Bess home & community care Inc. is a not-for-profit community group. Established in 1981 and incorporated in 1988.
Care of the aged is now recognised as a rapidly increasing responsibility of the community and the growth in BESS’ services is testament to this. In the last seven years we have grown from a 100 client base to around 700 and from one part time coordinator and a few volunteers to 3 full time and 4 part time office staff, 12 support workers and 91volunteers.
Volunteers provide around 80% of all services
Our core business is to provide services of choice in a timely manner, for the frail aged, disabled people and their carers who reside in the Shires of Busselton and Margaret River, thus supporting them to live safely, comfortably and with dignity in their own homes in the community.
Services we provide include: Transport, Home Delivered Meals, Domestic Assistance, Home Maintenance, Other Food Services, Respite Care, Personal Care and Social Support
These services are funded by the Home and Community Care (HACC) program.
Bess home & community care Inc. also has a private arm to its organisation which provides transport services, not recognised by government funding bodies, to clients living in the Busselton and Margaret River Shires. This is for medical appointments only in Perth and Bunbury.
The Bess vehicle is not Government subsidised and is therefore self-supporting with the fee clients pay for the transport, fundraising and donation.
The vehicle is driven by volunteers and is traded on an annual basis to ensure maintenance remains at a minimum and the vehicle is safe and comfortable for the long trips.
This service is provided to clients that are frail or not well enough to travel by public transport. For Perth medical appointments on some occasions they need to be there by 6.30am or at the other end of the scale 4pm.
If the client does not have family available the only other option is public transport and this can cause all sorts of added issues such as getting to the appointment on time catching taxis or may mean overnight accommodation.
Bess home & community care Inc. has now extended this service making it available for people living in “low care residential” accommodation. These people, again without family support, have limited means of attending appointments in Bunbury and Perth.
The Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (P.A.T.S) will offer some financial assistance towards this but people must be assessed for eligibility (Financially).
Clients that are eligible for Veteran Affairs travel support can also receive financial assistance for the fee.
Our service will collect our client at their home take them to their appointment, support them at their appointment, if necessary and then bring them home. If a carer or partner needs to accompany them then they travel for free.
This service has been in Busselton for 31 years now and there is a growing need for it to continue.
The current membership of the organization is 814 this includes members, clients, staff and volunteers
31st May 2011