THE POWER OF NETWORKING Last week I received a visit from one of my clients ( I shall call him P ) - who normally comes to St John ’ s Care ( SJC ) once a fortnight .
He told me that he had suffered a very severe incident which led to him being hospitalised for several weeks , so he had not been able to stop by . P tells me that he was discharged last Friday , and this is why he needs our help , as he has nothing to eat at home .
P told me that the food he should be eating is fresh and healthy food such as vegetables , fruits , meat and no canned or processed food .
He explained that he also needed help with some warm clothes as it is cold in the mornings . He said he doesn ' t have many clothes to wear that are in good condition .
I told P that I would deliver the food to his house as he had some difficulty getting around easily . SJC also made a referral to Thread Together to enable him to get some warmer clothes for this coming winter .
That same afternoon as I delivered the food to him , P told me that he would remain in constant communication with me and that he would aim to see me again in the following week .
True to his word , P returned today with a support worker from MERIDIAN ( Meridian Inclusive Health Services provide a professional , non-judgmental , and compassionate environment for diverse Canberrans to safely access quality medical care ). He was very happy because he had someone who was helping him to get to his appointments , to visit pharmacies and to come with him to St John ’ s Care .
I talked with P and the Meridian support worker , and we agreed to maintain continuous communication with the sole aim of helping P in a holistic approach .
He will continue to come to SJC to receive help with food & PBS prescriptions . I also invited both to come and visit us at our next Community Morning Tea ( second Friday of each month ).
I would like to thank St John ’ s Care donors for their generous help . It makes a real difference to peoples ’ lives .
Kind regards , Karen Medrano SJC Case Manager
St Margaret ’ s News 9 March 2024