Casterton Memorial Hospital

16/09/2025

📢Join our team at Casterton Memorial Hospital!

We're excited to announce these openings:
• Part-time Environmental Services Assistant (minimum 32 hours/fortnight)
• Part-time Catering Assistant (48 hours/fortnight)

As an Environmental Services Assistant, you will be responsible for maintaining high standards of hygiene and safety throughout our facility, playing a key role in safeguarding the health and comfort of our community.

As a Catering Assistant, you will contribute to the preparation, service, and cleanliness of all food and beverage operations within the facility, helping to make every mealtime a positive experience for our residents and patients.

We pride ourselves on our teamwork and shared commitment to providing person-centred, high quality care and services to the Glenelg Shire community. If you are a dynamic, enthusiastic person looking to make a meaningful impact and help us enhance the lives of our community members, we want to hear from you!

👉 Apply now and be part of something great at CMH - https://castertonmemorialhospital.com.au/careers/

Applications close 3pm, Friday 3 October 2025.

15/09/2025

🚗 Need a lift to your next appointment or outing?

Whether it’s the doctor, shopping, the hairdresser, a social catch up or everyday errands — the CMH Community Transport Service is now available with extended days of operation for all local residents:

🗓 Now running 3 days a week – Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays
⏰ 8:30am – 4:00pm
Child car seat available on request.

💲 Affordable fares:
Within Casterton: $5 one way / $7 return
Surrounding areas (e.g. Wando Vale, Sandford, Dunrobin, Corndale, Carapook): $8 one way / $10 return
Inter-town services considered on enquiry

📞 To book: Contact CMH Reception on 5554 2555 or mail@cmh.org.au

👉 Bookings in advance recommended, but same-day calls welcome (pending car availability)

📸 Next time you see Josh out and about, give him a wave — he’s here to help our community keep moving.

13/09/2025

🏨 Did you know?
Casterton Memorial Hospital is a 24/7 Rural Urgent Care Centre — meaning you can be seen locally, day or night, by our highly-skilled team of Registered Nurses.

Here’s how we can help:
• Assess and treat you directly using an advanced scope of practice without the need for a doctor
• Link you with an emergency doctor via Telehealth
• Admit you to CMH for continued care if appropriate
• Coordinate transfer to another hospital if your care requires it

📞 Contact us anytime on (03) 5554 2555 — we’re here to help.

REMINDER: For life-threatening emergencies, always call Triple Zero (000). An ambulance will always take you to the best place for assessment or treatment.

11/09/2025

💛 R U OK? Day is today — and sometimes the hardest part of starting the conversation is knowing if you’re ready.

Before you check in with someone else, take a moment to check in with yourself:

✅ Am I ready?
– Am I in the right headspace?
– Am I willing to genuinely listen?
– Can I give enough time if they open up?

✅ Am I prepared?
– Do I understand the answer might be “No, I’m not”?
– Am I OK knowing I can’t ‘fix’ things?
– Do I accept they may not be ready to talk (or not to me)?

✅ Picked my moment?
– Is it private and comfortable?
– Is the timing right for them?
– Do I have space to chat properly?

If you’re not the right person right now, that’s OK — think about who else in their support network could check in.

Let’s make today a reminder that every conversation counts.

👉 Learn more about the signs and when it’s time to act: https://www.ruok.org.au/signs

10/09/2025

🧦 Today our staff rocked their brightest, boldest socks for Sock it to Su***de — shining a light on an important message during World Su***de Prevention Day: every conversation matters.

Tomorrow is R U OK? Day — a reminder to check in with friends, family, colleagues and neighbours. A simple “Are you OK?” can make a world of difference.

For those who want to feel more confident having these conversations, we’re also hosting a free safeTALK workshop in Casterton on Wednesday 1 October (from 5:30 to 10pm at CMH). This practical training gives you the skills to recognise when someone may be struggling and connect them with support.

👉 Register for safeTALK here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/safetalk-su***de-alertness-training-casterton-tickets-1579693970189

Let’s keep looking out for each other — because in small communities, these moments of care really do make a difference.

08/09/2025

Being part of a small community means looking out for each other.

This free safeTALK workshop will give you the skills to recognise when someone might be struggling or in a crisis, and connect them with professional support.

📅 Wednesday 1 October | 5:30–10pm
📍 Casterton Memorial Hospital
🍴 Light dinner provided

Please register by 24 September via https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/safetalk-su***de-alertness-training-casterton-tickets-1579693970189

Talking about su***de might feel confronting, but having these skills could make all the difference in someone’s life.

FREE Su***de Prevention Training in Casterton

SafeTALK is an alertness workshop that equips people to be more alert to someone thinking of su***de and better able to connect them with further help. Using a simple yet effective model, LivingWorks safeTALK empowers everyone to make a difference.

Valued at $190 per head, this training is FREE of charge thanks to Rotary Club of Casterton, Old Courthouse Community Centre, Casterton Lions Club and Casterton Memorial Hospital.

Workshop features:
▪️Presentations and guidance from SafeTALK registered trainers
▪️Hands-on skills practice and development

You will learn to:
▪️Reach out to someone thinking about su***de
▪️Promptly connect them to further support
▪️Overcome personal and community attitudes that act as a barrier to help
▪️Learn the powerful 4-step TALK model

📆Wednesday 1st October
⏱5:30pm - 10pm
📍Casterton Memorial Hospital
🍽Light Dinner Provided

🌟Register via Eventbrite before 24th September to secure your place: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/safetalk-su***de-alertness-training-casterton-tickets-1579693970189?aff=oddtdtcreator

☎️Please contact Community Health Team at Casterton Memorial Hospital on 5554 2555 with any questions or for support with registration

Please note participants must be 18 years or older
Find out more about safeTALK here: https://livingworks.com.au/training/livingworks-safetalk/

04/09/2025

Stronger Future Together: CMH and WDHS Boards Agree to Voluntary Merger

The Boards of Casterton Memorial Hospital (CMH) and Western District Health Service (WDHS) have unanimously agreed to proceed with a voluntary merger, following extensive consultation with staff and the community.

A recommendation has been submitted to the Minister for Health, and (subject to approval) the merged organisation would commence in March 2026.

This decision reflects a shared commitment to:
✅ Building a stronger, more sustainable health service
✅ Improving access to services and specialists closer to home
✅ Streamlining systems to better coordinate care
✅ Maintaining local identity, governance, and staff stability

Care will continue to be delivered locally, by the same dedicated staff. The voluntary merger will not result in job losses, forced relocations or the centralisation of services. CMH and WDHS will retain their current names, identities and strong community connections, and locally raised funds will remain local.

If the merger is approved by the Minister, a new Strategic Plan will be developed with input from staff and the community to ensure local voices remain central to planning. Maintaining local governance and staff stability will be a priority throughout the transition.

Board Chairs Dr Jenni James (CMH) and Anna Sweeney (WDHS) emphasised the merger as a proactive step to protect and grow healthcare services for the region, ensuring patients receive high-quality care locally.

This voluntary merger is about more than structural change — it represents a clear vision for a stronger, more resilient health service that will enhance service access and continue to place patients and community at the centre of decision-making.

04/09/2025

Please see below latest public health alert:

A new measles case has been confirmed in an adult who caught the infection overseas. Several public exposure sites have been identified in Victoria.

ℹ️ Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can spread from person to person and potentially lead to serious health complications, including pneumonia and brain inflammation (encephalitis).

👉 Exposure: People who have attended the listed exposure sites, during the specified dates and times contained within the link below should monitor for symptoms of measles.

⚠️ Symptoms: Anyone who develops symptoms of measles should seek medical care. Wear a mask and call ahead to make sure you can be isolated from others.

For the full list of these exposure sites, symptoms to monitor for, and information about vaccinations: https://go.vic.gov.au/464bycG

03/09/2025

✨🐱 Rusty the cat was a very special guest at Glenelg House as residents celebrated International Cat Day last month. 🐱✨

Joining us with their owner Tash from our Leisure and Lifestyle team, Rusty shared cuddles and pats with residents and staff alike.

What a purr-fect way to mark the day — bringing comfort, joy, and a little extra love to our residents' home. 🐾

02/09/2025

02/09/2025

By the end of last financial year, our Catering and Meals on Wheels (MoW) teams prepared and delivered more than 6,800 meals to Casterton and surrounds—keeping people nourished, connected and supported at home.

Each of these meals is cooked fresh in-house at CMH and usually includes a soup 🥣, a main 🍛, a sweet 🍮 and a juice 🧃 (Monday–Friday), plus frozen meals for the weekend.

Meals on Wheels can be accessed through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), as part of care packages, self-funded, or as short-term post-acute care until recovery.

Today we celebrate the amazing work of our team who make this service possible and the difference it makes to so many in our community. 💛

🌐 To learn about CHSP, please visit https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/help-at-home/commonwealth-home-support-programme
📞 To learn more about our Meals on Wheels service, including the self-funded option, please contact us on (03) 5554 2555 or mail@cmh.org.au

01/09/2025

🌸🌸 Thank you for Sunday!🌸🌸

We proudly partner every year with Jean Hailes for Women's Health to bring women together and empower them to prioritise their health and wellbeing.

💬 In response to local feedback, this year’s Ask the Experts: Women's Health Matters in Casterton event focused on menopause—with trusted specialists providing expert advice, sharing knowledge and creating space to connect with one another.

A big thank you to our panelists for sharing their expertise, to Lucinda and Paula from CMH Community Health for bringing the morning together, to the Casterton Bowling Club for hosting us while our function room is being refurbished, and to the CMH catering team for a delicious morning tea.

Here’s to keeping the conversation going and empowering women to take charge of their health 💜