Living with a complex medical condition can be challenging enough, let alone managing the process of treatment and care. Helping people coordinate their care is a FREE community service provided by ACON’s Enhanced Primary Care team.

Warwick is a gay man in his early 50s who has been living with a brain injury for 30 years. In 2005, when his relationship with his then partner ended, Warwick needed to find new accommodation that would meet his special needs. “I was trying to get help on my own, but I was getting nowhere,” he recalls.

Due to his medical condition, Warwick receives regular treatment from his GP. At the time, his doctor realised that Warwick’s health would suffer if suitable accommodation wasn’t found. That’s when he put Warwick in touch with ACON. “From the day my doctor referred me to ACON, everything began to happen,” he says. “The staff knew where to go and what to ask. When I did it on my own, I was left in the dark at every turn.”

The service Warwick was referred to is ACON’s Enhanced Primary Care Project, a free service which ACON provides to help people who are experiencing difficulties co-ordinating their treatment or care. Established in 2002, the project supports selected GLBT patients from three key inner- Sydney practises who are living with cronic or long term medical conditions. The practices are Taylor Square Private Clinic, Holdsworth House Medical Practice and East Sydney Doctors.

Patients with acute needs are referred by their doctors to the on-site ACON social workers for a comprehensive welfare assessment. They are then assisted as much as possible by ACON staff or put in contact with a range of allied health care providers such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, dieticians, podiatrists and exercise physiologists. Among the issues the patients are dealing with are HIV and AIDS, hepatitis C, mental health problems, homelessness, nutritional care, drug and alcohol use and domestic violence.

“Often the GPs don’t have the time to deal with all the issues a patient may present with but they know that when patients access other services it can significantly improve their overall health,” says team leader Niki Barr. “Many of the patients with complex needs have been through so many services in the past they find it hard to jump through all the hoops. What we try to do is make it a smooth process.”

Back in 2005, the team were able to help Warwick find a new home. In September this year, a change in Warwick’s health limited his mobility and he was again in need of new housing. “This time, I knew exactly where to turn,” he says.

Warwick is just one of hundreds of patients who’ve been assisted through the Enhanced Primary Care Project. In fact the service has been so successful the New Zealand AIDS Foundation is now considering setting up its own version based on the ACON model.

However, the success of the project means the two person team have a pretty hectic schedule and while a new social worker is set to join the team in 2009, the service could expand even further to meet the increasing demand. “There are always people – both doctors and clients – wanting this service,” Niki says. “It’s a system that has really helped to change lives.”

Make a difference

We’d like to help more people through our Enhanced Primary Care project but we don’t have the resources. Visit our community fundraising page to find out how you can help.