headlines january 2017 - home -...

Headlines—January 2017


2

Headlines is produced quarterly

by Headway ADP Inc.

Postal Address:

PO BOX 894, Bankstown, NSW

1885

Telephone Numbers:

9790 0046 / 9790 0344

Fax Number:

9796 2523

Email:

[email protected]

HE

AD

LIN

ES

Website:

www.headwayadp.org.au

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/

pages/Headway-

ADP/225475250822022

MA

NA

GE

RS

CO

LU

MN

In just over a week’s time I will celebrate my 3rd month at Headway ADP. In that time I have learned a great deal, but have so much more to learn. It is a privilege to work with and lead a team that never accept second best for you, as a participant, and always values your voice and feedback.

Highlights for me so far include our social events, the diversity of activi-ties that we provide on a group or 1:1 basis, and of course, the amazing staff who never forget a birthday or a visit when someone needs support or companionship. Best of all has been meeting most of our service users and carers. There is an old say-ing….”that it takes a village to raise a child”. In terms of Headway ADP, “it takes its people to create a great ser-

vice” … and the service is not just about staff, it is about the community that has been created and shared tears and great happiness over the past three decades. Let’s make sure that 2017 brings even greater things to all of you.

On a lighter note Headway ADP held an internal competition with all the staff regarding marketing. The winner of the Events movie tickets (double pass) for the best marketing idea slo-gan is Gabrielle Celeste who contribut-ed that participants choose Headway because……..staff are passionate, car-ing and give us bucket loads of fun. More competitions coming soon.


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Robert Smith

FRONT PAGE Christmas 2016

PAGE 3 Birthday List

PAGE 4& 5 NDIS Update

Vale—Gyorgy Markus

Memory after a brain injury

PAGE 6 & 7 Social Development

PAGE 8 Staff Profiles Manager &

Community Access Worker

PAGE 9 What’s On Page

PAGE 10 Service Provider—Brain Injury Australia

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january

february

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SID

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JOHN S 2

TONI EL A 6

VINCE VO 15

LISA X 19

VAN MINH L 20

LEE C 1

RAY W 17

IVA S 21


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It is with great sadness that we

report on the passing of long time

Headway ADP participant Gyorgy

Markus. Gyorgy was a central part

of Headway ADP for many years.

He enjoyed a range of activities and

groups that were offered in

particular yoga, music therapy,

cooking and games days. Gyorgy

knew the yoga routines off by heart

and would delight in leading the

class through the exercises.

Music and a game of cards were al-

ways expected upon Gyorgy’s

A s the NDIS rollout im-pacts on participants and service providers it is im-

portant to acknowledge that big reforms and change can be more than a little unnerving for all of us. Where families and individuals have been relying on services from a range of providers, many obvious questions come up but the most obvious one is about continuity of existing essential services. At present Headway ADP has seen about 10 participants receive plans. Not only do the funded sup-ports and types of support vary (as they should because we are all differ-ent), but the monies available and role of Headway ADP will vary, depending on whether we are your main service provider, or just deliver some selected programs as part of your plan. If we are your chosen Service Coordinator and this is funded we will certainly help engage with a range of services

arrival at Headway House. Gyorgy

was unusually lucky at cards

frequently winning hands of Uno and

21 against other participants and

staff. But whether winning or losing

(or cheating) Gyorgy was always a

gentleman with impeccable manners

and a quiet dignity.

Gyorgy will be greatly missed by his

family and friends. We offer them

our deepest sympathies at this time

of sorrow.

Fiona Curtis

and providers to support your plan im-plementation. If you do not have Support Coordination in your plan but feel you need additional support, don’t be too concerned. If you are a current Headway participant we will certainly liaise with providers or NDIA representatives to clarify your situation and promote support needs that are reasonable and necessary. The important thing is that you do not lose services that you depend on, and that (if you choose Headway ADP) we can look to enrich your quality of life once the plan is activated. At the end of the day it is about your informed choice, but we regard it as a privilege when we are chosen to walk beside you. I do believe we are a unique service because of our level of care and interest in our participants and carers.

Bill Sayers


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Mem

ory

afte

r a b

rain

inju

ry M emory problems are very

common after a brain injury, especially issues with short-term memory.

Typical situations include forgetting peo-

ple's names, losing a train of thought, get-

ting lost at the shops, repeating or forget-

ting past conversations, misplacing objects

and difficulty learning new skills. Common

everyday experiences become a night-

mare of confusion without strategies to

manage or compensate for the effects of

memory impairment.

Lifestyle changes to improve memory

There is no "wonder treatment" for

memory problems, however there are

many effective strategies that compensate

for short-term memory impairments. As

with any cognitive issues, your memory

will work better if you:

Avoid fatigue from pushing yourself too

hard

Sleep well

Manage stress and anxiety

Avoid alcohol, eat a healthy diet and

exercise regularly.

Organize your environment

The aim is to arrange surroundings so that

less reliance or demand is placed upon a

person's memory. Strategies for organiz-

ing the environment include the following:

Keep a notepad and pen beside the

phone

Using a large notice board on the wall

Having a special place to keep objects

which go missing

Label cupboards as a reminder of

where things are kept

Tie objects to places e.g. a pen to the

phone or a key to a belt.

Short-term memory strategies

Reduce distractions as an inability to pay

attention makes memory problems

worse. Simply telling yourself to pay

attention when you need to focus and

memorize something can make a big

difference.

Learn in small repeated chunks in a

similar way to how we teach children.

Breaking it down into repetitive man-

ageable bits makes it much easier to

remember things.

Mnemonics are techniques used for

memorizing information through acro-

nyms, short poems, stories, images or

memorable phrases. A typical example

is the acronym KISS for 'keep it sim-

ple, stupid'.

External memory aids are extremely

effective compensatory strategies -

they aim to compensate for memory

loss. Try all of the following to see

which ones work best for you:

A diary for storing and planning

Notebooks of all sizes for various

places

Lists and checklists

Alarm clock, wristwatch alarm and

timer on your mobile phone

Calendar or wall chart

Voice recorder

Electronic organizer

Pill reminder box

Post-it notes

A memory book for big events, per-

sonal experiences and names.

It is important to realize that not every-

one will benefit in the same way from

the same tips after a traumatic brain

injury. The best thing to do is to experi-

ment with different aids until you find

the one that works for you

Information taken from synapse.org.au


6

Soci

al D

evel

opm

ent

At Club Condell Park 01.11.2016

At Bankstown Sports Club 05.12.2016


7

Social Developm

ent

At Bankstown Sports Club 05.12.2016

Held once a month at Centennial Park

Held during last term 2016


8

STA

FF P

RO

FIL

ES

What were your

first impressions

of Headway ADP?

Great. I had my interview on a day

when B.E.AT was running. You could

see that Headway ADP was like home

for participants and the staff really

cared about them.

What brought you to this field?

Wanted to give something back. After

working in senior management jobs

that were not “hands on” over the past

decade I wanted to get back to front

line servicing. It is the people that

matter, not the process.

What goals do you have for the

future? Two

That this service is a provider of

choice for people with an ABI and

continues to give them a real voice.

That we manage the transition to

NDIS successfully.

What things are you interested

in? ? Social Justice and social reform,

as well as music (rock is my preferred

genre) travel and sports.

Pick a sentence that best de-

scribes you? Soft on the outside,

but tough on issues that matter.

If you were the Headway Man-

ager for the day, what would

you change? Not a great deal but I

do believe we can always do better and

that is what we need to strive for.

What were your

first impressions of

Headway ADP? When I first walked

into Headway ADP office during my in-

terview, I felt that I have just walked in

someone else’s home. I didn't see an of-

fice, I saw a place where people can re-

lax be themselves, a place where they

can belong.

What brought you to this field?

I just like to help people in my small in-

dividual way. I’ve seen so many neglect,

imbalance, inequalities and injustice

towards the most vulnerable and disad-

vantage sector in our society. I think its

time for me to make a difference and

correct the wrong things happening in

our society.

What good things can you say

about Headway ADP? Headway

ADP is a chamion in advocating for peo-

ple with ABI. It should be commended

for the difference it makes in the life of

the participants.

What goals do you have for the

future? To settle in quickly at Head-

way ADP so I can make a difference.

What things are you interested

in? Volunteering, meeting new people,

travel and astronomy.

Pick a sentence that best de-

scribes you? Friendly, approachable

but a little crazy at times.

If you were the Headway Manag-

er for the day, what would you

change? I would change everyone's

surname just to confuse everyone else.


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WHA

TS O

N PA

GE

TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP - ROUND 1

THURSDAY 2ND MARCH 2017

AUSTRALIA DAY- THURSDAY 26TH JANUARY

On 26 January each year, Australians come together to celebrate their national day. The date commemorates the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet from Great Brit-ain, reflecting the nation's diversity and achievements, its past and its future.

The Australia Day celebrations in Sydney are fit for Australia's oldest and biggest city with events and activities spread far and wide. There's nothing quite like Australia Day on Sydney Harbour, the city's crowning jewel.

Chinese New Year 2017 - Year of the Rooster

Saturday, January 28

THE AUSTRALIAN INXS & DIVI-NYLS SHOW

Saturday 28th January 2017 | The Theatre |

8:00pm (Doors open 7.15pm) at Bankstown

Sports Club—Cost $15.00 ring to book for

tickets The Australian INXS Show celebrates

and honours the memory of Michael Hutchence

and his band, bringing to life their unique style

of funk-rock fused with dance elements. The

Australian Divinyls Show will brilliantly capture

the outrageous stage antics of the original

band, performing hits like Boys in Town and I

Touch Myself. Don’t miss out on this incredible

double header!

For more information: www.australiaday.com.au

Imagine a night out under the stars (be it in a snazzy convertible or a grunty pick-up truck) watching a blockbuster, having a beverage and enjoying a tasty treat from the diner menu. Sounds like a perfect night out. Blacktown Drive In has seen a revival, be-coming Skyline Drive In, and offers a nostal-gic yet new experience with the latest Holly-wood blockbusters, 'Happy Days' style retro diner and a truly unique night of fun.

BLACKTOWN SKYLINE DRIVE IN - BLACKTOWN

(02) 9622 4170

http://www.australiaday.com.au/


PLEASE

PLACE

STAMP

HERE

If undeliverable

Return to

HEADWAY

ADULT DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM INC.

PO BOX 894

BANKSTOWN NSW 1885

Brain Injury Australia’s roles

Advocacy for government program allocations and policies that reflect the needs and priorities of people with an ABI and their families;

Provision of effective and timely input into policy, legislation and program development through active contact with Federal Government ministers, parliamentary representatives, Federal Government departments and agencies, and national disability organisations;

Initiation and coordination of national projects;

Increasing national public awareness of ABI through the implementation of public information programs;

Monitoring Federal Government consumer consultation processes to ensure that these are of a quality that is meaningful and inclusive of people with ABI and their families; and

Brain Injury Australia (BIA) is the central clearinghouse of information and gateway to nationwide referral for optimising the social and economic participation of all Australians living with brain injury.BIA was formed at the first national community-based conference on ABI in 1986. The

Federal Government began funding BIA in 1991.

DEVELOPING A RANGE OF STRATEGIC ALLIANCES THAT SUPPORT AND ENHANCE

THE ACHIEVEMENT OF BIA’S STRATEGIC

OBJECTIVES.

BRAIN INJURY AUSTRALIA’S OPERATING PRINCIPLES

A professional and responsible approach in representing people with an ABI;

Decision-making processes that include consultation with people with an ABI and their families and its member organisations;

A balanced recognition of the needs of all people with a disability and other disadvan-taged groups;

An effective, democratic and participative ap-

proach to governance

This information was taken from the Brain

Injury Australia website.

http://www.braininjuryaustralia.org.au/about-brain-injury/

http://www.braininjuryaustralia.org.au/about-brain-injury/

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