MND NSW is holding a series of workshops this year for allied health staff (occupational therapists, speech pathologists, dietitians and physios) who work with people with MND who are under 65 and have an NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) plan. The first of these was held on Thursday 9 February on the Central Coast. We had a great turn with about 20 allied health professionals attending, with the majority of those attending working as solo private practitioners. They wanted to know more about MND, working in a multidisciplinary way as a solo practitioner and 'MND and the NDIS'.
There was a lot of discussion around the adequacy of NDIS plans people with MND have had approved.
Observations were that equipment wasn’t factored into the plan, or minimal therapy support hours were offered and the plans did not account for the changing and increasing need for services and support for people with a progressive degenerative condition such as MND. We also covered the role of the MND NSW NDIS Coordinator of Support, a new service that people with MND can access (depending on where they live). Our Coordinator of Support works with the NDIS participant to ensure the plan runs smoothly, identify gaps in service provision, find other services that can assist, address plan issues and negotiate changes that may need to be made with the plan.
We will be holding further workshops in Northern Sydney, South West Sydney and the Blue Mountains for NDIS service providers in March, May and June. The aim is for allied health, care providers and MND NSW to work towards ensuring that people with MND who are eligible for the NDIS have plans that provide the funding for the supports they need to live better for longer. You can find more information about future workshops here http://www.mndnsw.asn.au/all-events/health-and-community-care-professional-events.html