MEDIA STATEMENT

31 May 2016

VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH – HEARING AIDS

The Defence Force Welfare Association (DFWA), together with its partners in the Alliance of Defence Service Organisations (ADSO), welcomed the Government’s announcement on the 3rd May 2016 that the 2016-17 Budget would provide

$37.9 million to extend non-liability health care to all current and former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). That meant that anyone who had served in the ADF’s permanent forces would now be eligible to have treated such conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and alcohol/substance abuse.

The National President of DFWA, David Jamison, proffered that, “as welcome as that initiative had been, it was a bitter disappointment to the whole veterans community that one of the well documented and readily treatable potential causes of anxiety and depression continues to be ignored”.

“That being the continued refusal by the Department of Veteran Affairs to provide other than only basic level hearing devices, free to clients, when their irrefutable diagnosed clinical needs demanded devices of a far higher performance and quality to mitigate hearing loss”, he said

David further said that, “this denial created the potential for unmistakable social withdrawal symptoms and isolation that develops into anxiety, depression and early onset of dementia1. These mental health issues clearly increased hospitalisation costs2 in the process. Early intervention strategies that include treating hearing loss according to the clinical needs of veterans by providing them with proper hearing aids would overcome many problems”.

DFWA – Voice of the Defence Community

• 1 “In children, hearing loss impairs speech and language development, which in turn undermines academic In adults, it has a negative impact on employment opportunities and social functioning. It can cause social isolation that develops into depression and early onset dementia.”

Garvan Institute of Medical Research

• 2 “Older adults with hearing loss are more likely than peers with normal hearing to require hospitalization and suffer from periods of inactivity and Hearing loss may have a profoundly detrimental effect on older people’s physical and mental well-being, and even health care resources.”

John Hopkins School of Medicine

Gordon Sharp 1/65

At the end of each day, commencing at 4.55 pm AEST, the Australian War Memorial in Canberra farewells visitors with its moving Last Post Ceremony. The ceremony begins with the singing of the Australian National Anthem, followed by the poignant strains of a Lament, played by a piper. Visitors are invited to lay wreaths and floral tributes beside the Pool of Reflection. The Roll of Honour in the Cloisters lists the names of more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations over more than a century. At each ceremony the story behind one of these names is told. The Ode is then recited, and the ceremony ends with the sounding of the Last Post.

On 18^th August this year, the ceremony will honour Gordon Sharp 1/65 the first OTU graduate to die in Vietnam.

The OTU Association will be represented and lay a wreath.

John O’Halloran 1/65 a close friend of Gordon at school, at Scheyville and in Vietnam, https://www.awm.gov.au/live/ advises that at least 14 members of Gordon’s family will be present, together with representations from his school in Tamworth, and his regiment.

All Scheyvillians are invited to attend this brief but moving ceremony, no formal invitation is necessary, just arrive in time to be at The Pool of reflection by 4.50pm

Further details will be posted on the OTU website if and when they become available.

For those unable to attend a live stream of the ceremony will be broadcast at

https://www.awm.gov.au/live/

at 1655hrs on the day.

A bugler and piper in the commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial.

Roger Nation

Webmaster

Scheyvillians,

One of the aims of the OTU website, is to provide a permanent record of a unique piece of Australian military history.

To this end, another section has been added to the website, detailing the involvement of Scheyvillians in Vietnam.

The data displayed is drawn from the records on the site, and may be incomplete, as not all Scheyvillians have updated  or provided their information.

If you served in Vietnam, please check the accuracy of the data in this new section, and advise the webmaster of any errors or omissions via:

webmaster@otu.asn.au

The new section is found as follows:

Go to www.otu.asn.au

Log on using your Regimental Number and Surname

Go to the “Members” tab

The “Vietnam Service” menu is a dropdown from this tab.

While on the site, please check your “Profile” on the top menu bar to ensure the accuracy of your record. You can make any necessary changes in real time, just remember to save any alterations you make before exiting.

You do not need to be a current financial member to log-on and alter your details.

Regards,

Roger Nation

Webmaster