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Maintaining social connections amid COVID-19

30 September 2020

Hung’s journey with Programmed Care started in early March 2020, following a workplace injury. Previously Hung was accustomed to spending long hours working as a scaffolder and over time he lost touch with his local Vietnamese community in Western Sydney.

His relationship with his 14-year-old son was also strained as they were often running on different schedules. As a result of his accident, Hung now spends a lot more time at home than what he would have done previously. To help him adjust to the change, his Support Coordinator has built Hung’s care plan around rebuilding his social connections.

Programmed were initially engaged for a trial period to help integrate Hung back into his community and strengthen his relationship with his son. It’s essential to find the right Support Worker for every client, and in this case, Vietnamese speaking Tuyet was a standout candidate. At their first meeting, it was evident that Tuyet was a great fit for Hung and regular services soon commenced. Starting with two-hour sessions twice weekly, Tuyet and Hung mostly conversed in Vietnamese, speaking about ways to break down barriers with his son and reinvigorate their relationship.

COVID-19 hit NSW shortly after and, like many care recipients across the country, Hung ceased his services. Programmed suggested telehealth could be used as an option to resume services and progress on the great work already achieved in Hung’s development.

All parties were quick to agree, and with the help of FaceTime, the two continued right where they left off. By late April, Hung’s coordinator expressed how well he was progressing, with Hung even commenting that he “really enjoys Tuyet’s support and how it is helping him.” Following on from the positive assessment, it was recommended that Hung’s service be extended for a further 52 weeks. In the same review, Hung also mentioned that he liked to walk in the nearby park, but his son often preferred to stay at home.

Programmed offered for Tuyet to accompany Hung on his walks, where they could once again talk face to face about his care, menu planning and anything else that Hung wanted to discuss. The appropriate social distancing rules were adhered to and Tuyet offered to wear a mask. The walks were a great opportunity for Hung to maintain some contact with the outside world and with even just a little socialising, he felt less isolated.

More recently, with NSW experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, Hung has requested that all services be carried out via Zoom and FaceTime until the situation improves.

Programmed Care continues to evolve and adapt to meet Hung’s changing needs and with a flexible


If you or a loved one is in need of care, contact the Programmed Care team today on:

Tel: 13 10 95

Or visit programmed.com.au/care

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