Becoming a new parent is challenging at the best of times, but even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alexandra Read and her team have been providing much-needed support for new parents.
For the past three years, I've been the Nurse Manager at Child and Family Health Nursing, Child Youth and Family Services for Primary, Integrated and Community Health, at South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD)
Things moved so quickly in the early days of the pandemic. We had a lot of additional reporting to keep up with however, most importantly, many hours were spent with my incredible leadership team developing entirely new and responsive modes of care - that met the needs of families, while keeping the public and our own staff - safe and well, all within a few weeks.
Child and Family Health provides services for parents and children aged zero to five years, including new parent groups. These groups facilitate important social connections while providing advice to parents about a wide range of topics including feeding, sleep and settling.
The team responded quickly when COVID-19 restrictions forced the cancellation of activities such as mothers' groups, and identified the need for continued support for new parents. Within weeks of the introduction of restrictions, online mothers' groups and two new dedicated parent hotlines, were established.
The team recognised the importance of these groups to address social isolation and quickly moved them online, which were ready to go by mid-March.
Parents were invited to join an online video conferencing group, each with approximately eight to 10 mothers, facilitated by a Child and Family Health nurse. They are run similarly to that of a face-to-face session, however they are held online. Sessions run for an hour and are held once a week for three weeks. Participants are then encouraged to share their details across their own preferred social media platform to stay in touch.
The two new dedicated telephone parent helplines, also implemented in March, offer feeding support - particularly for breastfeeding - where mothers are able to speak with a Child and Family Health nurse or lactation consultant, and a general nursing support line, which also provides access to a Child and Family Health nurse to discuss aspects of parenting or child development.
I lived and worked in Israel during wartime and Brisbane during the 2011 floods, both of which presented unique challenges in healthcare, but honestly, nothing which equates to the speed and scale of his pandemic.
That technology is actually more friend than foe!
I have been amazed at how successfully and widely telehealth has been implemented into the service. I have huge respect for the flexibility of the staff and clients who have embraced this technology with enthusiasm and good humour.
To take a moment and really cherish all the good things that have come out of this challenging period, such as the ability to spend more quality time with family or just appreciating your local community and how friendly everyone has become!
I love to read (almost anything) and if the weather is nice, I enjoy the Bondi/Bronte coastal walk.
A really big thank you to everyone for supporting one another, no matter our role or where we work, and for pulling up your sleeves and getting things done!
Do you have a story to share about how you are involved with the COVID-19 response? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at info@health.nsw.gov.au.
