Healthy Cities Australia Helps Families with Asthma Breathe Better 

On Thursday 9 October Healthy Cities Australia (HCA) brought together families living with asthma in the Port Kembla area and beyond with nurse educators from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District for the ‘Give Me Space!’ workshop promoting good asthma care. The workshop was held in the beautiful Port Kembla Community Centre, thanks to Our Community Project. 

Registered nurses Alanna Hoye and Alexandra Sampson from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Community Asthma Service gave an informative presentation on how to care for children’s asthma, answering questions and providing links to information and resources. They explained how participants can access a free consultation with a specialist nurse at their service to assist with taking better care of their asthma so they can enjoy a full life. One issue raised during the workshop was the under-utilisation of appropriate testing (spirometry) to inform asthma care. Regular testing can assist healthcare providers to manage their asthma but it can be difficult to access these tests. Spirometry testing is one of the services that people with asthma can access through the Community Asthma Service. 

During the workshop we heard from families about some of the challenges in getting the right diagnosis for their child and accessing support to look after their asthma. Some reported difficulties accessing appointments with a general practitioner following an Emergency Department visit. Other parents described having received confusing or conflicting information from different healthcare practitioners, leaving them unsure of what to do when their children are ill. Feedback received from workshop participants suggested they feel much clearer about how to care for their children and where to go for help after having participated in the workshop. 

While adults learned about how to look after their asthma, child participants enjoyed learning circus skills with our friends from Milk Crate Circus. After spending the morning with hula hoops, juggling balls, flower sticks, poi, and other circus toys, they amazed their parents with an acrobatic performance at the conclusion of the workshop. This high energy circus workshop provided an opportunity for kids to engage in physical activity, an important way for people with asthma to stay healthy and reduce their risk of hospitalisation. It underlined the fact that, with the right medication and care, children with asthma can and should be able to enjoy all of the activities their peers do. 

Research suggests that many people with asthma do not use their inhaler devices correctly, making them less effective. Child participants showed nurse educators their technique in our ‘spacer practice musical chairs’ game and received tips on using their medicines effectively. Asthma Australia has an extensive set of online resources on correct device technique on their website. 

This was HCA’s third workshop for families living with asthma this year, with further workshops planned in 2026. The workshop was supported by Asthma Australia thanks to the Pearl Sheppard Trust. People with asthma and their carers can speak with an Asthma Educator at Asthma Australia on 1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462) or by booking a call online. 

If you would like to learn more about the HCA’s Breathe Better program or be notified of future workshops, please contact Alexander Brown, Asthma Program Coordinator at HCA on 4283 8111 or alexander@healthycities.org.au