J U N E 2 0 1 2 NORTH ’S

PALM ISLAND SPORT & SPINAL PHYSIOTHERAPY WITH THE SOS FOUNDATION By Nearida Siv- Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy

The Mission’s f Purpose - Connect with the indigenous community on Palm Island, to practically show our concern and support.

- Use our skills and talents to provide support and physiotherapy services to the community of Palm Island - At a personal level, build rapport “Successful to be significant” with people in this remote area to

acknowledge and affirm their The team was required to provide support in the following key individual and personal value. areas: - Expose our team members to the realities of disadvantage and 1. Schools health education and vocational information poverty and the opportunities that sessions. exist to help others in need. This will mobilise their continued 2. Assist in th e Allied Health program at the local hospital/ enthusiasm to champion the cause of significance in everything we aged care facility. do. 3. Practical support/ physical labour at the Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre (Ferdy’s Haven). Quick facts

The Team When: Where: Lynda Cunningham- SOS Foundation Manager June 11-16 We stayed at “Ferdy’s Paulina Smith- SOS Foundation board member Haven”, Drug and Jeremy Kestenberg- Revita director Alcohol Rehabilitation Mandy Lowe- Clinical services coordinator BIM Centre Jacob Taylor- Physiotherapist BIM

Tina Dalen- BIM clinic manager

Nearida Siv- Physiotherapist- Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy

THE LOREM IPSUMS SUMMER 2016

About Palm Island Location - Palm Island is located in the Palm Island group of islands. - Known as the or by the Aboriginal name (pronounced Boo- gal-man). - Palm Island is a tropical island 65km north-west of off the east coast of Queensland. History The community of Palm Island was established in 1918 after a destroyed the Hull River Mission near the town of Tully, NQ. Over the next two decades 1600 people from 42 different Aboriginal groups across Queensland and a small number of were removed by the State Government and sent to Palm Island. Population & Income - July 2010 the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council completed a population Survey of Palm Island that shows a population of 3042. - Median individual income weekly $220, compared to $466 (Australia). - Median family income weekly $630, compared to $1171 (Australia). - Palm Island was identified as the 4th most disadvantaged community in Australia (ABS 08).

Employment

In terms of employment: - is at around 90%. - 28.49% of people in Palm Island considered employable. - Major industry is health care and social assistance and majority of workers being labourers.

2

THE LOREM IPSUMS SUMMER 2016

Ferdy’s Haven Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre

Ferdy’s Haven is the drug and alcohol The SOS members provided support during our rehabilitation centre on Palm Island. stay and it was greatly appreciated by the This is where we were accommodated and we director and manager of the centre. were well looked after! Ferdy’s Haven is growing and new initiatives The clients stayed roughly for three months at a are in the pipe line to create a more time where meals were catered for and had comprehensive centre where clients can come to feel safe and supported. The SOS members basic accommodation facilities. facilitated in gathering ideas for future During the day, clients attended support developments of the centre, particularly in meetings and activity sessions including fishing terms of health care and promotion. trips, arts/crafts demonstrations and cooking classes. The SOS members assisted and participated in these events and it was well received by the clients.

3

THE LOREM IPSUMS SUMMER 2016

St Michel’s + Bwgcolman School The BBC Program The BBC program was introduced to both the Catholic and state schools on Palm Island is a bid to combat the high prevalence of Otis Media, a middle ear disease that is commonly found in the indigenous population. BBC stands for: “Breath, Blow & Cough”. The children attending both schools were required to participate in this program every morning in order to help with screening for middle ear disease. The program consisted of the children: 1. Exercising for 10-20 minutes to increase the heart rate and respiratory rate. 2. Blowing their nose to secrete all fluid from behind their ears 3. Coughing to facilitate secretion removal. We were invited to participate in upgrading the program in terms of exercise prescription. The Aged Care Facility The aged care facility on the island was understaffed and resources were insufficient. The SOS team members gave relief to the overworked staff members by attending to the residents. An exercise program was introduced to the residents.

The SOS team members also provided relief for staff members of the facility by giving them massages. The manager and coordinators of the facility had not had a holiday for two years! The team also assisted in constructing six hospital beds for the facility that had been neglected for many months. The time and effort the team offered to the facility was well received by all.

4

THE LOREM IPSUMS SUMMER 2016

Queensland Health Joyce Palmer Health Service (Palm Island) Townsville Health Service District

are stabilized and transferred to The Townsville

Hospital by Royal Flying Doctors Service or the Air Sea Rescue with a retrieval team. In terms of physiotherapy, a therapist is flown in from the Townsville hospital to service the island once a week only. After speaking to the

director of nursing and also the youth health nurse, this service is not well utilized. The SOS Foundation team was invited to meet Future developments on the island will with the nursing director at the Joyce Palmer hopefully see an Allied Health service built and Health Service Hospital. supported outside of the Joyce Palmer Hospital The Palm Island hospital consists of: as current conditions and space in the hospital are inadequate for a fully functioning and

- successful service.

- 15 bed general ward

- Provides a primary level of acute care services.

These services include: an emergency service component which manages resuscitation and stabilization prior to referral to the secondary tertiary hospital; general management of medical and aged patients; minor surgical procedures; outpatient clinics; basic radiography; pathology sample collection; and obstetric management for low risk mothers Jacob on one of the beds we had assisted in expecting their second or third child. constructing! A number of visiting specialists conduct regular clinics with the facility. Two doctors work full time and are on call for emergencies after hours. The hospital cares for all non-critically ill patients, including neonates, children, adults and aged care. Critical patients

5

SUMMER 2016 Personal Reflection As a graduate of University, Townsville and having made a number of acquaintances with members of the Palm Island community I was keenly aware of the challenges facing the Palm Island residents. It is truly inspiring to have witnessed the dedication and commitment of some of the members of the Palm Island community. After hearing that some of the workers on the island had not had a holiday in two years demonstrates their devotion to their community despite the challenges that face them. This inspiration has facilitated my drive to continue to teach and empower others to learn, grow and aspire to a future of equality and good health. With challenges so great and multifaceted in nature, it was great to see that a simple exercise program taught to the residents of the aged care facility to massaging the hard working teachers of the Palm Island schools had made a small impact to the morale of the island. I was also touched whilst returning home, I was stopped at the airport by one of the social workers (and her kids) who had remembered me whilst assessing the cause of her back pain. Her family simply wished us a safe journey home and begged us to visit again soon. Although we had made a small contribution, just knowing that we had made a small impact like this one, makes the difference in my eyes. I am very grateful that I was given this opportunity to be a part of this outreach mission and I hope that the SOS Foundation continue to ensure long term continuation of significantly impacting the lives of Australians living in poverty. I would also like to acknowledge Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy for supporting this mission and for giving me the opportunity to use my physiotherapy skills to help those less fortunate. Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy have been passionate sponsors for World Vision and will continue to support The SOS Foundation in their mission to Gove in the Northern Territory in September 2012.