New measures to support NDIS participants and providers through COVID-19

• Media release from the Minister

21 March 2020

• NDIS plans to be extended by up to 24 months, ensuring continuity of support and increasing capacity of NDIA staff to focus on urgent and required changes to plans.

• Face to face planning shifted to telephone meetings where possible.

• Action plan to ensure NDIS participants and their families continue to receive the essential disability supports they need.

• Proactive outreach to high-risk participants and sharing of data with states and territories to ensure continuity of supports.

• Financial assistance to providers to support retention of workers including advance payments, 10 per cent COVID-19 loading on some supports and changes to cancellation policies. 

Following discussions of the COAG Disability Reform Council, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Stuart Robert, today announced new measures to ensure essential support is in place for NDIS participants, workers and providers through the COVID-19 outbreak. 

‘We have been consulting with NDIS, disability and health stakeholders to understand what actions we need to take to minimise the impact that COVID-19 may have on people with disability, their families, and the network of providers and workers that support them,’ Mr Robert said.

‘We have a concerted and responsive plan of action to ensure that people with disability can continue to receive the support they need, and that providers have what they need to continue delivering their essential services in these extraordinary circumstances. 

‘I also want to be clear, we can and will make further changes as required. The Department of Social Services, National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission), are working with the Department of Health, states and territories, and NDIS stakeholders to monitor our response and will make further recommendations if required.’

To allow NDIA staff to direct their focus on urgent changes to participant plans as a result of the impacts of COVID-19, we have allowed NDIS plans to be extended by up to 24 months, ensuring continuity of support.

Telephone meetings are being offered to all current and potential NDIS participants as a safer way to continue service delivery, including for new plans and plan reviews, during the current phase of the COVID 19 outbreak. 

The NDIA will also take a flexible approach to amending plans and, where necessary, shift capacity building funding to funding for core supports, in consultation with special teams of planners in the NDIA. 

Access to essential supports for NDIS participants is a priority in the COVID-19 response. 
 
‘We are closely monitoring for any new service gaps that might open. If usual services cannot be delivered by a provider, the NDIA will work with states and territories to source an alternative provider who can step in to provide the required essential services,’ Mr Robert said.

Participants should contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110 if they need to talk to a planner, make changes to their plan or are having trouble sourcing services due to COVID-19.

Importantly, the new measures work to identify and give extra support to those people with disability who have complex needs or run a higher risk of infection.

‘The NDIA will be contacting targeted higher risk NDIS participants to ensure these people continue to receive the essential disability related supports they need, while also sharing the same data with states and territories to assist them with their continuity of services,’ Mr Robert said.

More information for NDIS participants and their families and carers is available on the NDIS website.

‘We are also providing financial assistance to help NDIS providers remain viable and to retain their staff,’ Mr Robert said. 

Registered NDIS providers may receive a one-month advance payment based on a monthly average supports delivered in the previous three month period – to provide immediate cash flow relief.   

To cover the additional costs of service delivery for existing supports, a 10 per cent COVID-19 loading will be added to price limits for certain supports for up to six months.

Additionally, increased flexibility of the NDIA’s cancellation pricing policy will allow providers to charge the full 100 per cent for the price of a cancelled service, and the definition of ‘short notice cancellation’ will also be broadened. 

Further work is currently underway to develop measures to source additional disability support workers to provide high quality care to NDIS participants should the need arise. This will include the upskilling of displaced workers from other industries and matching existing and new workers to areas where there is a demand for services. 

The Department of Health has developed specific advice on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when looking after people who are confirmed to have, or suspected of having, COVID-19.

There is also a free training module for support workers, including those in the disability sector, about infection prevention and control for COVID-19.

Further information on COVID-19, what people can do to protect themselves and people they are caring for is available at www.health.gov.au or on 1800 020 080.

More information for NDIS providers and disability support workers is available on the NDIS website and the NDIS Commission website.

(source https://www.ndis.gov.au/news/4659-new-measures-support-ndis-participants-and-providers-through-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR0Sq14fvEiPZIgLnSFEWKt3xdVz1okUiPX7zu2Ghl9bLsVjTXpvB3ftoc0)

Chirpy Hearts School Holiday Program

Based out of the Glen Waverly Girl Guides Hall, Chirpy Hearts run group activity classes for teenagers and adults on the Autism Spectrum.

Starting from the 13th January 2020, Chirpy Hearts have set up a fun filled program for teenagers wanting to make new friends, and learn new and interesting skills. Activities range from ukulele classes, to decorative icing, puppetry and circus skills.

Added to the program are Friday Night Celebrations with a Girls Market and Boy Zone which includes, dinner, music and peer support.

If your or a loved one would be interested in joining the program, go to the following link - https://www.karista.com.au/providers/53778 - and request details and pricing or call 1300274782.

Vale Jill Emberson

The Karista team are saddened by the loss of ABC broadcaster and Ovarian cancer advocate Jill Emberson.

After being diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer in 2016, Jill decided, despite her own suffering to help women like her use their own voices to advocate for better detection rates and increased research funding. "My hope is that women will feel more able to raise their symptoms with their doctors, that their doctors will pick them up a bit better." Jill told the ABC.

According to Ovarian Cancer Australia: “If women are diagnosed at an early stage, they have a 44% chance of being alive and well within five years of diagnosis. However, approximately 75% of women are diagnosed at an advanced stage, where the cancer has spread and is difficult to treat successfully."

“There is no early detection test for ovarian cancer, so the best way of detecting the disease is to know and recognise the signs and symptoms. Ovarian cancer cannot be detected by a pap test or cervical smear”.

As a part of her advocacy work, Jill founded the Pink Meets Teal campaign, which inspires breast cancer survivors to fight for fair research funding between the two cancers.

Jill must also be recognised for successfully lobbying Health Minister Greg Hunt for better funding. After their meeting, Minister Hunt announced a $20 million contribution to Ovarian Cancer Research.

If you would like to read more about Jill Emberson please follow this link and to watch her Australian Story click here.

For further reading into Ovarian Cancer, please visit their website https://ovariancancer.net.au/

Sources: ABC, Ovarian Cancer Australia.

Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, interim report was tabled in the Victorian Parliament today. This is the first of two major reports to be delivered. The Chair of the Commission, Penny Armytage has said the interim report is not a draft but was written to draw attention to issues the commission feels needs immediate action.

The interim report has been written before the commission reached their halfway point because of the dire need to address certain issues including funding within the system immediately.

Ms Armytage has been quoted by the ABC as saying:

"We think that it is the time for us to address what is a chronic issue where people have suffered in silence for way too long."

The interim report contains a list of priority actions which the commission says will pave the way for a better and forward thinking mental health system. Even though the commission received over 10,000 submissions and heard public evidence from 96 people, the two reports will not give findings on past experiences of the Victorian mental health system but will instead report on how the system can be re-imagined into a fully funded and comprehensive system that works for all Victorians.

Reaction from the Victorian Premier, Dan Andrews has been positive. He has committed his government to implementing all of the commission’s recommendations. The Premier said the Government will spend the summer looking at ways to address the most controversial recommendation of a levy or tax to help increase the overall funding to the system.

What are the recommendations?

• A new approach to mental health investment (a tax or levy), to ensure a substantial increase in funding for mental health – not just now but into the future.

• The creation of a Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing to bring together different skills and expertise to drive better mental health outcomes for all Victorians.

• An additional 170 youth and adult acute mental health beds to help address critical pressures in areas of need.

• Expansion of the Hospital Outreach Post-suicidal Engagement (HOPE) program into all area mental health services and linked to sub-regional health services as well as a new assertive outreach and follow up care service for children and young people, to increase the availability of support and outreach for Victorians at risk of suicide.

• The creation of an Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing Centre and expansion of Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing teams across the state.

• Establishing Victoria’s first residential mental health service, as an alternative to an acute admission, designed and delivered by people with lived experience of mental illness.

• Expanding and supporting consumer and family-carer lived experience workforces.

• Addressing workforce shortages and preparing for reform including through the provision of more training and recruitment pathways to boost the number of graduate nurses and allied health professionals in public mental health services.

• Establishing a Mental Health Implementation Office to start work delivering these recommendations.

Can I read the report? Yes, follow the below link:

Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System Interim Report

If you or anyone you know needs help:

• Lifeline on 13 11 14

• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800

• MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978

• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467

• Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36

• Headspace on 1800 650 890

• ReachOut at au.reachout.com

Karista has a range of psychological services available. Please be in touch via the Karista website www.karista.com.au if you or a loved one need assistance with getting access to a mental health worker.

Sources: Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, The Age, ABC

Too Peas In a Podcast

We love our podcasts at Karista, we get even more excited when we find one written and created by women for women who also happen to be Mum’s.

Karista recently discovered Too Peas In A Pod by Kate and Mandy.

Kate and Mandy are two Mum’s, who both have multiples with disabilities. They use the podcast as an opportunity to share with their audience and each other what life is like parenting multiple sets of children with disabilities.

Podcasts are a great way to communicate and interact with people who may be experiencing a similar situation to the one you are living. Do you have a favourite podcast that relates to your experience? We’d love to hear about it!

To listen to Too Peas In A Pod click on the link.

NDIS Launches First Ever Employment Strategy

The NDIS announced today, the launch of the first ever NDIS Employment Participation Program.

The strategy sets a goal to have 30 per cent of working age NDIS participants in meaningful employment by 2030.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister, Stuart Robert, said “This strategy is all about giving more people with disability, who have the desire and capacity to work, better access to the right supports to achieve their employment goals while breaking down barriers that they face trying to get a job”.

Using the announced strategy as their guide, the NDIA will work towards removing barriers for those wanting employment and assist participants to set and accomplish their own goals. NDIS participants and Planners will be encouraged to discuss from the beginning of their NDIS journey what, if any, employment goals they may have.

The five key areas of focus for the new Employment Strategy will be:

• Increase participant aspiration and employment goals in NDIS plans

• Increase participant choice and control over pathways to employment

• Increase marketing innovations that improve the path to paid work

• Improve confidence of employers to employ NDIS participants

• NDIS to lead by example as an employer

Source: NDIS

I've Got A Great Idea - Pitch Night

Karista hosted our first ‘I’ve Got A Great Idea’ pitch night at the Melbourne City Bowls Club on Wednesday 2nd October.

Congratulations to all our pitchers, who showed how innovative thinking and creative use of technology can improve lives.

Pitches were given by:

• Gary James of Busy Beans who provide barista training and support to participants, allowing them to move into either disability employment services or mainstream supportive employment. 

• Lisa Du of ReadyTechGo who provide personalised one on one technology training that empowers NDIS participants, enabling them to remain independent and connected in a digitally driven world.

• Alex Barty from Tali - an online assessment and therapy training tool for children with attention difficulties who struggle to focus their mind on a task, to listen, to absorb information or to control impulsive behaviors and emotional outbursts.

• Lisa Skaife of myDriveschool , who has developed a simulation game that teaches people how to drive online. Delivered via a PC with a portable steering wheel and foot pedals, it is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practical driver training.

• Paris Conte of genU GAMER - a digital technology initiative that embraces the gaming sub-cultures, by encouraging and supporting individuals through the use of digital technology and tabletop gaming. By utilising popular gaming hobbies, GAMER provides platforms for young people to develop social skills and build their capacity by exploring, testing and practising a wide variety of valuable life skills.

• Simone Dudley of Therapy Connect - who provide online therapy for speech pathology, occupational therapy and psychology. Online therapy uses videoconferencing technology to deliver therapy services over the internet. It is also known as “teletherapy”, “telepractice” or “telehealth”.

• Marion Van Nierop of NECAS - Working with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) specialists, NECAS provide customised non-electronic communication aids to children and adults with communication difficulties.

Congratulations to Lisa Du from ReadyTechGo who was voted as the winner for the night by our audience.

Danielle and the Karista team would also like to thank our panelists:

• Sue Peden, Board member of Carers Australia,

• David Petherick, Deputy CEO of VALID (Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with a Disability)

• Deb Dean, consulting with the NDIS on the Boosting the Local Care Workforce Program

We’d also like to thank all of the NDIS Support Coordinators who came along and contributed to our audience.

Congratulations once again to Lisa Du, we can’t wait to see how ReadyTechGo grows in the future.

The I’ve Got A Great Idea Pitchers

Announcing The Companies Presenting At The Karista "I've Got A Great Idea'' Event - 2 October 2019

Therapy Connect is an evidence based online provider of a range of Allied Health assessment and support services (OT, SP, Psych, Dietitian, Physio) for “hard to reach” participants utilising telehealth. Simone Dudley, Founder, explains how Therapy Connect has become a leader in telepractice service provision in Australia.

NECAS, or Non Electronic Communication Aids Service, were launched by Scope Australia and are  personalised, high quality, non-electronic communication aids such as calendars, communication boards, alphabet boards, checklist and a wide range of other communication aids for children and adults with severe speech or language disorders. Scope provides information, free resources (webinars and handouts online), training and therapy for people with communication disabilities and their support networks.

Busy Beans provides barista training and support, to participants allowing them to move into either disability employment services or mainstream supportive employment.  The program aligns strengths of people with Autism and intellectual disabilities who often do well with repetitive tasks, but the digital app compensates for common challenges like short-term memory, multi-tasking and taking money. Matthew Ting, Founder of Busy Beans, will explain how the ability to scale up to thousands of coffee providers means participants can secure employment, and be paid at the award wage, allowing financial independence. 

Ready TechGo  provides personalised one on one technology training that empowers NDIS participants, enabling them to remain independent and connected in a digitally driven world. Lisa Du will explain the range of technology lessons Ready Tech Go provide, and how they are personalised to the individual whether they seek help with how to use Facebook, email, how to scan illustrations or photos, how to fill in forms online.  Ready Tech Go allows individuals to learn at their own pace, on their own device, and in the comfort of their own home with a patient and supportive tutor.

Tali is an online assessment and therapy training tool for children with attention difficulties who struggle to focus their mind on a task, to listen, to absorb information or to control impulsive behaviors and emotional outbursts.  Marcus Hughes will outline how this digital tool, backed with 25 years of clinical research undertaken by Monash University, is delivered via a touchscreen tablet and strengthens attention skills by using the program for 25 minutes a day for 5 weeks to deliver measurable and meaningful improvements.

myDriveschool is a simulation game that teaches people how to drive online. Delivered via a PC with a portable steering wheel, it is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practical driver training. Lisa Skaife, founder of myDriveschool, has found unexpected take up of this game with people with special needs (autism, learning difficulties, engagement issues), disability (physical/mental) & assistance for clients requiring rehabilitation and will describe how it increase competency levels and reduce anxiety for drivers in a safe & controlled environment.

genU GAMER is a digital technology that embraces the gaming sub-cultures, by encouraging and supporting individuals through the use of digital technology and tabletop gaming. By utilising popular gaming hobbies, GAMER provides platforms for young people to develop social skills and build their capacity by exploring, testing and practising a wide variety of valuable life skills. Developed by service provider genU, GAMER uses “off the shelf” games but leverages them in a purposeful way so that the natural and fun act of playing them is linked to real world advantages, coping abilities, self-identity and social integration.

And here's a look at the bio’s of our three Industry Experts panellists who will lend their expertise to critique and comments on each of our companies:

SUE PEDEN

Sue understands disabilities deeply, caring for two of her four children who were born with a rare, life-shortening, genetic disorder and personally experienced the issues faced by carers. Sue joined the board of Carer’s Australia in 2013.

Working in marketing and communications for more than 30 years, including establishing her own agency which was sold five years later, Sue’s professional focus is business and brand strategy, consumer insight and stakeholder management. Sue understand consumer behaviour and how to leverage that to achieve business objectives. Her current business, Sue Peden Communication Consulting, works with large multi-nations through to start-ups.

Sue has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and was recently awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (OAM) for Significant Service to Community.

KEVIN STONE

With more than 40 years’ experience in the disability field, Kevin has worked relentlessly to improve the lives of people with disability, both as an individual advocate and systemically by influencing state and national policy. As Chair, Kevin has been at the forefront of developing national policy and representing and championing the voice of self-advocates. Kevin has also served as the CEO of the Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability (VALID) since 1989.

Kevin is the author of a number of training programs and resources and has contributed to significant person-centred reforms that have increased the independence of people with disability. These include the introduction of individualised funding, Victoria’s self-direction initiatives, and the campaign for an NDIS. Kevin has also represented people with disability and their families on state and national reference groups and ministerial advisory committees over the past 25 years.

Kevin was recognised by the Order of Australia on the Queen’s Birthday 2019 Honours List for his significant service to the Disability Community.

DEB DEAN

Deb is a strong and visionary leader with an excellent ability to co-opt stakeholders to achieve the same vision.  Currently Deb is leading the Victorian Boosting Local Workforce team of NDIS with the objectives of reducing barriers that impact providers, to improve the operation and efficiency of the disability labour markets structure, and to accelerate learnings for providers.

Prior to her 20 years of as a project leader across project for many companies in the not-for-profit, public and private sectors, Deb trained and worked in Nursing. Like many working in the disability industry, Deb has a family member who qualifies for NDIS and brings a carer’s deeper understanding of autism and related issues.

Deb brings extensive experience in the commercial realities of NDIS and balancing those with the needs of participants.

NDIS Announces New Price Guide

The Minister for the NDIS, Stuart Robert has announced today that as of 1st July 2019 new price guidelines will be taking effect.

Some of the key changes are:

• Price Increases - Changes are being made to prices for remote and very remote areas, personal care and community access, capacity building supports, consumables, assistive technology, home modification and specialised disability accommodation.

• Temporary Transformation Payment - A new Temporary Transformation Payment has been introduced for providers of personal care and community access. Each line item has its standard price listed, along with a higher price that has the 7.5% TTP loading applied.

• Travel - Travel rules have now been standardised with one rule for all providers.

• Cancellations - The definition of cancellations has been updated and simplified. Cancellation limits have also been lifted, however the NDIA does encourage providers to limit the amount they charge for.

• Therapy - There are now different prices for Therapy Assistance (Level 1 & 2), Psychologists, Physiotherapists and other forms of therapy. Exercise Physiology has also been brought into the Improved Daily Living support category.

• Low Cost Assistive Technology - There are now a number of line items relating to low cost assistive technology, with a maximum price of $100 next to each one.

• Non Face-to-Face Supports - Clarification has been given on what type of non-participant facing support providers can bill for.

For further information about what these changes will mean for you and your provider, please visit either of these links:

Disability Services Consulting

National Disability Insurance Scheme

Source: Disability Services Consulting and NDIS

Men's Health Week

The week - June 10-16th - marks Men’s Health Week. It is an important week as the gap between Australian men and women’s health outcomes is widening.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a boy born in 2010 has a life expectancy of 78.0, while a girl born in the same year has a life expectancy of 82.3 years old.

Accidents, cancer, and heart disease are the leading causes of male deaths. The most worrying statistic is that men, on average, account for 6 of the 8 suicides in Australia everyday. The number of men who die by suicide each year is double the national road toll. Sadly, men over 85 are at the highest risk of suicide followed by those aged between 30 and 49.

Services like Beyond Blue encourage us to remember everybody’s mental health will vary during our lifetime and that help is available to effectively manage your mental well-being. Remembering that you don’t need to go it alone is a key message - speak to your GP, partner, mates or colleagues if you need to talk. GP’s can help you find the right services to support you. There is no shame in asking for help, in fact it’s the best thing you can do for yourself.

Events like Men’s Health Week are encouraging men to be more proactive when it comes to their health. While it is good that men will often visit their GP after a friend or relative has a health emergency, we are encouraging men to make a visit to their GP a regular occurrence.

If you need to speak to someone urgently, Lifeline is available at any time on 13 11 14.

For more information about Men’s Health Week please visit www.menshealthweek.org.au . For more information about managing your mental health visit Beyond Blue

Sources: ABC, Beyond Blue, Men’s Health Week.

Karista Announces Cass O'Connor as New Chairperson

Cass O'Connor has been appointed as Karista Chaiperson. Cass has served on ASX listed, Federal and State Government and not-for-profit Boards, is financially astute and has a particular desire to help leverage technology to reduce friction in delivery of NDIS and aged care services. 

“I am excited to join the Karista team and feel very fortunate to have been asked to do so”, Cass O’Connor said. “The unseen pain points of people with special needs and their carers are too great, allow for escalating inequality which must be reduced. Technology platforms designed by entrepreneurial health care professionals which focus on problem and solution are the only way to go.”

Karista Founder and CEO, Danielle Bodinnar states that she is delighted to bring in a Chair with the level of experience Cass brings particularly at this time when the business is executing its plan to scale the business. Danielle says ‘'we are extremely lucky to have Cass as Chair of our business - she brings significant experience in board governance is financially savvy and very strategic.’’

The Karista business has a very exciting future ahead.

Opportunity to meet our CEO at the ATSA Independent Living Expo - Brisbane 15-16th May

Karista’s CEO and founder, Danielle Bodinnar will be presenting on Opportunities in the Consumer Driven Marketplace at 10:30 am in room 3 on the first day (Wednesday) of the program.

Danielle will be discussing how through improvements to technology consumers are being empowered to make informed decisions to support their independence.

Also on Danielle’s agenda will be how service providers can better understand and best match consumers needs through online opportunities in this new growing web based comparison marketplace.

Danielle would love to see you at her presentation. Please come and say hello and of course have questions ready for her after the presentation.

If you haven’t registered to attend the ATSA Independent Living Expo, you can do so by following this link: https://www.atsaindependentlivingexpo.com.au/register/

International Women's Day

What began as a day of recognition by the American Socialist Party for the female garment workers of New York City in 1908 has since become under the guidance of the UN an internationally recognised day of celebration of Women on the 8th of March.

To celebrate this day, Karista wanted to acknowledge Australian women who have made healthcare and medicine what it is today.

Emma Constance Stone

Constance Stone as she was also known, was Australia’s first practicing female physician. Born in 1856, Stone grew up in Melbourne and was educated by her mother, a former governess. After developing an early interest in anatomy, Constance left Australia to be trained in medicine in Canada and the United States. Her home university, The University of Melbourne would not admit women into medicine. Constance returned to Melbourne in 1890 where she became the first woman to register with the Medical Board of Victoria. Later, in 1895 the Victorian Medical Women’s Society was formed in Constance’s home with the object being ‘effecting a closer relationship between medical women graduates and undergraduates and to advance the knowledge to further their interests generally’. By 1896, eleven female doctors decided to set up a hospital of their own, using their own vision and under the leadership of Constance. This hospital went on to become The Queen Victoria Hospital which was a first of its time. Constance Stone died in 1902 from tuberculosis.

Elizabeth Kenny

Elizabeth Kenny began her career in medicine as a nurse during WW1, treating the soldiers who survived the battlefields of France. By 1932, she had returned home to Townsville and set up her own backyard clinic treating long term polio patients and those living with cerebral palsy. At the time the standard treatment involved restricted movement, braces and calipers and often total immobilisation. Kenny rejected all of that and instead developed a program using hot baths, passive and active movements and massage. Many of her contemporaries laughed at her but she was not to be deterred. In 1937 the Queensland Government created clinics in Brisbane and Townsville for long term polio sufferers using Kenny’s methods; patients came from interstate and overseas to participate in her program. In 1937, her passage was paid by parents to England where she set up a ward at the Queen Mary’s Hospital in Surrey. Again, she was confronted by doctors who tried to discredit her motives. In 1940 she was invited to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where unsurprisingly was was confronted by more doctors who tried to discredit her. However, by 1942 her methods had begun to be accepted and the Kenny Institute was built in Minneapolis with other clinics following. Elizabeth Kenny died at home in Toowoomba in 1952.

Elizabeth Blackburn

Elizabeth Blackburn is the first Australian woman to win a Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. Awarded in 2009 she shared her prize with co-researchers Carol Greider and Jack Szostak for their co-research and discovery of the genetics of DNA and their links to cancer and other illnesses.

Rhonda Galbally and Helena Sykes

It was through Rhonda Galbally and Helena Sykes’s with Bruce Bonyhady activism and submissions to parliament that the Rudd/Gillard Government was able to create and eventually enshrine in law the NDIS. In a submission to the Rudd Labor Government’s Australia 2020 Summit they stated the creation of the NDIS would:

"First, with an insurance model the families of people with disabilities can have confidence that the needs of their family member will be met, reducing the stress and risks of family breakdown. Second, a life-time approach to care ensures that early intervention and equipment is available immediately following diagnosis or injury, leading to better and lower cost long-term outcomes. Third, active case management facilitates as normal a life as possible and minimises the risks of over-dependence on publicly funded support. Fourth, a NDIS would provided funding for research, development of best practice models and public education to reduce the incidence of risky behaviours leading to disability”.

Julia Gillard

On the 29th of November 2012, Julia Gillard introduced the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill (NDIS Bill) into Parliament. Not only was Julia Gillard Australia’s first Prime Minister, she was also instrumental in ensuring that the NDIS Bill passed parliament and that the States worked cooperatively and allowed the trials and eventual implementation to begin. Julia Gillard, is now the first female chair of Beyond Blue an Australia’s first independent and non- for-profit organisation focused on depression and anxiety.

Sources: Australian Dictionary of Biography, United Nations, Nobel Prize, NDIS, Culture Trip

There is a Royal Commission into Aged Care but what are the positives coming?

The Royal Commission into Aged Care started on the 18th of January and already we have heard many difficult stories. Only in the early stages, the commission has learnt a lot from the public submissions and witness appearances.

While this is a process that had to happen, there is also a lot to celebrate in the aged care sector.

Today in the Karista blog we look at some of the early learnings from the Royal Commission and what interesting and exciting innovations are to come.

What have we learnt at the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety so far?

• The elderly are afraid of entering into care and would much prefer to stay home, they are no longer willing to put up with the care their parents received

• The Aged Care sector is in a financial crisis - there is at least a 12 month wait for a high level Home Care Package (HCP)

• There is an overuse of chemical restraints. When confronted with a difficult patient, support staff are turning first to psychotropic drugs, sedation or restricted movement

• Dementia is considered the new chronic condition of the 21st Century. Dementia Australia gave evidence saying about 436,000 Australians are living with dementia today. It is expected by 2050, that number will rise to 1.1 million

• The aged care workforce is underpaid and under-resourced,. To keep up with the ageing Australian population, the workforce will need to triple by 2050

• Witnesses Clive and Barbara Springs supported the idea of a national database for aged care workers. Currently, there is no database of support staff which makes it difficult for employers to know if potential new hires have had complaints or recorded poor behaviour in the past

• The Food. For those of us who have or had loved ones in care, we know the food can often leave a lot to be desired. Poor quality food can leave residents malnourished and is being reviewed by the commission

Consumer Directed Care, Your Life - Your Choice

The commission and the Australian Government recognise that more Australians want to live at home as they age. The Government’s policy of consumer directed care and the Home Care Package (HCP) program is a step towards meeting this need. Consumer Directed care means the consumer holds the power, the money and they make their own decisions about what care they want, how that care is provided and who provides the care.

Karista is dedicated to making consumer directed care a reality. We show you what is available in your area and provide information to help you compare and choose your ideal provider.

Other Exciting Innovations

There are many clever people working around Australia and the world to find better solutions to the current status quo. There is a new message being spread, it is no longer about an expectation of boredom but of purposeful activity. Karista has done some research and here are our picks for interesting innovations in aged care:

• The Global Centre for Modern Ageing. Developed in 2018 by the South Australian Government after the closure of the motor industry, this center aims to help business and individuals to build and develop services and products with the specific intent of assisting the elderly to live and age well. The Global Centre for Modern Ageing also includes, LifeLab. LifeLab is a brand new facility allowing business, older people and researchers to develop new products and innovations.

• Australia’s first ‘Dementia Village’ Korongee is being built in Tasmania. Based on the De Hogeweyk Village in the Netherlands . The Dutch model gives residents an opportunity to live in an adapted village with its own supermarket, cafe, beauty salon, their own currency and much more while being supported by care staff

• The University of Wollongong is developing a-state-of-the-art aged care facility as a part of their innovation campus. Modeled on the Mayo Clinic in the US and the best of Scandinavian aged care designs, the Wollongong Center will allow researchers and residents to be integrated for the first time. The 700 hectare site will include an aged care and senior living village, 200 independent living homes and community health clinic. 650 students enrolled in courses in health and the ageing will be available to interact with the elderly community, a childcare center is also planned. The UOW envisages opportunities for the young and old alike to interact and provide mentor-ship and volunteer opportunities. Residents will also have full access to the university campus.

• Sleeptite. Developed by RMIT University, Canadian smart clothing company Hexoskin and mattress manufacturer Sleepeezee; together they have combined to create a non-invasive monitoring system set in silicone fabric which is able to monitor a patient’s heart rate and blood pressure and recognise if they have fallen from bed.

• PainChek, is a facial recognition software program that can detect pain in the elderly including people living with dementia, which after four years of trials and a name change is being rolled out nationally by Dementia Care Australia.

•  Being trialed in 50 homes, Billy is a system that gives the family or care manager a live data feed. With no cameras, nothing to wear or press, Billy works using discreetly placed sensors that monitor everything from movement to temperature and behaviour patterns which then creates a tool for prevention or intervention before incidents escalate into emergencies.

Sources: The Guardian Australia, Business Insider Australia, SBS News, Aged Care Guide, The ABC, University of Wollongong, The Global Centre for Modern Ageing, Sleeptite, PainChek, Billy

The Rosie Result

The Rosie Result is the final of the Rosie Trilogy by Graeme Simsion. At the rational heart of these books is Don Tilman. Don is many things, Professor of Genetics, martial arts expert and diviser of the Standardised Meal System, Don is also on the spectrum. While being on the spectrum is not unusual, what is unusual is for a character with a disability to be so multi-dimensional and in no way a caricature.

It is in the The Rosie Project where we first meet Don; Don has decided he’s getting married but he doesn’t know to who yet. He’s devised a sixteen-page questionnaire to find his perfect woman. Enter, Rosie Jarman who doesn’t fit the questionnaire but what she does do, is see Don who he is and loves him for it.

In The Rosie Effect, we find the couple living in New York, happily married and working. We also find Don embarking on a new project, learning the skills to become The World’s Best Cocktail Maker. Don’s approach to life is that every problem has a solution and every question has a rational answer. It is in the second novel, we see more change in Don. Guided by Rosie, Don develops emotional intelligence and a better understanding of his fellow humans, even though we can be irrational and contrary. The discovery of Rosie’s pregnancy is a test for Don to see how much he has really learnt.

In the final of the trilogy, The Rosie Result, the family are back in Melbourne after a decade in New York with their 11 year old son Hudson.

Hudson is different, he’s interested in sci-fi, doesn’t like change, is prone to meltdowns, is obsessive and has his parent’s beholden to him. He’s also struggling at school, hates it, is bored and corrects his teacher’s grammar. The Principal want’s Hudson to be assessed as being on the spectrum. He doesn’t and neither do his parents, so begins The Hudson Project. His father has spent his entire life trying to fit into mainstream society, so who better to teach him the ways of the world? Don quits his job as a Genetics Professor, a blessing in disguise after the Genetics Lecture Outrage and begins his project. In fact their are now two projects, The Hudson and The Worlds Best Cocktail Bar which Don designs complete with bespoke ordering apps for those living on the spectrum.

The Hudson Project is the beginning of a journey of discovery for both Hudson and Don. With the help of friends and family and of course Hudson’s only friend, Blanche who has albinisim, the pair start to learn that maybe it isn’t them that needs to change but perhaps it’s the world.

At the very core of this book, is a message of acceptance and understanding. Graeme Simsion reminds the reader that we are all unique and have our own gifts. It shows us is that acceptance is a two way street. It is not about the neuro-typical or non disabled accepting or tolerating the disabled but rather, true acceptances comes from understanding.

Without being soppy, The Rosie Effect is also a love story. Over the course of the three books, Don Tilman grows and matures as a man, he develops into a man who is able to express and show deep emotion (just as long as you don’t unexpectedly hug him). He loves his son and doesn’t want him to be subject to the same trauma he experienced as a child. Most people would assume that a person assessed as being on the spectrum would not be capable of such love and altruism . The Rosie Effect teaches us that assuming things about people without having the facts is, as Don would say not rational.

This series and particularly the final is a hilariously examination of how the world sees us and how we see others. It shows us what it is to love, live in a complex and changing society and most importantly that people don’t need labels they just need to be understood, cared for and loved. It is a message that we at Karista wholeheartedly agree with.

Five Stars.

The Rosie series is published by Text Publishing and is not a paid review. Book cover courtesy of Text Publishing

Welcome to your Karista update

Karista has come a long way since our launch in January 2018, and we’d like to share with you what’s been happening since then.

Founded by our CEO Danielle Bodinnar, Karista is a simple idea. The idea was to create a website which took the stress out of trying to find an aged care or disability support provider for you and your loved ones. While there are many search directories for aged care and disability support services, most of them fail because they don’t take your needs and preferences into account. Getting a list of 50 odd providers and their contact details just isn’t helpful. You can’t even know whether they have capacity in your area, let alone whether they can meet your specific needs.

Karista are proud to solve this problem by taking into account your personal needs and communicating with multiple providers on your behalf. We are pleased to say each day our business is growing and has made a positive impact for many Australians.

We now have 378 providers on www.karista.com.au, and every day we are matching people to their ideal provider.

How can Karista help you find your ideal provider?

The Karista team understands the stress that comes with trying to find the right service provider, everybody in the team has been there. Our team members have either worked in healthcare or cared for loved ones. We understand the pain and frustration that can come with what often seems like an overwhelming task.

Karista can help by doing the hard work for you. We have established relationships with many providers in the disability and aged care sectors. If we don’t have the right fit for you on our website, we will keep working until we find one.

Our platform has a diverse range of providers, who offer many services ranging from the straight forward like an NDIS approved gardener, to the more complex where specialised support is required. Each provider has been personally welcomed by Danielle and the team, ensuring we understand the provider’s capabilities, staff resources, areas of expertise and costs.

It’s not only families and individuals we help, we’ve also developed relationships with many NDIS Support Cooridnators who find Karista to be a useful and efficient way to help their clients.

How can Karista help your business find ideal clients?

Karista is like a match making service for our clients. Instead of finding you a date, we match you with your ideal customer.

We do this by asking the right questions, we speak to our clients and understand their story and how we can best meet their needs. Before we contact you, we already know we’ve made the right match because we have understood our client’s needs, their location and if you offer the services required. Karista is a new and efficient way for you to meet new clients and develop lasting relationships.

By starting out on the right foot, many of our clients have grown into loyal customers for our service providers. Once our clients find a provider they can trust and who works at the right price point we are finding they develop long term relationships.

How can you be in touch with Karista?

If you’re looking for help or support getting in touch is easy, we have three ways:

1. Make a request through www.karista.com.au - by searching for providers in your area. Simply click on the ‘Request Details & Pricing’ button and your request will be sent directly to our team so we can action your request straight away.

2. Chat to us via Live Chat. Click on the chat icon on the bottom right hand of the screen and we can discuss your needs.

3. Give us a cal! 1300 274 782

If you’re a service provider in the aged care or disability support sector and you want to grow your business follow the For Providers link at the top right hand corner of Karista to list your organisation.

Is there a link between gut bacteria and mental health?

The gut and the gut microbiome have become hot topics recently, with many studies being undertaken to to discover how they work and what links they may have to our mental and physical health.

The latest is research at the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology and the Catholic University of Leuven who have made a preliminary discovery into the difference between the gut health of those with and without depression.

Publlished in Nature Microbiology, researchers studied medical tests and GP records to look for links between depression, quality of life and the microbes lurking in the faeces of more than 1,000 people enrolled in the Flemish Gut Flora Project.

What the scientists learnt is that two bugs Faecalibacterium and Coprococcus were commonly found in people who said they had good mental health. On the flip side, those with depression had lower than average levels of Coprococcus and Dialister.

This study has not yet proven the link between gut microbes and mental health. What is showing however, is the possibility that the effect also works the other way around. Which means that your mental health may influence how your microbiome works. In follow-up experiments, the scientists found gut microbes can at least talk to the human nervous system by producing neurotransmitters that are crucial for good mental health. Interestingly, the same study discovered microbiomes which live outside the body are not able to make the same kinds of neurotransmitters, this is thought to happen because they did not co-exist with humans.

If a connection between low level bacteria and depression can be found, the door may open to a whole world of exciting possibilities and potential discoveries.

If you would like to read the full report published in Nature Biology click here or for a shorter version click here for the Guardian Australia.

Mental health in the workplace

With the end of January fast approaching and many of us returning to work, now is a good time to check in with how you’re feeling and your mental well being.

Did you know that mental illness has overtaken physical problems as the leading cause for the disability support pension?

Research recently published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry has found that mental illness is now the leading cause for long term sickness absence among Australian workers. Not only does this come at significant personal costs but also to their employers and society.

The research also found that workplaces need to take greater responsibility in providing good management and resilience building among their staff. Managers should also be encouraging employees to seek help early, support their recovery and return to work.

So many factors including bullying, work mates, management style and job satisfaction also play an important part in an individual’s mental health.

According to behaviour expert, business and leadership consultant John Demartini - fear is sabotaging many workplaces.

Fear can cause extreme in behaviour, skew your decision making and causes you to perform below your best.

So what can you do if you’re feeling like this? First step is to speak with your GP. Your GP will help you to find a the appropriate person for you to speak to and may also set up a Mental Health Plan with Medicare which will entitle you reduced cost or free psychological services.

Keep in mind that many employers now have a phone based counselling service which may be free for you to access.

Source: The Age

NDIS Changes in 2019

Changes are coming to the NDIS in 2019, what can you expect to change and how will this effect you?

Improved Planning Supports

• New participant pathways - changing how your journey starts, improved customer interactions when creating your NDIS plan

• Better links with all supports including informal, employment and community

• Face-to-face planning support will be offered to participants during the critical pre-planning and plan implementation stages.

• Improved connections between NDIA planners and and Local Area Coordinators (LACs), who will become a consistent point of contact during the participant's journey

• Improved training for LACs and planners - Helping them to understand the diverse range of needs and situations of their participants

• Critical information will be presented in Easy English and languages other than English.

Different Supports for Different Needs

• A complex needs pathway has been established. The aim is to provide specialised supports for people living with a disability who also have other complex needs. These people will now be supported by a specialised team of support coordinators, planning teams and NDIA liaison who have experience in managing those with complex and high needs.

• Clearer guidelines for determining which people with hearing impairments are eligible for the NDIS. Newborn children and people with severe or profound hearing loss or auditory neuropathy have been escalated for urgent response.

• Improvements are also being made to better-support people with severe and persistent mental health issues – known as a psychosocial disability – who are eligible for the NDIS.

• Training for support coordinators to improve planning and understanding of different disabilities

Provider Changes

• Clear and easy to understand policies for pricing

• Simplified registration process with a nationally consistent approach

• More efficient payments with a dedicated team to help resolve claiming issues and help providers understand the payment system better

• Regular engagements with providers to help the NDIA to better understand business needs and raise awareness of the purpose of the NDIS.

If you’d like to the full list of changes being made this year please follow this link .

Source: NDIS