The
RETURNED & SERVICES LEAGUE of
AUSTRALIA
WODEN VALLEY SUB-BRANCH Inc.
Good Advice
After Hours Crisis Counselling for Veterans
Ex-Member of Defence Forces Pass
Veterans’ Home Maintenance Helpline
Ex-Member
of Defence Forces Pass
This pass is
available to persons who have a DVA disability pension, of at least 10%, for
free bus travel on both government and local private bus services throughout NSW
(excluding special or premium services), and for free travel on Sydney Ferries
Corporation services (excluding premium services).
The pass also
entitles the holder to free travel on any CityRail service. These services
operate within the area bounded by Goulburn, Nowra, Lithgow, Newcastle, Dungog
and Scone. Free travel is also available to Bathurst: however, it must be made
via the CountryLink coach service from Lithgow. A booking is required in this
instance.
If you reside
outside the Sydney or Newcastle Metropolitan areas, you are entitled to travel
on CountryLink services three (3) times each calendar year free of charge. To
obtain this entitlement you must completer an application for a CountryLink
Travel Warrant. Applications are available by contacting the Passes and
Concessions Office (address below).
The pass can
also be used to gain entry and exit from Airport Link stations on payment of a
concession rate.
An application
for the pass, which is valid for a calendar year, and is automatically renewed
each year, should be forwarded to:
RailCorp
Passes and Concessions
PO Box K349
Haymarket NSW 1238
and must
include proof of your disability (e.g. a copy of your latest DVA determination).
Veterans’
Home Maintenance Helpline
The Department of
Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) has found that many members of the veteran community
want advice on how to arrange the services they need to maintain their needs.
The Veterans’ Home
Maintenance Helpline is a program DVA has developed to make the homes of
eligible veterans and war widows safer from falls and accident hazards around
the home. Gold and White Card holders are eligible for a free annual assessment.
The Helpline can advise on
general home maintenance matters, from changing a fuse to installing a new
bathroom.
The Helpline can also
arrange a home inspection to identify current or possible future maintenance
problems and will subsidise any maintenance work to a maximum of $163 per annum.
Costs in excess of that amount will need to be met by the member.
To request an assessment,
call 1800 80 1945 toll free.
Stroke
Awareness - FAST
Act
FAST
save lives.
The
National Stroke Foundation is calling on Australians to save lives and reduce
disability by looking out for the signs of stroke and acting FAST.
FAST is an easy way for everyone to recognise the signs of stroke.
FAST
stands for
Facial
weakness
Arm
weakness
Speech
difficulty
Time
to act
Using the FAST test involves asking three simple questions. Can the person smile - has their mouth or eyes drooped ? Can the person raise both arms? Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
Looking out for these signs and seeking immediate medical attention will reduce the number of lives lost to stroke - Australia's second largest killer. In 2006, Australians will suffer 53 000 new and recurrent strokes - that's one stroke every 10 minutes.
Dr Erin Lalor, CEO of the National Stroke Foundation says that seeking medical attention immediately when seeing the signs is very important.
The faster someone gets a diagnosis and treatment, the greater the chance of reducing damage to the brain and having a better recovery. All too often people wither don't realise that someone is having a stroke, or don't get the help they need.
Other
signs of a stroke include:
 |
Weakness,
numbness or paralysis - in the face, arm or leg on either side of the body
|
|
Difficulty
speaking or understanding
|
|
Dizziness,
loss of balance or unexplained fall
|
|
Loss
of vision, sudden blurred or decreased vision in one or both eyes
|
|
Headache
- usually severe and of abrupt onset or unexplained change in the pattern of
headaches |
|
Difficulty
swallowing. |
The
signs may occur alone or together. Even if the signs only last for a short
period it is still important to get medical attention.
The
good news is that stroke is treatable and preventable. Stroke risk can be
reduced by keeping blood pressure low, quitting smoking, healthy eating and
exercising regularly.
For more information on stroke you can contact the National Stroke Foundation on 1800 787 653 or visit the stroke foundation website: www.strokefoundation.com.au
After Hours Crisis
Counselling For Veterans
An
Australian company with more than 40 years’ experience in telephone
counselling services has won a $844,000 contract to deliver after hours’
crisis counselling, referral and support to veterans, their families and current
serving ADF members for the next three years, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs,
Bruce Billson today announced.
Crisis
Support Services, a not-for-profit provider of telephone counselling services,
has been selected as the preferred tenderer following an open tender process for
the national delivery of the Veterans’ Line crisis counselling
service.
Mr
Billson said Veterans’ Line was an extremely successful after
hours’ telephone counselling service provided by the Department of Veterans’
Affairs.
"Veterans’
Line provides an after hours’ crisis counselling service to assist
veterans and their families deal with social, emotional and psychological
difficulties, when counselling staff from Vietnam Veterans’ Counselling
Service (VVCS) are not available," he said.
"The
VVCS is a specialised and confidential Australia-wide service for all Australian
veterans and their families, including peacekeepers and current members of the
ADF."
Crisis
Support Services offer professionally qualified telephone counsellors and
psychologists who provide confidential counselling, support, information and
referral services. Crisis Support Service currently provide the specialist
counselling lines, Mensline Australia and Suicide Helpline Victoria.
Since
it first started in 1994, Veterans’ Line has received an average of
550 calls per month from members of the veteran community.
"The
Department of Veterans’ Affairs, through VVCS, Veterans Line and
other counselling services, is helping veterans address conditions associated
with depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), family issues, alcohol
and drug abuse, and other physical or emotional difficulties," the Minister
said.
"With
the appointment of Crisis Support Services as the national provider of Veterans’
Line, we can ensure a high quality and consistent service is delivered
across the nation."
Members
of the veteran community can access free and confidential, 24-hour counselling
service through the VVCS and the after hours’ Veterans’ Line on
1800 011 046.
Microsoft Windows Vista
Are you thinking of upgrading to Microsoft Windows Vista on your PC?
If you are, you should first try the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor tool to discover whether there are any system, device and program compatibility issues and how you might deal with them. This can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeadvisor/default.mspx
You
can also look at http://www.iexbeta.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_Vista_Software_Compatibility_List)
to see if there may be compatibility problems with software that you already have and want to keep.
REPATRIATION BENEFITS
LIST
The following is
a list of products that are available on a Doctor’s prescription, for
Repatriation patients:
Skin Care
QV
Bath Oil, Hamilton’s Body Wash, Sorbolene and Glycerine Cream, Calmurid Cream,
Pinetarsol Solution.
Hair Care
Sebitar
Shampoo, Sebi Rinse Conditioner, Nizoral Shampoo, Selsun.
Sun Care
Hamilton’s
15+ Cream, Lotion, and Solarstick, Ego Sun Sense 30+, Aquasun.
Oral Hygiene
Savacol
Mouth Wash, Aquae Spray for Dry mouth.
Cough Mixtures
Senagar
& Ammonia, Durotoss.
Allergies
Telfast,
Claratyne, Zyrtec, Phenergan, Drixine Nasal Spray, Beconase Nasal Spray,
Rhincort Nasal Spray, Sudafed, Demazin Tablets.
Fibre Supplements &
Laxatives
Nucolox,
Normacol, Metamucil, Coloxyl with Senna, Senokot, Glycerine Suppositories.
Dressings
Micropore
Tape, Cutifilm Plus Waterproof Dressings, Handy Bandages, Cotton Wool, Betadine
Antiseptic, Solugels, Barrier Creams, Disposable Gloves, Prantal Powder.
Anitfungal Agents
Lamasil
Cream, Cansten Cream, Loceryl Nail Paint.
Haemorroidal Treatments
Proctocedyl
Ointment & Suppositories, Anusol.
Ear Preparations
Ear
Clear for Wax, Waxsol, Ceremol Ear Drops.
Vitamins & Minerals
Calcium
(Cal sup tablets, Caltrate), Vitamin B1 (Betamin), Magnesium Tablets
(Mag‑Min), Accomin Liquid Tonic.
Joint Pain & Arthritis
Metsal
Cream or Liniment
Sexual Health
Viagra,
Cilais, Caverject.
Pain
Aspirins
Cartia, Astrix Capsules, Cardiprin, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen.
Weight Loss
Optifast,
Xenical.
Various
Nicorette
Patches (Quit Smoking), Vermox (Worms), Ural Sachets (Urinary Alkalinizer).
*
Always check with your GP, as this list changes from time to time.
You
could have been paying full price for any of these items without realizing you
could have them on prescription. Remember, after your 56 prescriptions p.a.,
your prescriptions are free.