Our past client, and a Burnslife founding member, Charlotte Adderley sheds some light on what Burnslife is; what they do, who they help, their goals and values. We’re proud to have worked with Burnslife for a number of years now – it’s been an honour to watch them grow, to see their programs and offerings expand and know that they are helping so many burns survivors, their families, friends and carers. We asked Charlotte explain the history and purpose of this group, we hope you enjoy this insight into what we believe to be a truly incredible organisation.
Burnslife is a Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Foundation initiative that assists burns patients and their loved ones on their road to recovery and rehabilitation through peer support, education, and care facilities.
I founded Burnslife together with a group of burns patients who were treated at the RBWH alongside me, back in 2014. It began as a small social gathering, in which we shared our experiences and supported one another with the understanding of fellow patients. The group organically grew to include more patients and carers, as well as members of the RBWH Foundation who were interested in our group dynamic, and the way in which we had banded together in times of need.
There were no groups like Burnslife in Australia with such a strong focus on psycho-social support after burn injuries. Soon, our small group developed into an organisation which now consists of a large community of people who are passionate about helping others in need.
“The Burnslife mission is to provide all-encompassing programs that support burns patients and their loved ones through the psychological, social, and physical issues associated with burn injuries.”
The program facilitates a positive transition from hospital to home, as well as helping patients adjust to life with burns. So far, we are lucky enough to have had great traction; we’ve managed to achieve so much in the last few years.
Our projects include:
Burnslife Support Group: A professionally-facilitated support group for burns patients and carers where they can share experiences and connect with one another in an open and friendly environment as well as support one another through short-term and long-term rehabilitation.
Monthly Education and Support Forum: A monthly forum that focuses on burns education, prevention, and support imparted by guest speakers who specialise in related fields .
National Adult Burn Survivor Education & Support Forum: An Annual forum where presenters from around the country join us to speak about a range of topics including the latest on burns physiotherapy and exercise, psychological and emotional healing and provide attendees with resources to help them face ongoing emotional, physical and psychosocial challenges.
Burns Resource Booklet: A handbook of information for new burns patients and carers which complements the multi-disciplinary care of the RBWH and helps to navigate through the recovery process. This booklet was written for patients and carers by patients and carers.
Patient Care and Discharge Packages: packages containing basic care essentials for burns patients on long stay in the RBWH burns ward and donated products for burns patients to use for outpatient care.
In the future, we want to continue to improve these services and help as many people as we can on their burns journey. We are lucky to have the support of Gouldson Legal who have advocated for Burnslife’s projects from day one.
