Upcoming events: what are your thoughts/suggestions?

[CherryBomb]

The team here at saneforums is excited about organising upcoming online events. To do this, we would really appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. This will enable us to plan and carefully choose future content, guests and/or activities for our community. Over the next few weeks, based off your feedback, we will be working towards facilitating, ‘Topic Tuesdays,’ a night where we discuss a particular area of interest. This will be an opportunity for community members to come together online and share knowledge and experiences with each other about an area of concern that has not been discussed in depth in the forums.

Suggestions that you may want to put forward can be based on the following or you can provide your own ideas. We welcome and value any feedback!

• What topics would you like discussed? Is there a topic of interest that has not been addressed in the forums that you feel needs more coverage?
• Is there a topic that you are having difficulties with finding information or support?
• Is there any type of guest speaker that you would find particularly interesting or useful? For instance, a psychologist, staff from Centrelink, drug and alcohol counsellor etc.

[3forme]

Hi CherryBomb.

I think the new Mental Health Act is an important area that we as Carers need to have information about. Many of these changes will have an impact. There are some events that carers can attend but it may be useful to have a government representative available for those who are unable to leave their loved ones?

Our family are also concerned about the changes in the recent budget. We have two loved ones who recieve the DSP. Both require regular medical care, several medications, and routine pathology tests to monitor medication levels, among other things! We're not sure if the Medicare co-payment will apply to GP visits, medications, pathology, or when this is likely to happen?

They both recieve the pensioner education supplement, which they will soon lose. We have also noticed that some pensioner concessions relating to transport, electricity etc. will be removed, not to mention changes to the indexation of pensions.

A Centrelink representative who could explain the changes in more detail, and when these changes are likely to happen would be very useful to us!

[Harry]

Hi CherryBomb

An area within the mental health sector that is of particular interest to me is that of Indigenous Australians. Coming from a carers, consumers or a person working within this area's perspective it is painfully obvious to myself that Indigenous mental health brings with it a whole range of different issues and challenges that mainstream Australia probably isn't aware of.

It would be interesting and educational if there was an option within the carers main menu for Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander input, both as a carer and within the upcoming testing of the Lived Experience Forum.

Certainly guests within this area would be great to hear their first hand experience and share knowledge. Also if within budget and infrastructure webinars would be very adventageous also.

This would also be a great opportunity to help breakdown stigma and stereotyping.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts

Many thanks

Harry

[CherryBomb]

Thanks so much 3forme and Harry! These are great suggestions and something that we will definitely look into. 

[Daisy]

Hi Cherrybomb, there are many topics and guest speakers that would be beneficial - including the ones you've suggested already. However, I find that sometimes the best thing is just listening to another carer who has "been there" and come out the other side, or is at least on a path towards something positive. I wouldn't mind listening to a webinar with another carer, especially someone who is a working carer and in many ways still "functioning" like normal but with the extra responsibilities of caring at home. Hope this helps. The forums are great and I look forward to th bring more highly publicised!

[Nini52]

Hello all,

I'm a 62 year old transwoman who, as you can imagine, has had a fair rollercoaster life to date.

I live alone now, having separated from my wife only recently and I can recall vividly a time around my 60th birthday when I felt as if life was rather meaningless and I experienced some dark thoughts.

However, I have recovered and now I feel stable, happily living the life I choose, except for the loneliness that comes with living on my own.

This may open a can of worms, but I would like to draw the attention of the forum to the stress and mental anguish that transgenders face, so I would like to see some discussion along that path.

[CherryBomb]

Thanks Nina52 and Daisy, both great suggestions.