> Resources and Publications > PHC RIS infonet > February 2006 > Community adventure into PHC

A community adventure into primary health care

We are a group of volunteers in Whyalla assisting the local community to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to better self manage their health. Whyalla is a regional city 400kms outside metropolitan Adelaide in South Australia . We have an above average aging population and face the usual problems with an under staffed and overworked health system. Originally the centre was part of the South Australian Federal Sharing Health Care Project who fitted it out with equipment and information, and recruited and trained the volunteers. The intention was always that it would be 'consumer owned and consumer driven'.

The project ended in June 2004 and we are managing the centre ourselves. We are incorporated and have our own management committee. We currently have seventeen volunteers and open the centre Monday to Friday. We work alongside established health services, and see ourselves as a complementary service to theirs.

Five of our volunteers have been trained as peer educators to run the Stanford Self Management Course. We run other lifestyle and health improvement programs, Tai Chi sessions and promote other health related causes such as falls prevention. We run two social groups with the emphasis on healthy lifestyle and are home to four support groups. Two of our group attended Stanford University , California , to train as Master Trainers with Professor Kate Lorig, enabling them to run leader training courses in our area and other parts of the country. We were honoured to receive a visit from Professor Lorig in August 2005, who highly commended our centre. She thinks we are unique in the world and often uses us as an example in her work.

The impact on participants and volunteers is quite considerable. Participants feel more confident when dealing with their day to day problems and approaching their health professionals, and the volunteers feel they are making a worthwhile contribution to their community. The social aspects are important to us all and many close friendships have been formed.

We believe that empowering consumers of health services will lead to better and healthier lifestyles and in the long term better utilisation of all health services through lower admission rates and fewer emergency situations, saving precious hospital time and lowering waiting lists.

For further information contact:
Paul Homes
'In Our Hands' Health and Information Centre Inc
39 McRitchie Cres, Whyalla Norrie
E: pah43@ipriumus.com.au