Health matters

What we do 

St Vincent de Paul offers a range of social support services to all those in need. The most common types of assistance provided are visitation, emergency relief and housing support. Services vary by state and territory and include: 

• Wrap around social support services including mental health support, counselling, alcohol and other drug services, gambling services and family and domestic violence services
• Disability employment and disability support
• Volunteer social support programs, such as Compeer and other friendship programs
• Various visitation programs including at home, hospitals, prisons and aged care facilities. 

Our visitation programs provide companionship and support to those in need and are an important form of social connectedness, particularly for those experiencing ill-health or social isolation.  

Advocacy 

The Society is aware of how difficult it is for those we assist to access bulk billed medical services, particularly in regional Australia. In the current cost of living crisis, many households are doing without medical services because they cannot afford a consultation. 

Government indexation of Medicare Benefit Schedule rebates has not kept pace with the rising costs of providing high-quality medical services to patients. This means that costs are either absorbed by medical practices or passed on to patients, with either higher out of pockets costs, reduced time with patients or reduced bulk billing of patients

We are also aware of the research on the social determinants of health which demonstrates the close relationship between people’s health and the living and working conditions which form their social environment.

Socioeconomic position (including educational attainment), employment, power and social support act together to strengthen or undermine the health of individuals and communities. Other recognised social determinants of health include early life, social exclusion, unemployment, addiction, food and transportation, housing, the living environment, health services and disability.

Life expectancy follows the social gradient – the more disadvantaged the area the shorter the life expectancy. People in more disadvantaged areas spend more of their shorter lives in ill-health than those in less disadvantaged areas.