ACCOMMODATION & OUTREACH

ACCOMMODATION & OUTREACH OUTREACH HAPPENINGS: BEECHBORO Our Beechboro Outreach groups have been meeting for over 30 years. This year the Monday group, colloquially known as ‘Eastside’, will turn 31 and the Friday group, known as ‘Northside’, will turn 33. This is an amazing achievement. As well as long term Clients, many of which have been with the groups since they started, there are staff working at Beechboro Outreach who have been working with MSWA for over 20 years. Christine Weston, who started as a care support worker and now is relief coordinator, began working in Outreach 17 years ago this year. Brenda Smith, the kitchen supervisor for the group, has worked for 18 years cooking up a storm twice a week. And big congratulations go to Jackie Dinsey, who is a care support worker and this year is her 25th with MSWA. Chrystal Ruthven is presently the coordinator of the group, and newcomer Emma Chute has been assisting Chrystal, together with care support worker, Jenny Joyce. The team would not be complete without the wonderful volunteers who ably assist the staff. Peter Barnes, who never misses a Friday, is a very intricate part of the team who always puts a smile on everyone’s faces. The Outreach room, where Clients meet from 8.30am onwards, is a large bright and airy room with a warm welcoming feeling from the minute one steps in the door. The activities this year have been varied. A popular activity earlier this year was slot car racing, where the track and race cars were built on the premises! Heaps of fun for those who joined in. In February there was an ‘inspiration craft’ session where Clients coloured and embellished an array of formats, making some into to-do lists using a whiteboard marker. Quizzes, brain teasers, board games and card games are very popular with both groups. March was a jam-packed month starting with St Patrick’s day activities. Hats off to both groups for their enthusiasm in making their personal t-shirts, celebrating everything Irish! Clients wore their handmade shirts on the day and there was a prize for the best Irish joke. The end of March was the Easter celebrations, with the main activity being making your own chocolates. Clients rolled up their sleeves to join in, many speaking about the memories it brought back of when they were children. A new activity being offered from April is woodwork. Items on the agenda for making include bird feeders. Some guest singers recently visited the Eastside group. ‘Rock and roll’ was the theme of the day and Clients were able to dress up for the occasion. Well done to all the Clients, staff and volunteers who have made Beechboro Outreach the success it is today. The two Beechboro Outreach Groups meet at Beechboro Lodge (corner Amazon and Darwin Crescent in Beechboro) on Mondays and Fridays. If you are reading this and feel Outreach is a place you would like to visit, please contact Nicola Ryan, Senior Outreach Coordinator on 9365 4830 or Chrystal Ruthven, Outreach Coordinator on 6454 2878. NICOLA RYAN SENIOR OUTREACH COORDINATOR 24

DID YOU KNOW… Did you know that MSWA Treendale Respite can support you and your family to take a break in the South West? Our six bedroom purpose-built respite facility provides personalised care in a peaceful, back-to-nature setting. Located next door is a wonderfully appointed three bedroom family holiday unit, where families can get away together for a holiday in the South West whilst accessing drop-in supports for their loved one. “I first booked into Treendale six years ago and since then, stay for close to two weeks every three months. The benefits for me include being in an environment where I am comfortable, safe and secure, while my husband (my sole carer) gets a well-deserved break. The staff are generous with their care, taking the time to understand my individual needs and my want for as much independence as possible. They are friendly and discreet. I’m able to visit a cafe at the nearby shopping centre on a regular basis. I go there with family and friends who live close by which is a bonus. My stay is funded through my NDIS plan.” - Janet, MSWA Treendale Client “We are grateful to have the opportunity to stay together in the MSWA Treendale Family Unit. It unites us as a family, with the support of caring and experienced staff, who are available when we require them and understand our needs. It brings us closer to family in the area, who can also visit us in the unit. We enjoy the close proximity to many shops and the unit is equipped with all the comforts of home, allowing for an enjoyable and relaxing country break away from our normal routine. The peaceful surroundings and wheelchair accessible paths make this an ideal setting for a family who has a loved one with high support needs.” - MSWA Treendale Client If you or a family member are living with a neurological condition and want to find out more about our respite options, please contact us and quote ‘Bulletin’: Call 1300 097 989 or email treendale@mswa.org.au 25