A MESSAGE FROM THE

A MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER – MEMBER SERVICES SUE SHAPLAND RN, BN “Great things never came from comfort zones.” Ben Francia Welcome to 2018, although its already speeding by! I hope this year brings us all good health, success, and an opportunity to enjoy the people and things that are meaningful to us. Comfort zones feel like that happy place where we are on familiar ground and generally know how things will go and turn out. Change challenges our comfort zones, often in a good way, and allows us to think about new opportunities, review how things have always been done, make improvements and set new goals. Of course, uncertainty makes this process a bit more challenging, however being proactive and embracing change will help you along your journey. There has been ongoing change in the Community and Disability sectors for the last five years at least. The birth of the concept of a national scheme, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), to improve equity of access to funding for people affected by disability, has been welcomed by all. As you know WA has been trialling two versions of the Scheme. Whilst they had some differences, based on pre-existing Disability Services Commission advances, they both seek to deliver more timely access to funding for reasonable and necessary supports, and give the individual choice and control over how their funding is used and who provides their services. Initially, it appeared that we would go ahead with the State version, however, this decision was under review and in December we heard that the State Government decided that WA would now be joining the Federal Scheme. So, after months of speculation and uncertainty we now have the way forward. Fortunately, MSWA has not sat back and waited for a decision, we have continued to plan for our future and get on with business as usual. We are very fortunate, through hard work and sound governance, to have the resources available to us to meet these challenges and opportunities, to continue to expand our location footprint, to have our dreams and then see them come to life. As you will have heard we are now open in Joondalup, replacing MSWA Wangara. Our new Butler facility is well and truly underway and on track for finishing early 2019 - a large services hub and ten high support accommodation units. We now have a presence in Mandurah! A leased premise has been fitted out to provide a services hub for our Members and NDIS Clients in the region. This is great news and staff now have a base bringing them closer for home visits. Busselton is next in our sights, once again fitting out a leased premise to provide a services hub, bringing our staff together and providing a gym! I recently visited Albany for a Members Forum and the group is getting quite excited about our plans to build high support accommodation in the area. They are also eagerly awaiting their turn to roll into the NDIS in 2020. We are also currently undergoing a refit at Wilson. This will see the physio gym and massage room expanded but will also provide additional, much needed staff desks. Our staffing has grown radically to match increased demand under the NDIS and we have been quite cramped. This fit out will see a great improvement in the surrounds. Of course, home renos are never easy and we have had to relocate staff within and outside of the building, and the Outreach Group has relocated to Como temporarily. But with our ‘eyes on the prize’ we are keen to get through the next few months, so we can get back to normality. Courtesy of our generous event supporters we continue to provide essential equipment to benefit people with other neurological conditions in our local hospitals. Participants can nominate what condition they choose to support and it’s our great pleasure to approach the hospitals to see what they have on their wish lists! As we face this year of great change and even greater opportunities, please remember that our Member Services staff are here to help. Whether it’s information about the latest research and treatments or you want to chat with one of the health team about your symptoms or challenges, we can help you navigate your way through the mountains of information, much of which isn’t necessarily accurate. Just telephone 9365 4888 or email get-in-touch@mswa.org.au The monthly Vitality e-newsletter also has updates on the various programs and forums that may be of interest. If you would like to know more about the NDIS, see Nigel’s update in this addition. We will be contacting Members in the July roll out areas by letter and arranging local information sessions and pre-planning advice. These are great ways to enhance your knowledge about the NDIS and maximise your opportunity during planning. Our annual MS Awareness Week Members Forum will be held in the first week of June and we will confirm the date and location very soon. We hope you enjoy this Bulletin. Our staff and contributing Members have provided some great articles and stories for your information and enjoyment. 6 | MSWA BULLETIN AUTUMN 2018

BOOK REVIEW MAGGIE’S RECIPE FOR LIFE MAGGIE BEER AND PROFESSOR RALPH MARTINS SUE SHAPLAND RN, BN I must admit I am a huge Maggie Beer fan. I enjoy her TV shows, love her recipes and foodstuffs and have been lucky enough to visit her farm in SA, where I even participated in a food preparation demonstration! That’s my claim to fame. I sautéed mushrooms on her TV set in front of a group of other diehard fans and had my first introduction to verjuice! And I bought an apron to prove it. Last year I was lucky enough to buy tickets to the Perth book launch for Maggie’s Recipe for Life, attended by Maggie and WA’s Professor Ralph Martins - a leading Alzheimer’s researcher. Accompanied by my bemused youngest daughter we sat through an entertaining and educational session in a Q&A-style forum and bought our books which were then signed by both authors. Maggie and Ralph had met at their Australian of The Year ceremony and got chatting about the benefits of healthy eating and ageing, and the potential for dietary changes to help ward off chronic diseases and Alzheimer’s. This book not only contains the scientific information and evidence around positive diet influences, but also a range of healthy recipes and hints. It’s full of lovely photos too. Professor Martins says that more than one million Australians and their families are affected by Alzheimer’s, and recent research has shown healthy eating, regular aerobic exercise and plenty of mental stimulation can help reduce the risk of developing the disease. He added ‘lifestyle’ diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease can increase our chances of developing brain damage in the future. But he said a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, dairy foods, healthy fats and whole grains can help fight cognitive decline. “You have the power to give yourself the very best chance of a healthy future,” Professor Martins said. Maggie, who is passionate about promoting good food for aged-care residents commented, “to reach a healthy old age you must act now, whether you are 30 or 50. I have been delighted to work with Professor Ralph Martins and I have learned that if we are to avoid Alzheimer’s and other lifestyle diseases, it is what we eat today that matters.” I found it reassuring that extra dietary research evidence was discussed and is still being gathered regarding brain health and MS, of course. There was an overlap of advice regarding fish oils and Vitamin D and it was great to hear that a healthy balanced diet benefits all. MSWA Research Fellowship recipient, Dr Lucinda Black, is adding to this body of evidence and sharing findings with our Members at various forums. The proceeds from Recipe for Life are shared between the Maggie Beer Foundation and the Lions Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. MSWA BULLETIN AUTUMN 2018 | 7