MiLife-Victoria in Hastings | Disability service

MiLife-Victoria

Locality: Hastings

Phone: +61 3 9775 7333

Address: 66 Victoria Street 3915 Hastings, TAS, Australia

Website: http://milife-victoria.org.au

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• Non-profit organisation
• Disability service
• Social service

25.01.2022 NDIS & Support Coordination... What's working well and what needs to change? That's the (very) short version of the questions asked in a new discussion paper ...released today by the NDIS. Support coordination is a really important part of the NDIS. And we know how important it is to many of you - it comes up all the time during our forums and in your submissions to government. Some parts of it are really really helpful - like getting help to navigate and understand the scheme and your plan, and having someone help find and organise the supports you need. And other parts of it are not so good - like conflicts of interest when a support coordinator recommends services from their own organisation, or when people who need it miss out. So it's good the NDIS are taking a good look at it and asking questions about what needs to change. And it's really important they hear from the people who use it or need it - you. People with disability and families. You can find out how to get involved from the Have Your Say section of the NDIS website - https://www.ndis.gov.au//have-your-say/support-coordination And if you want to know more about what a support coordinator is, and what they should and shouldn't do - check out this great fact sheet from VALID - https://www.valid.org.au/what-expect-your-support-coordina/ (Image description: screenshot of the Support Coordination Discussion Paper page on the NDIS website)

22.01.2022 Happy Fathers Day to all our MiLife-Victoria dads out there, we are sending you all our love

22.01.2022 The Annual General Meeting of MiLife-Victoria Inc. will be held via zoom on 3rd November 2020 at 7pm. For registration and details contact the office on 9775 7333.

21.01.2022 MiLife-Victoria has an exciting variety of online programs to keep you engaged with your friends and your mind active during these times. Join us online every weekday, we'd love to see you. Call 9775 7333 or email [email protected].

17.01.2022 Some news for all our Victorian peeps ... The Premier of Victoria Dan Andrews has announced how the state will ease out of stage four lockdown over the next few... weeks. From 11.59pm on September 13 in Metro Melbourne : The curfew will be from 9pm to 5am. You can exercise for up to two hours out of your house. And you can now exercise with one other person. If you live alone or are a single parent you can introduce one extra person to your "bubble". Same rules for shopping apply - one person, once a day. Restaurants and cafes will remain takeaway only. Schools and childcare remain closed except for the children of permitted workers. There will be a second stage of easing from Sept 28 - but there will also have to be a reduction of new cases of 30-50 a day for this to happen. Schools will partially reopen in Term 4 but students will return in stages. Prep to grade 2, VCE and VCAL students and students in Special schools will return first (Oct 12). Remote learning will continue for students in other year levels. When they will return will depend on public health advice. Up to five people from two households will be able to meet outside for a get together such as a picnic. In regional Victoria the rules are slightly different. From 11.59pm on September 13: You can only leave your home for one of four reasons - work, shopping, exercise, caregiving. If you live alone or are a single parent you can introduce one extra person to your "bubble". Up to five people from two households will be able to meet outside for a get together such as a picnic. Childcare will be open to all children. Schools will reopen at the beginning of Term 4 (Oct 12). Students will return in stages. Retail will open with social distancing restrictions. All this may change if there is a change in the numbers of people contracting the virus. You can read the full road map by following this link. There is different info for metro Melb and regional Victoria so make sure you look at the one that applies to you - https://www.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covid-19-restrictions-ro We will also update our website here - https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/new-coronavirus-rules/ We know many people are really struggling at the moment. We are in Melb too and we really understand. So please look after yourselves and others. And if you need help - please reach out for it. There are some numbers pinned to the top of this page that you might find helpful. to all our Victorian peeps (Image description: A map of the state of Victoria in yellow. The area around Melbourne is shaded in red. There is an emoji wearing a mask sitting on top of it. The text reads 'New information: Coronavirus changes in Victoria" in white lettering)

15.01.2022 Our all new Virtual Fun Days will find you enjoying our wildlife as you head to the Penguin Parade or on Safari across Werribee's Open Range Zoo. Enjoy some intimate concerts with your favourite artists, or experience incredible performances and musical stage shows. Places are limited, so be sure to get in quick.

14.01.2022 Another one for our Victorian peeps (but also good for everyone else around the country to know) ... The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services have ...updated their advice about the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Disability support workers working with people in their homes (and other settings such as group homes) are now advised to use both masks and eye goggles or a face shield when working with people with disability. This advice covers both close contact work and non contact support. The goggles may be reusable - and there are instructions how to safely clean and reuse. And if someone is working where there has been a suspected or confirmed case of COVID19 then a P2/N95 mask is recommended (rather than a standard surgical mask). There is a helpful table at the link below which shows which gear should be worn and when. This advice also applies to people who self manage their NDIS funds and employ their own support workers. You can find more info on the DHHS website here - https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/community-services-all-sector-c We are also constantly updating our website with new info. You can find it here - https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/new-coronavirus-rules/ (Image description: A picture of clear plastic safety goggles. They are sitting on a white background)

14.01.2022 The Disability Royal Commission is holding more hearings today. This week's hearings are looking at the use of drugs to control the behaviour of people with dis...ability. They are also looking at "behaviours of concern" - sometimes called challenging behaviours. This is likely to be yet another very upsetting week with some very disturbing stories and testimony by people with disability and their families. If you find yourself struggling please reach out for help - there are some numbers pinned to the top of this page which you might find helpful. If you would like to read more about the hearings or see the witness list for this week you can find it here - https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au//public-hearing-6 And you can watch the live stream of the hearings on the Royal Commission's website - https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/ The hearings start at 10am today. Please look after yourselves (Image description: A photo from the last Disability Royal Commission hearings. Two Commissioners can be seen sitting at a podium at the front of the room. They have microphones in front of them. In front of the podium are rows of desks with computers sitting on them. Two people are sitting at the desks - they face the camera with their backs to the Commissioners. One is wearing headphones. Another woman stands in front of the Commissioners. She is facing them with her back to the camera. She is wearing a black and white dress with large flowers on it. She is looking off to the side.)

13.01.2022 http:// Our small and super hardworking team needs a little backup! . Casual, min 14 hours/week inc. a weekend shift, with scope to increase as services expand .... Seeking a friendly and positive hospitality professional with extensive all-rounder experience: excellent coffee making exceptional customer service efficient dishwasher stacking enthusiastic team support . Contact: [email protected] . . . See more

12.01.2022 We've got some new and exciting activities on offer throughout the week. Now you can also join us online for Mystery Tours, Science Time, Games Day and Story Time. NDIS participants call MiLife-Victoria to book on 9775 7333.

12.01.2022 Some fantastic art ideas here!

10.01.2022 Some breaking news this morning The Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert has released the governments response to the Tune review. Just in case you have forgo...tten (because it already feels like a hundred years ago thanks to COVID) Last year Mr David Tune conducted a review into the NDIS Act. Not the whole kit and caboodle of the NDIS, but just what needed to change in the Act. And even though it was just supposed to be about the NDIS Act, Mr Tune made a bunch of sensible, practical recommendations about a whole lot of things like the need for simple and clear language to explain key NDIS terms like reasonable and necessary. Things like greater flexibility in how you can use your NDIS funds. And outreach and support for people who are really missing out like First Nations people with disability or people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. And the good news is that the government appears to have accepted all the recommendations except for two and those they have accepted in principle. Thats government speak for were kinda on board but we need to hedge our bets for a few reasons. Great to see acceptance - now for making them happen! And the Minister also announced the release of the Participant Service Charter and the Participant Service Improvement Plan (mouthfuls we know). Those two documents do two things. The Charter outlines the way participants can expect the NDIA to behave when it works with them. And the Plan outlines all the work the NDIA will do over the next two years to improve peoples experience of the scheme. Really critical things like introducing longer plans and greater flexibility in how you can use your NDIS funds. But amongst all the other things there was one part of the announcement that did catch our eye. The Minister also announced that from next year the NDIA will fund independent assessment for people applying to enter the scheme. And then later in the year for people having plan reviews at critical life points like leaving school or leaving home. There is not a lot of detail about that one. We know that lots of you are worried about what those assessments will mean for you. We do want the NDIS to be fair and consistent. And people shouldnt have to pay for expensive reports that may or may not hit the mark. But the most important thing of ALL - we need to make sure that people get the support they desperately need. As with all of these things the devil is always in the detail. There was a lot of information released today so we are working our way through it - so stay tuned (no pun intended). In the meantime you can read the announcement here https://ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releases/6156 You can read the government's response here - https://www.dss.gov.au//government-response-to-the-ndis-ac You can read some media coverage here - https://www.abc.net.au//ndis-disability-sector-go/12602432 The Participant Service Charter is here - https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policies/service-charter The Participant Service Improvement Plan is here - https://www.ndis.gov.au//participant-service-improvement-p And if you want to go back and have a look at the Tune review again you can find it here - https://www.dss.gov.au//2019-review-of-the-ndis-act-and-th Or our summary here - https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/singing-to-the-same-o/ The NDIA and Minister have released a few short videos this morning. You can find them all here - https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/big-ndis-changes-are-/ #NDIS #NDISMakeItWork (Image description: A red rectangle with the words "Breaking News" in white capital letters. Underneath the words you can see the Every Australian Counts logo and the words "NDIS: Make It Work)

09.01.2022 We have a couple of great Virtual Fun Days coming up this week with Cirque du Soleil tomorrow night (Tuesday, 22 September) and Hairspray - Part 1 this Saturday (26 September). If you'd like to join in for these or any of the range of online activities MiLife-Victoria has to offer throughout the week call 9775 7333 to book. For more details visit our website at https://www.milife-victoria.org.au/online-activities-for-p/

07.01.2022 Sign up for our online activities! There's something for everyone from dance to the music, cardboard recycling art, name that tune, social chat group, gamer club and much more. Stay in touch with friends, learn some new skills and enjoy something different each day. Call 9775 7333 to book in.

06.01.2022 We can't all be together in person at the moment, but we can get together online. MiLife-Victoria offers a range of online activities available to NDIS participants every weekday. Check out the video or visit our website for details and join us online. To make a booking call 9775 7333 or email [email protected].

05.01.2022 Putting on and taking off PPE isn't easy. It's a long and complex process. It's hot and dehydrating to wear, and it can leave pressure marks all over the skin t...oo. For our already tired healthcare workers finishing up lengthy and difficult shifts - it's just plain exhausting. But every layer is there to protect them from this wildly infectious virus. So to help keep our doctors and nurses as safe as possible, we'll be deploying dedicated PPE spotters in Victorian hospitals. These specialised staff will be an extra pair of eyes for healthcare workers - spotting the tiniest of gaps in PPE application. And it's these same tiny gaps that this infectious virus wants to take advantage of - and we want to stop. Every single one of our healthcare workers deserves to feel safe and supported at work. And we must do our best to keep them safe.

04.01.2022 More coronavirus news for our Victorian peeps... Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announced this morning that at-home coronavirus tests will now be avail...able for people who are homebound or can't get to a testing site - like people with disability or people with chronic health conditions. She said "We know that, for some vulnerable people some people who might be housebound due to disability or other chronic health conditions it is challenging for them to be able to present to a testing station. "So we are starting a call-to-test program that will enable someone to call our coronavirus hotline, they'll be assessed by a nurse through that hotline and, with a GP referral, we will go to them. "We will go to people's homes and we will ensure that they will be able to be tested within a 48-hour period. "This is designed to ensure that approximately 200 vulnerable Victorians every day will have access to this new testing capacity, making sure that people who might have limited mobility due to disability or might have other vulnerabilities due to chronic health conditions can get tested in their own home. "It is a free service and will be available throughout Victoria. "The way that people will be able to access this is, as I said, through the coronavirus hotline. There'll be a triage there and, with a GP referral, we will come to you." The Victorian coronavirus hotline is open 24/7. Call 1800 675 398 UPDATE (11/8). There is now more information on the Department of Health and Human Services website. You can find it here - https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/call-to-test-covid-19 We are keeping our website up to date with all the latest info and resources - https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/new-coronavirus-rules/ See the ABC's live blog for more announcements this morning from - https://www.abc.net.au//coronavirus-australia-liv/12539636 (Image description: a brightly coloured pop-art style painting of a 1950s suburban Melbourne house by artist Howard Arkley.)

04.01.2022 Just in case you missed it ... At the end of last week, the Disability Discrimination Commissioner Dr Ben Gauntlett released some guidelines about the rights of... people with disability during the COVID19 pandemic. They have been written to make sure people with disability can get the same health care and support as other people in the community during the pandemic. And that their rights are respected and protected. The guidelines have been written to help health care workers and people who work in the disability sector to make good decisions when it comes to supporting people with disability. They give practical examples of what to do - and what not to do - so that people with disability get the care and support they need. They are also useful for people with disability and their families who want to know more about their rights - and how to protect them. And what to do if you think you have been discriminated against. You can find a copy of the guidelines here - https://humanrights.gov.au//guidelines-rights-people-disab And there is also an Easy Read version of the guidelines here - https://humanrights.gov.au//AHRC_EasyRead_COVID19%20_Guide (Image description: A picture of the front cover of the Easy Read version of the guidelines. There is a photo of a young woman on the cover. She is smiling. Another person can be seen in the distance. The text reads "Human rights in health and disability care during COVID19. Guidelines. August 2020." The Australian Human Rights Commission logo is in the top left hand corner. An Easy Read logo is in the bottom right hand corner)

04.01.2022 There's more to say after R U OK? Start the conversation with a friend or work mate today. Listen, encourage action and check in.

03.01.2022 Nothing about this is easy. But any time you draw a line anywhere, there will be some things on one side and some things on the other. Some people might be aski...ng 'Why five kilometres and not ten?' 'Why is X open and Y isn't?' As with everything, we're trying to get the balance right. To make things as clear as possible. And we're doing our best to maximise the public health benefits while minimising the impact on everyone's lives. But the reality is that to get to the other side of this, we have to make some big changes and some big sacrifices. Stage 4 is about dramatically limiting our movement and the contact we have with others. That's the only way this will work. I know people have questions. Hopefully this answers some of them. Please look out for each other and stay safe.

03.01.2022 One for all our Victorian peeps this afternoon ... As promised there have been more announcements from the Victorian government today about the news rules for e...veryone living in metro Melbourne. These things will stay open during the stage 4 lockdown: Supermarkets and other places that sell food like butchers, bakers and fruit and veg shops. Petrol stations. Chemists and news agencies. Banks and post offices. These businesses will close from 11.59pm on Wednesday: Retail shops. But some places will be allowed to have click and collect, and some places will still have home delivery. Some manufacturing. Other workplaces - like meat works and building sites - will still be open but will have to reduce the numbers of workers who are on site. This lockdown will run for six weeks until September 13. There was a lot of detailed info released to the media this afternoon. This is just a summary. If you click on the link to the Premier's statement on the DHHS website (link below) you will find a word document with the full list of all businesses and whether they are open, closed or restricted. The Premier has also said there will be more information coming out over the next few days. And the Prime Minister has just announced that workers in Victoria will now be eligible for a payment of $1500 if they have to self isolate and don't have any sick leave. This is very important change for people who are casual workers. You can read more here - https://www.abc.net.au//federal-government-to-cre/12518580 You can find more news coverage here - https://www.abc.net.au//coronavirus-australia-liv/12516956 The Premier's statement is on the Department of Health and Human Services - https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au//premiers-statement-business-r And we are keeping our website updated here - https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/new-coronavirus-rules/ And as always the good folks at IDEAS Disability Information have translated everything and put it all in one spot to make it easier for all of us - https://www.ideas.org.au//stay-at-home-metro-melbourne-cov (Image description: A red rectangle with the words "Breaking News" in white capital letters. Underneath the words you can see the Every Australian Counts logo and the words "NDIS: Make It Work)

03.01.2022 More breaking news this afternoon ... (Goodness it's busy today. It's almost as if there is a Royal Commission going on or something) The Victorian government ...have announced the creation of a joint taskforce to oversee the management of COVID19 outbreaks in disability residential services. This joint taskforce will include both Victorian and Commonwealth officials such as the NDIA and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. It will be based in the Victorian State Control Centre - which is where all the emergency management stuff happens at the moment. They are doing that so they can get on top of things quickly. The Victorian government is also working with disability service providers to try and limit the movement of workers across multiple sites. So they have established a fund to pay workers who miss out on work as a result. The details on how that fund will work are still being worked out. This is some good news. We know you have been frustrated by all the argy bargy in the last week. It's good that everyone is knuckling down and working together to do everything they can to keep people safe and well. When there are more details we will share them with you. In the meantime you can read more on the Victorian Premier's website - https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/node/22171 (Image description: A red rectangle with the words "Breaking News" in white capital letters. Underneath the words you can see the Every Australian Counts logo and the words "NDIS: Make It Work)

03.01.2022 We can't all be together in person at the moment, but we can get together online. Join us for a range of fun and educational activities throughout the week. To book in call 9775 7333 or email [email protected]

03.01.2022 We are proud to announce an exciting new timetable for 2021 with a plethora of programs on offer for people with disability. Programs are centre, community and home-based and with so much choice there will certainly be something to suit everyone. Take a look at the booklet links on the MiLife-Victoria website and if you'd like to make some bookings, call Head Office on 9773 7555 and speak with one of our friendly staff members. https://www.milife-victoria.org.au/our-services/

02.01.2022 The Disability Royal Commission starts public hearings again today. Every day this week the Commission will hear from people with disability, families and advoc...ates about their experiences during the COVID19 pandemic. We will be giving evidence tomorrow. We will be telling the Commission about what people said in the Every Australian Counts survey we ran a couple of months ago. We will also release a short report about the survey tomorrow morning. So stay tuned! The hearing will be streamed live. You can watch on the Commission's website. You can watch here - https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au (Image description: A picture of the front page of the Disability Royal Commission website. There is a photo of the seven Commissioners sitting a table. There are microphones and water jugs on the table. There is a purple banner with the words "Public hearing into impacts of COVID-19 starts 18 August" in white lettering. The logo of the Royal Commission sits in the top left hand corner. The words "Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability" in white letters sits next to it)

01.01.2022 Getting to a drive-through or walk-in testing site isn't the most accessible option for everyone. That's why we've introduced the 'Call-to-Test' service. An in-...home testing service for those with injuries, disabilities or who have difficulty travelling - and would otherwise be unable to leave home to be tested. If you live in a Stage 4 restrictions area, have symptoms, and you're eligible for the service, a qualified health clinician will visit within 48 hours of your call. You'll be able to isolate safely at home, and help slow the spread. No one should miss out on a getting a coronavirus test when they need one. And this way, they won't.