CARER CONNECTIONS Edition 2
AFFORD’S GOT TALENT! We’ve got talent, yes we do, and we’ve got talent, how about you?! It was a dazzling display of vibrant talent and amazing ability at this year’s annual Afford’s Got Talent event! The Afford’s Got Talent event is staged purely for client enjoyment. It is a way that Afford gives back to clients, by providing an annual event where they can come together to celebrate, to let their hair down and to socialise with others and form new friendships. Held at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith this year’s Afford’s Got Talent showcase was packed with wonderful singing, dancing and musical performances from our amazing clients. The buzz began as soon as the first Afford vans started rolling up, filled with clients eager to start the evening’s festivities. Bright, sparkly, colourful, bow tied, glitter covered clients filled the room and everyone was dressed to impress in matching outfits. There were teams of blue glitter suits, cowboys, Hawaiian dancers, bow ties and suits, face paint, matching site shirts and much more! To start, everyone filled up on a delicious sausage sizzle cooked by Sean Bourke, and helped themselves to delicious cakes and treats brought in by each site. After everyone’s bellies were full, the first acts took to the stage. 27 amazing performances were scheduled for the evening, so it was important to ensure the schedule was kept on track! This year, there was a mixture of solo, group and special acts from music therapy organisation - Nordoff Robins. The excitement continued to rise as the Accommodation
team stepped onto stage; dressed in their shirts displaying flags from all around the world. The group overwhelmed the crowd with Acknowledgment to Country and the Australian National Anthem (Multicultural), followed by an inspiring Welcome speech by Chairman Ross Fowler before the night carried on. There were many memorable acts throughout the night, including the Heel Toe Polka by Campbelltown, Perfect by Ed Sheeran performed in Auslan by SLES, and the beautiful acoustic tunes of Slim Dusty by Akash Shah. All of the performances were incredible! Many times, the audience also became involved with the on-stageperformances, with people joining in with the singing and dancing. Afford’s Got Talent is a truly inspiring event that allows all clients to express themselves, build their confidence in being in the spotlight and also encourages new friendships. We would like to thank everyone involved in the night. With your continued help and support we are able to hold such inspiring events for the entire Afford community – go Afford!
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney.
For more information please call 1300 233 673 or email info@afford.com.au
CARER CONNECTIONS
Edition 2
CARERS CORNER
NATIONAL CARERS WEEK
Upcoming Events:
National Carers Week is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about the diversity of carers and caring roles in our local community. There are a variety of events and activities being run throughout National Carers Week. WHEN: OCTOBER 14TH - 20TH For event details or to Register your event visit: www.carersweek.com.au
Afford is dedicated to helping Carers stay happy and healthy, we will keep you informed about upcoming health & wellbeing programs or events that aim to help Carers see the bright side of life!
CARERS DAY OUT Carers Day Out is a great opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate carers and the contribution they make to our community.Join us for a free day of wellness and relaxation activities, pampering and health checks, live entertainment and a free BBQ lunch provided by Rapid Relief.
ADOS ASSESMENTS Do you need a formal Diagnosis of Autism? We are now offering Autism Diagnosis Assessments (ADOS) by Qualified Psychologists! CALL OUR ALLIED HEALTH TEAM TODAY FOR A QUOTE ON 1300 233 673.
When: Tuesday 17 October 2017, 10.00am – 2.00pm Where: Redfern Community Centre, 29-53 Hugo Street, Redfern NSW 2016 Cost: Free Register to attend Carers Day Register: Out at https://www.carersnsw.org.au/national-carers-week
For more information please call 1300 233 673 or email info@afford.com.au
CARER CONNECTIONS
Edition 2
SPREADING SMILES ON TOAST AT CANLEY As a carer, you’re probably quite busy with little time to yourself. So we thought, why not get carers together every week for breakfast? That’s why we’re spreading smiles in the mornings at Canley Vale as we have kicked off our weekly breakfasts for carers and clients as a way to get together, share a meal and talk to the families of Afford Now, every Thursday between 8:30 to 10am, the afford staff set up breakfast for a small gold coin donation. We have been plating up toast with any spread, not to mention seven different types of cereal, raisin toast and your choice of tea or coffee. Now that should hep you start your morning with a smile. It’s been very succesful so far with plenty of carers dropping in for brekky. Carer breakfasts area great way to keep in touch with parents and carers, show them our day program activities and it gives them a chance to ask questions or give us helpful feedback. “We wanted to find a way to regularly commmunicate with our parents. It’s a nice way to get together in the mornings and mingle. It also gives the clients a chance to show their parents around the Day Program and the activities they’ve been up to.” says Scott Papas, Canley Vale Team Leader.
CARERS LUNCH AT THE COFFEE CLUB Afford Jamisontown decided to have lunch out at The Coffee Club at Glenmore Park. The owners David and Belinda were very hospitable and went out of their way to make sure our bellies were full and we were well looked after. We saw a few new faces as some new families had joined our Day Program. Also this gave everyone the chance in a relaxed environment away from the centre to chat with others about their experiences with NDIS, AFFORD and life as a carer of a person with a disability. “The nice gifts were icing on the cake! Much appreciated” said Paul & Judy “Thank you for taking us all to lunch. It’s a great initiative from Afford to keep us involved” said Jeanne
A reminder to all our readers we are always available to talk if you find any of these services interesting, or if you have a good idea on how we can improve services. contact the Afford Team for any further information through: info@afford.com.au or 1300 233 673.
For more information please call 1300 233 673 or email info@afford.com.au
CARER CONNECTIONS
Edition 2
ARE YOU ACCESSING THE NDIS? If you’re accessing the NDIS, we know that the myriad of terms and wording can become a bit technical. SO we’ve put together some a list of some of the more commonly used terms and their explanations to help get you started. For a full list of explanations, visit the NDIS Glossary or Dejargonator or access the online tool developed by Afford in partnership with the NDA to help people navigate through the NDIS process. NDIS NDIS stands for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and is a new approach to service delivery and funding for people with a disability. The NDIS puts people with disability at the centre of the system for the first time – allowing them to determine their own future and receive funding which matches their needs and aspirations. FUNDED SUPPORTS Supports the NDIS pays for through a participant’s plan. These supports must be reasonable and necessary. INFORMAL SUPPORTS The supports participants get from the people around them, for example family, friends, neighbours. REGISTERED PROVIDER A disability support provider that has met the NDIS requirements for qualifications, approvals, experience, capacity and quality standards to provide a product or service. SUPPORTS Things to help a person undertake daily life activities and enable them to participate in the community and reach their goals.
NDIS FULL SCHEME The dates when the NDIS will be available to all eligible residents: • ACT – July 2016 • New South Wales – July 2018 • South Australia – July 2018 • Tasmania – July 2019 • Victoria – July 2019 • Queensland – July 2019 • Northern Territory – July
PLANNERS Once you have received confirmation that you qualify for the NDIS, your planner is the first person you should speak to on your NDIS journey. Your planner is there to help you access the system, so give them as much information as possible about your situation and your goals. REASONABLE AND NECESSARY SUPPORTS Anything which is related to your disability is a reasonable and necessary support under the NDIS. This can include not just the basics like mobility equipment and therapeutic support, but support with transport, doing daily tasks, home modification, education, social participation and more. The general rule is that it must be related to your disability, and it can’t replicate things that your family or community already helps you with. For help with your NDIS Plan, contact Afford to speak with an NDIS Planning Specialist.
For more information please call 1300 233 673 or email info@afford.com.au