Petlinks - a new service for home and community care

Meyer Eidelson

Abstract

In 1995 the Victorian Department of Human Services funded a community organisation (Southport Daylinks Inc.) to

carry out a research project to explore a model of providing support services to people experiencing frailty and

disability in the community and their companion animals.

Daylinks is a Home and Community Care (HACC) social support service in Port Melbourne with strong community

connections to consumers, community organisations and local government. It has won a number of awards for

innovative practice.

The project was funded through the HACC program, which is jointly funded by the State and Federal Governments.

The program provides a wide variety of support services to assist the frail elderly and younger people with

disabilities to remain in their own homes. In Victoria one of these types of service is called social support. It aims to

meet the social and emotional support needs of consumers and is intended to be flexible and innovative. Most social

support projects utilise a co-ordinator and volunteers.

The research report called Companion Animals - A Model for Providing Companion Animal Social Support Services

in the Community, recommended that the HACC program fund an Animal Companionship Social Support project. It

also recommended a brokerage fund to assist consumers and social service providers with funds for items such as

veterinary expenses, medication and fence repair. Another key recommendation was that a resource manual be

prepared and that HACC workers around Victoria be provided with opportunities to be trained in developing animal

companionship support services for people experiencing frailty and disability.

These recommendations were implemented by the Victorian State Government. According to the research report this

was the first time that Government funding had been used to set up a community based animal companionship

program. On Sunday September 1st 1996 the Minister for Human Services, the Mayor of Port Phillip and the

President of the Victorian RSPCA officially launched the Petlinks project before a large audience.

The support throughout the project from the community, media and consumers has been extraordinary. The project

has been universally lauded as an essential and important service. The Steering Committee for the project was

overwhelmed with offers of support and assistance.

During the course of the project a successful partnership between the state government, a non-government

organisation, the local council, private enterprise and consumers was forged through the Steering Committee. A

mutual love and respect for companion animals was a common bond and interest. The Pet Care Information and

Advisory Service (privately funded) was an important contributor with advice, financial assistance and enthusiastic

involvement.

The project currently employs a part time coordinator who recruits volunteers to provide a number of services,

primarily to the frail elderly, including pet walking, washing and grooming, transporting, foster care and financial

assistance. Future goals include the development of a training and resource kit and implementation of a training

project for HACC providers throughout Victoria.

During the launch the Minister for Human Service, Rob Knowles said the HACC program would welcome further

applications to set up animal companionship programs in other parts of Victoria. The future for this vital type of

support service seems very promising.

About the author

Meyer Eidelson

6/27 St Vincent St

Albert Park 3206

Melbourne

Phone: (03) 96909584

Fax: (03) 96168682

Meyer Eidelson is the author of two books on the subject of conservation: 'Secrets of the Seaside Suburbs - A Guide

to the Wildlife of Port Phillip' and a children's book 'Alfreda the City Penguin' (English and Japanese). He was a

founding member of Earthcare, an environmental organisation in Port Phillip. In 1986 he established an animal

visiting program to schools using young offenders. As a social worker he assists in the development of HACC

programs for high needs groups such as ethnic communities, Aboriginal communities and the homeless. In 1994 he

was given the task of developing a model of animal companionship HACC services by the Manager for Service

Development, Maureen Dawson-Smith.

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