CLIENT ENGAGEMENT TEAM

CLIENT ENGAGEMENT TEAM LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD FOR A BETTER NDIS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DREAMING OF AN OOLER NIGHTS’ SLEEP As covered in the Spring 2022 Thankfully the NDIA has made it As Occupational Therapists, Edition of Bulletin, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) recently released their 2022 – 2026 Corporate Plan outlining the direction the Scheme will head over the next period. One of the key takeaways from the document was a focus on participant engagement, stating very easy to share your experiences and ideas by providing online options to capture feedback. These include answering a standard online questionnaire or uploading a written, audio or video submission if you would prefer to speak at length. The NDIA is seeking answers or feedback on four key questions we are often on the lookout for up-to-date Assistive Technology that aims to make life a little easier for our Clients. Many of our Clients experience thermoregulatory dysfunction which means it is difficult for their bodies to regulate their temperature according to the Client and MSWA Wilson staff member Tracey Hockey has had an OOLER for about six months and provided the following review: “I received my OOLER during winter 2022 after wanting to know what new tech was available to get me into continuous sleep without waking many times in the night overheated. “for the Scheme to succeed, it is critical that we listen and work with participants, their families and the disability community to make sure that each improvement is a step in the right direction.” Step one was for the NDIA to listen, so how will they do that? The answer became apparent in October, when National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Minister Bill Shorten announced an independent review of the NDIS, to improve the wellbeing of Australians with disability and the Scheme’s sustainability. The review will seek to examine the Scheme’s design, operations and sustainability. It will also look at ways to make the market and workforce more responsive and sustainable. Most importantly, it will seek to work with participants, their families and providers to put people with disability at the centre of the NDIS. These are significant and worthy goals, so we all must speak up and help achieve them. as a starting point for this review. These are; 1. What are your three main problems or concerns with the NDIS? 2. How do these three main problems affect you and/or others? 3. What do you think are possible solutions to those problems? 4. What parts of the NDIS are working well for you? These questions will inform the focus of the review to follow, so it is important as both the neurological and the Western Australian community that your experiences are included. If you would like to take part in this round of reviews, visit ndisreview.gov.au and click on the link ‘Have your say’. From there, look for the ‘Have your say online’ box about halfway down the page and choose your desired feedback option. One important note to remember is that while this is your first chance to have your say, the NDIA has assured us that it won't be your last, with more opportunities as the review progresses over the coming year. Also, while you are looking around the NDIS website, don’t forget A common theme in these articles is that the NDIA is most effective when participants push the agency to provide them with a plan that suits their needs. Plans are better when you tell your planner about your actual needs, support is better when you get to know your Local Area Coordinator, and providers like MSWA can provide further tailored services when you're engaged with us. This is an important opportunity to engage with the people who have the power to make the scheme into something wonderful or just another impersonal funding Scheme. Over the past couple of years, there have been real concerns about the NDIS and its direction. However, while there is still much to be done, there is now a renewed focus on getting it right. The NDIA has made the first step by offering up a listening ear, it’s now the responsibility of us all to take part and help design a better Scheme. weather around them. Particularly in these hot summer days, it can be very difficult to have a good night’s sleep. Our team has discovered a device that can help Clients with regulating their temperature when they sleep. The OOLER is a Smart Sleep System which uses advanced cooling technology to keep the bed at a perfect temperature for sleeping. It consists of a cool mesh pad that can be spread onto a mattress and is then temperature controlled by an app. If you would like more information about the OOLER, including funding options, or any other technology or strategies that could help you get a better night's sleep, contact your occupational therapist who can do an assessment and navigate options that would be best for you. The first night I set it at 18 degrees and slept through the night without waking once! This was a record since having a stroke in 2016. On the second night I organised the app to set up a Monday to Friday schedule and a weekend schedule, which was very easy to do. It worked a treat every night and I continued to sleep solidly, even with the ‘cool’ doona over the top of me as it was winter. I have had a brilliant outcome with the OOLER until we hit summer and my schedule had to change, as I needed the bed to come down in temperature to 14 degrees. I really recommend the OOLER to anyone who is having thermosregulatory issues (hot or cold) as once you set the OOLER at your desired temperature, it keeps you in that zone. If you wake in the night, you can change the setting on the unit itself or on the app. Positives: Negatives: / Water efficient and doesn't need to be filled daily / Set up can be challenging - you may need help to / It doesn’t make a lot of lift mattress noise (it is quieter than the C-PAP machine) / May need assistance to fill machine placed on the floor / Keeps you at a comfortable temperature all night / It can feel a little bumpy in bed the first few nights, but / King-single size fits one you adjust to it quickly side of a queen bed / Your partner will want to / App is easy to use share it at certain times of the year! / Machine washable Overall, I give this cooling technology 9/10 to subscribe to the NDIS Review newsletter to keep updated with the latest outcomes from the review. GEOFF HUTCHINSON MANAGER CLIENT ENGAGEMENT CRYSTAL CHAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MANAGER 8 9