WHERE IS REAL GOVERNMENT ACTION ON HOMELESSNESS?

 

One of the problems going to many forums about homelessness and (affordable) housing is that you have heard it all before and wonder when the action will start and the talk fests stop.

Nothing I heard last night at the Politics in the Pubs event by the Fremantle Network at The Local Hotel was new, but that isn’t the fault of the two speakers, who were equally frustrated about it.

Sam Knight of RUAH said the fundamental thing is that homeless people need homes, but they also need support workers to help with social, health and mental health problems.

The cost on the health system by not supplying sufficient affordable houses is enormous and governments fail to recognise that.

Victor Crevatin, the Director of Housing and Support Services at Fremantle’s St Patrick’s, said St Pat’s has been working with homeless people since 1971 and in 2017 had supplied 31,000 meals and 1,200 clothes to those in need, and 500 people were given accommodation.

Like Sam Knight, Crevatin said it is not just about providing houses, but that it needs support services to get people back on track.

There is the need to turn the generational NIMBY attitude around, and it is all about education to get rid of the bullshit myth about affordable housing and anti-social behaviour!

Sam Knight said it was also about offering the right mix of housing. We need to give choices about accommodation from shared accommodation to single apartments. “What are the best low-cost constructions we can do?” We need to recognise housing has a social and health aspect!

As I heard a week earlier at the Fremantle Safety Forum, there appears to be a serious issue with support agencies not collaborating well and the state government should do something about trying to streamline that, so that there is better coordination and information sharing, to the benefit of those in need.

Comment: I have supported the Fremantle Network since it started and have very often found the meetings very good, but the nice bloke, who shall remain unnamed, who took over from Rachel Pemberton to organise the Fremantle Network loves hogging the limelight. Last night again his introduction of the topic and two expert speakers was far too long. Just a short and succinct intro will do instead of babbling on for 15 minutes. Participate in the Q&A as Rachel used to do, but don’t give a very long speech. It’s not about you!

Roel Loopers

PROLIFIC BLOGGER IS BACK!

 

 

A beautiful Blessing of the Fleet Sunday to you all!

I am back and out of bed after a health scare, which saw me ending up in Charles Gairdner Hospital for three nights, including my 70th birthday, with pneumonia.

I am still a bit frail and will need to take it easy for a few weeks, but will try to keep all my  loyal Freo’s View readers in the loop about what goes on in our beautiful Fremantle.

Roel Loopers

FREO BLOGGER NOT DEAD YET

 

My apologies to regular Freo’s View readers for not having published any blog posts since early on Thursday, but I am very sick in bed with violent shaking of the body and liters of sweat pouring out of me, so sleeping is the best remedy until I find the strength to see the GP.

Roel Loopers

SOUTH BEACH STREETBALL COMPETITION

 

 

If you love shooting hoops this Sunday October 14 will be the day for you, when the inaugural South Beach 3×3 Streetball Competition will hit the South Beach Sports Court.

There will be mixed competitions for three different age groups, including 12-15 yrs, 16-20 yrs and 20+.

The games start at 10am, with registration from 9am on the day or online at https://bit.ly/2N2DzH7.

The free community event is proudly hosted by the City of Fremantle and Basketball WA.

The weather forecast is not great for Sunday so I hope that BOM is wrong this time.

Roel Loopers

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

 

MENTAL HEALTH WEEK-WE ALL CAN HELP!

 

 

Mental health problems have been increasing for years now and affect young and old people, ale and female.

Being aware, asking R U OKAY? and caring and sharing better will all help. Don’t take your loved ones, friends and family for granted, make sure they are okay!

Roel Loopers

WE LIVE ON A VERY LONELY PLANET

 

 

We live in a world where we can communicate with anyone on earth within seconds, be that via computer, mobile phone or other means, so why is it when most of us connect many times a day on social media that so many of us feel lonely, according to a massive survey by England’s BBC.

The BBC started the Loneliness Experience on Valentine’s Day this year and 55,000 people from around the world responded to it.

The graph above by the BBC shows that it is not just old(er) people who feel lonely often, but surprisingly the top group is those between 16-24 years of age.

Depression and suicide have been increasing in the western world, as people feel unwanted, not appreciated, bullied and not loved. Social media contacts don’t replace touch, a hug, people who really care and share, and to cuddle up with someone you trust when you feel down.

We live in a society where many of us have become cynical of our political and spiritual leaders, and that has created the ME society, where others are not much of a priority for many people. We all long to be loved and cared for, and it all starts with respect, courtesy and sharing.

It appears to me from the above graph that we are not okay and as a community we need to make better efforts connecting with each other. R U OKAY?

Roel Loopers

NIGHT HOOPS ARE BACK!

 

 

The southside NIGHT HOOPS will be back from late October for young people between the age of 12-18 years old who live in the Fremantle/Cockburn area.

Come play a game of basketball, get a free meal and some skills and life coaching in a safe environment, and a ride home on the bus before midnight.

It is all free and players and volunteers can register their interest on http://www.nighthoops.org.

Roel Loopers

 

FLY BY NIGHT CHARITY CONCERT

 

 

The Fremantle Fly by Night Club will be holding a charity concert for Chris Wilson, who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The Chris Wilson Benefit Gig concert is this Sunday September 30 from 4-10.30pm and the entire cover charge will go to Chris Wilson, so please support this good cause and enjoy a great concert.

Roel Loopers

END OF LIFE CHOICES FORUM AT NOTRE DAME

 

 

Fremantle’s Notre Dame University facilitated a very interesting forum about End of life choices on Wednesday evening.

The panel members were Prof. David Kissane-NDA and St Vincent’s Hospital, Dr Richard Lugg-Doctors for Assisted Dying Choice, Dr Murray Hindle-Dying with Dignity WA, Lana Glogowski-Palliative Care WA, and Chris Shanahan-Barrister Murray Chambers.

Prof. David Kissane said the proposed new law was about the right to die rather than offering optimal palliative care, and he expressed concern that mentally ill patients might have access to euthanasia. Palliative care is the real alternative to assisted suicide.

Murray Hindle said it was the right of the individuals to have control over their death, not about better palliative care, and that in a survey 88 per cent had said yes to doctor assisted dying. It is about a person’s right to autonomy.

Lana Glogowski said that palliative care is not well enough resourced by our governments and that people should have a conversation with their family and loved ones about end of life options and what they wanted, and that there needed to be more education about those options.

Dr Richard Lugg said that patients want their care to be compassionate and kind and that the autonomy of the patients comes before the doctor’s-I know best-decision. We want the new law to help, not hinder assisted dying, he said

Lawyer Chris Shanahan said under the current law the patient has the right to consent, the right to self determination, and needs to give consent to medical treatment.

Questions were raised about putting doctors in a difficult position and pressure from family members on patients, but a new law would see no compulsion on doctors to assist dying if they are against it.

End of life options would also be different for different cultures and religions, and most people wanted to die at home and better palliative home care needed to be supported.

It was essential that any new legislation about Voluntary Assisted Dying has to have clarity and lack of ambiguity, and too fast change might overwhelm the community process. We need to respond in a human way.

It was argued that any suffering can be dealt with with drugs and that many people who plea for help are depressed and demoralised and want to die.

The larger part of the community die a good and dignified death and do not suffer.

What was not discussed at all is the reality of many older people dying an undignified and lonely death through suicide, often trough illegally imported drugs, such as Nembutal,  from Mexico and eastern European countries, or they kill themselves in other ways, because the choice of assisted dignified dying is not offered to them under our present legislation in WA.

The euthanasia debate is a very important one, and one we need to have in our community, so it was very good that Notre Dame University accommodated the discussion. Thank you NDA!

Roel Loopers