District Nursing Services

 

South West Healthcare District Nursing Service (DNS) provides home based nursing care to all people requiring nursing care. The Warrnambool Campus services people living in the City of Warrnambool and in the surrounding area bordered by Yarkturp, Woolsthorpe, Ballangeich North, Framlingham, Pamure and Nullawarre. District Nursing Services are also provided through SWH Camperdown, Lismore and Macarthur Campus's.

The Service is available from 0700-2130hrs and provides twenty-four hour on call service for Palliative Care clients. The service visits 180-220 clients on a weekday and 70-80 clients on a weekend.

District Nurses main client base are Home and Community Care (HACC) clients. Also visited are Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), Post Acute Care (PAC), Transport Accident (TAC), evening Hospital in the Home (HITH) clients and weekend/ public Holiday cover for Port Fairy and some local Aged Care Facilities.

The service is staffed by Division One and Division Two Registered Nurses, provide a broad range of nursing care. Nursing care provided includes:

  • Wound Care
  • Medication administration or supervision
  • Bowel and bladder management, including Stomal Therapy services
  • Continence and catheter care
  • Palliative Care
  • Hygiene for Palliative Care clients and other clients who require the services of a Registered Nurse
  • Application and removal of compression stockings
  • Education of clients and families
  • Supervision and direction to Personal Carers
  • Oxygen therapy
  • Support and assistance with nutritional needs
  • Health promotion.

South West Healthcare’s District Nursing Service has full Australian Council of Healthcare Standards, Home and Community Care (HACC) and Department of Veteran’s Affairs accreditation.

Referrals are accepted from healthcare professionals, family members and individuals requiring care by telephoning Warrnambool - 55644172 (Fax 55644164), Camperdown - 55937354 (Fax 55932659), Lismore - 55583000 (Fax 55962265), Macarthur - 55522000 (Fax 55761098). A timely response to referrals is our goal and we work within the Service Co-Ordination referral system. All new referrals are seen within three working days and clients are assessed within seven working days. In periods of peak demand a waiting list is utilised.

Fees are charged for visits in accordance with HACC guidelines and are detailed in our District Nursing Booklet.