New Member

Report post · January 30, 2002

Welcome Beverley

It sounds like you have a very interesting job and are doing some really

good work in enabling others to understand the wider implications of the

public health agenda.

I would like to add something to your comments on public health only being

able to function effectively if it reclaims the vision that improving health

starts with people, families and communities.

In the development work I am doing with Trusts especially with health

visitors and school nurses, I am clear that they can only deliver the

described family cented puiblic health funcion if they are enabled to work

with families and communities rather that the present 1:1 work across a wide

area which results from GP attachment. I am aware that there is a

contradiction in some of the policy with the public health/health visiting

linked agenda moving practitoners into communites and the primary care/ GP

linked policy seeing everyone being part an integrated primary care team.

I am finding a number of chief executive and senior managers in PCT to be

quite hung up on the integrated team agenda and failing to recognise the

wider public health funtion as you describe. I know there is an issue about

the power of GPS

and like you am working hard to get them to see the wider agenda and using

the policy and the HV and SN development packs to support my arguments. for

me there is some movement but I know it is really hard for those in practice

when I say one thing and the powers that be the opposite. There seems to be

this false assumption that General Practice has got it right and when I say

things like " geneal practice and primary care will look very different in

five years time " generally again that is a diffciult concept for people.

There is so much work to do to help people live healthy lives and I to see

primary care nurses and health vistors as a key.

However they need to be allowed to stand on their own and not feel beholden

to general practice - the realtionships built up over the years will survive

and the good practcies will like the HVs will ensure it works.

After all it is the client and the community who should be central to this

not the practioners.

Regards

Margaret

New member

> Hello all.

>

> My name is Beverley and I am employed as Public Health Nurse at

Rotherham HA (to be Rotherham PCT from April).

>

> My background is a midwife, but I have been working in management,

training and commissioning for some time now. I worked for Sheffield Health

Authority as a health promotion specialist, eventually doing a lot of

children's and nursing/midwifery policy work (more than the health

promotion). I went on the Trent non-medical public health specialist

training, worked as D/Dir Health promotion here before getting the PHN post.

I have a post-grad dip in HP, adult ed qualification and am almost completed

my Masters in Public Health. I am currently on the National Public Health

Leadership programme.

>

> I would describe myself as a primary care focused public health

specialist. My post involves developing and leading the public health

nursing function and I have done quite a bit of work this year on

influencing my medical colleagues about the necessity of developing a joined

up public health workforce with public health practitioners as a valued and

integrated part and partnership key to reducing inequalities and improving

health. An uphill struggle initially, but I am winning the argument. I am

passionate that public health can only function effectively if it reclaims

the vision that improving health starts with people, families and

communities (rather than statistics and policy). I see primary care and

nurses as key to this. Health visitors were central to public health and

must be again, if public health is going to turn itself round from the very

sterile route it took.

>

> Like to here from other who are in a similar role (or rant along similar

lines!).

>

> If there are plans to get this rolling study day/conference programme

going I would be very happy to participate. I have contacted colleagues in

the region to see if they are interested in hosting something here.

>

> All the best.

>

> Bev

>

Report post · April 16, 2002

In a message dated 4/14/2002 4:08:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

egg_philosopher@... writes:

> So if I can

> provide any help, or if one just wants to vent about the system, or

> if anyone has any ideas on how I can do my job better, I would love

> to hear them.

Hi Devrey,

Welcome to the group. We all need ideas on dealing with behaviors! You have a

tough job.

Charlyne

Mom to Zeb 9 DS/OCD ?

Report post · April 18, 2002

Welcome , you shall find a few of us here. I have found these groups

very valuable. I get like 50 emails a day from different Autistic groups

that i am a member on. You sure do learn alot. i have 3 kids, the middle

one, Hannah will be 8 in October, and she is classed as HFA, High

functioning Autistic, she has come along way. She is in regular school with

a government funded teachers aide for 2 hours a day, she will have her bad

days too, but things are ok i guess. socially, still a very long way to go,

and speech wise as well, cognitive, is still way behind. But she has learned

to read and write, and that is such a releif, as i really wanted her to be

able to do those things, as i beleive this will open up so much for her in

the future. We are in australia, the school you have enrolled your daughter

in sounds fantastic.........don;t think there is anything that resembles

that over here. Hope to hear more from you. Cheryl S

New Member

Hello. My name is . I have a 7 (almost not quite 8 lol) year

old daughter w/asperger's syndrome. She is an absolute angel.

People ask how I manage to live with an autistic child. I simply

smile and say, " The fact that she is alive, healthy *now*, learning

and growing in so many ways...she's a blessing in my life...not a

chore or a challenge. " You see, Lily was born in complete cardiac

failure. She wasn't blue, she was grey going black. They brought

her back but a week later was in another heart failure. She had

this heart syndrome (not found till the second failure) that

shouldn't have caused her such problems. Most people that have it

never know they have it until routine ekg's later in life (40's and

50's)...but it was making her weak and tired all the time. The

syndrome was corrected in a complex procedure at Duke University

when she was 18 mos old. There I was finally validated when doctors

said YES she also has apnea secondary to gastric reflux...she wasn't

breathing hardly at all when she slept...I had been telling doctors

this since her birth..but what do WE know, right? :-) That's under

control now too. She also has vaso vagal syncope. It's something

to do w/adrenaline rushes/blood pressure. Not too serious. Just

have to be sure she is kept hydrated and give her open season on the

salt shaker...lol. Soooo, you see, it took many doctors sorting

thru SOOO many problems that she wasn't diagnosed w/autism till she

was 6. Tho *I* knew she was dealing w/something more serious than

being " behind because her body was fighting all these other

conditions...let her be, she'll catch up... " . You don't " catch up "

exactly with autism, do you? (rolling my eyes). Thankfully, my

beautiful little girl is now the healthiest of my family! I just

moved four months ago and enrolled her in a fantastic school that

has a self-contained classroom for high functioning autistic kids.

She is such a different child now!! The teachers are amazing! The

kids in the " typical " classes are so great with her!! We have our

bad days, of course...if it rains, she cries for her " sun to come

back out " ...thinks everyone is being mean if they're simply joking

around..you know, the whole LITERAL thing autistic kids have issues

with. But overall, life has gotten easier w/the actual diagnosis.

She'll be going to a daycamp this summer to keep her social skills

going..it's run by the autism society. She's on a waiting list for

a week long camp for high functioning kids. (I almost hope she won't

get in...selfish me!! lol).

I've rambled on enuf. It's just nice to find someplace to " meet "

other parents who KNOW what it is I deal with on a daily basis..and

KNOW the blessings we've been given with our special child. I've

learned compassion and determination on a level I never knew I had!

God bless!

Report post · April 19, 2002

Hey Charlyne,

Thank you so much for the welcome. I was a bit

unsure of how the group would take a behavior

specialist joining up, but my intentions are good. I

enjoy my job but the politics that are invovled make

it hard to make a difference in the field.

I do think that all of the parents have a bit of

tougher job than I do. I want to let you all know that

I have been reading the e-mails and I think all of you

are doing a wonderful job. Unfortunately most of the

people I work with have come from institutions that

abused and mistreated them for most of their lives. My

heart breaks when I think of all of the things that

have been done to them and I can understand why their

behaviors occur.

Here is a question for all of you. I need to write

a protocal for one of the people I work with on

sleeping. He usually stays up late and falls asleep on

the couch. Staff at this home are having a hard time

getting him to his bed and due to the regulations we

follow, we cannot make him go to his bed. Are there

any ideas for helping him feel more comfortable

sleeping in his own bed?

Thanks,

Devrey

>

> Hi Devrey,

> Welcome to the group. We all need ideas on dealing

> with behaviors! You have a

> tough job.

> Charlyne

> Mom to Zeb 9 DS/OCD ?

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

__________________________________________________

Report post · April 19, 2002

Hey Charlyne,

Thank you so much for the welcome. I was a bit

unsure of how the group would take a behavior

specialist joining up, but my intentions are good. I

enjoy my job but the politics that are invovled make

it hard to make a difference in the field.

I do think that all of the parents have a bit of

tougher job than I do. I want to let you all know that

I have been reading the e-mails and I think all of you

are doing a wonderful job. Unfortunately most of the

people I work with have come from institutions that

abused and mistreated them for most of their lives. My

heart breaks when I think of all of the things that

have been done to them and I can understand why their

behaviors occur.

Here is a question for all of you. I need to write

a protocal for one of the people I work with on

sleeping. He usually stays up late and falls asleep on

the couch. Staff at this home are having a hard time

getting him to his bed and due to the regulations we

follow, we cannot make him go to his bed. Are there

any ideas for helping him feel more comfortable

sleeping in his own bed?

Thanks,

Devrey

>

> Hi Devrey,

> Welcome to the group. We all need ideas on dealing

> with behaviors! You have a

> tough job.

> Charlyne

> Mom to Zeb 9 DS/OCD ?

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

__________________________________________________

Report post · April 19, 2002

Dervey:

What makes him want to sleep on the couch? Is there a tv there? What is he

doing when he falls asleep?

If he's watching TV, you might use a tv near bed one way to try.

YOu can also write a social script with photos about the bed time routine.

As you know , you will want some really enticing reward for any attempt to

sleep in his bed to start.

Does he follow a schedule? Is the schedule visually available?

Our son used to fall asleep down stairs on the couch too. It has taken

about a year,b ut now he prefers to go to sleep upstairs in his bed. But

someone has to BE there when he falls asleep. Usually we end up modeling

the expected behavior (read: we fall asleep on the floor next to the bed).

Keep us posted--and welcome. I've been really busy and didn't see your

first post. All we ask of nonparent professionals is to respect that we're

dealing with our families and forgive us if we rant and rave. You sound

perfectly able to do that.

take care,

Joan

Report post · April 19, 2002