News

Summer Foundation founder, Dr Di Winkler has been appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division), for significant service to people with a disability.

The Summer Foundation’s very own Dr George Taleporos is back with a third series of his popular podcasts – aimed at helping you make sense of the NDIS.

Back by popular demand, Reasonable and Necessary with Dr George: Making Sense of the NDIS is available to listen to on iTunes or SoundCloud. There are five half-hour episodes in this third series, which cover topics such as how the NDIS can work better and how it can support people with complex needs. We also hear some fantastic insights about Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) from industry insiders, as well as a unique Q&A with the NDIA.

The podcasts are about simplifying the NDIS and helping participants, their families and anyone else involved in supporting NDIS participants to be able to work their way through a new and complicated process.

Series 3

EPISODE FIVE: 12 APRIL 2019

Q&A with the NDIA – featuring Maryanne Diamond AO, General Manager, Community Linkages and Engagement at the National Disability Insurance Agency

Previous episodes of Reasonable and Necessary with Dr George are available here. Full transcripts of each podcast are also available.

Last Friday (22 March 2019), the Australian Government announced a commitment to halving the number of younger people with disability entering residential aged care within 5 years. This is a significant announcement for the 50 younger Australians who are currently moving permanently into aged care every week.

The Summer Foundation welcomes Parliament’s commitment to a Royal Commission into the Abuse of People with Disabilities

The Summer Foundation is pleased that a motion for a Royal Commission into the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability in institutional and residential settings has been passed with bi-partisan support. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he will work with the states and territories to establish the Royal Commission.

Having choice and control over where you live and who you live with is critical to addressing the high levels of violence and abuse that people with disabilities are subjected to.

Very few alternatives exist for people with high support needs and too many are stuck in hospital wards or are forced into residential aged care – an unacceptable option where abuse and neglect is commonly reported. We want to see continued action to promote more independent living options for people with disabilities to live where and with whom they choose, free from violence and with access to high quality housing and support options.

New and contemporary models of housing and support are creating alternatives for people with high support needs, including through the NDIS’ Specialist Disability Accommodation initiative. These point to the future of safe and inclusive housing options for people with disability.

The Royal Commission is an opportunity to learn from victims about the true cost of segregation and institutionalisation. We hope the Royal Commission will help to foster high quality housing alternatives for Australians with disability who are stuck in hospital wards or are forced into residential aged care.

The winners of the two $5000 2018 Allen Martin Scholarships have been announced.

Clinical neuropsychologist and Monash University Research Fellow, Dr Kate Gould (pictured above, left), received a scholarship for her Australian first research to help protect people with acquired brain injury (ABI) from cyber scams

“This will be the first study to investigate how common cybercrime is for individuals with ABI,” Dr Gould said. “We will look into the types of cybercrime experienced and factors which may contribute to this vulnerability.”

She said understanding, preventing and effectively managing the impact of cybercrime had the potential to enhance quality of life for people with ABI by maximising their safety and confidence in accessing the internet, email, social media and other online activities.

Danielle Sansonetti (pictured above, right), an occupational therapist and senior clinician at the Alfred Health ABI Unit, will look at ways to optimise independence for individuals with ABI through successful application of daily routines after they transition to the community.

This will assist clinicians to better understand those interventions that can be applied in rehabilitation in order to achieve clinically important long-term outcomes.

“Investigation of an individual’s ability to maintain their daily routines in the community following discharge from residential rehabilitation will provide clinicians with important information around the factors that contribute to long-term sustainability of routines in the community,” she said.

About 40 people attended the Allen Martin Memorial Lecture and scholarship announcement on 14 November.

The lecture was presented by Professor Fary Khan, who discussed the “evolving role of rehabilitation in global health”.

The Allen Martin Research Scholarships are sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kew and Robinson Gill lawyers.