carers and service providers.

“The dementia advisory service is about ensuring people with dementia and their families are able to access appropriate support and services and are educated on how to help people living with dementia,” she said.

People can call Wimmera Health Care Group’s intake worker on 5381 9333 for more information or referrals.