Our mission is to guide people’s choices to access assistive technology
and services for independence and wellbeing.
Welcome to our ILCWA Country Services Newsletter
Hello! It has been a busy start to 2016 for the ILC Country Services with many trips happening in this first quarter. This newsletter we will look at two pieces of equipment that have had a revamp from their respective manufacturers and may have features that are new to you. The equipment featured in this edition is related to safety and recreation, please read on to gain more information about a well-known satellite GPS tracker and a tool that can increase recreational fishing participation for those with reduced mobility.
Meet the Country Services Team
The team is made up of occupational therapists who cover different regions throughout Western Australia.
We have a new team member, Minna Porter, who will be covering the Midwest Region.
Pilbara
26th May to 1st June
Karratha, Port Hedland & Onslow
Midwest
June – July
August – Mingenew Expo
Wheatbelt
August
Kimberley
September
Goldfields October
Great Southern November
Stories from the Road
In previous years I covered the South West region of WA as part of the ILC’s country service however I have now taken over the Wheatbelt area instead. I recently completed an 11 day trip in March. This was my first country trip to the Wheatbelt and my first time visiting many of the towns in this area. I was excited about visiting lots of towns that were new to me and meeting people from these towns.
The ILC Tech Team has wrapped up a busy financial year in 2015/16 with visits to Merredin, Albany, Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie and finally Karratha. The ILC Tech Team is now taking expressions of interest for country visits for the 2016 / 2017 financial year. To arrange a trip to your town, follow these steps:
Start discussions between local allied health teams, schools, LAC’s and families regarding which individuals may benefit from an appointment to look at communication aids, computer access, other educational technology etc. For more information on ILC Tech services visit our website
Contact ILC Tech, on 9381 0600 or technology@ilc.com.au to discuss your towns needs.
Complete a referral form (provided by ILC Tech) for each client requiring an appointment.
ILC Tech will review the referrals and coordinate appointments with the local referrer.
Equipment in Focus...
SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Tracker
This tracker works even in areas with no mobile network. This device has basic and advanced location features depending on the monitoring plan you purchase from the supplier. The basic features include an SOS button and a separate Help/Assist button. It is important to note the difference between these two buttons as the response provided is very different.
The SOS button automatically contacts local emergency services with your GPS location. This is similar to an emergency beacon carried by boats and remote travellers.
The Help/Assist button is programmed to contact a designated person and is to be used for non-life threatening situations. This button can have a custom message saved to it so that when activated an SMS with GPS coordinates and message outlining basic medical details of the user is sent.
As the SPOT uses satellite GPS it is possible to check on its location in near real time from any computer or smart device. This can provide you with current location as well as where you/the user has travelled.
The SPOT Gen3 is waterproof and powered by 4 x AAA batteries. It can be set to send out tracking checks every 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes.
This product is not new and is a mainstream product that can be used to make fishing accessible for those with limited or reduced strength.
This is an electrical powered unit which attaches to a Penn reel to bring in the catch at the push of a button. The remote push button can be mounted on the pole or to a chair/wheelchair if required. There are different models available to suit the type of fishing and all are suitable for fresh and salt water.
A portable battery pack is an option that would be recommended as they need a 12V battery to operate. The rod could then be placed in a holder or harness for those unable to hold or who wish to be hands free in between reeling in their catch.
Did you know?
Did you know you can visit the ILC website for a range of useful resources based on common enquires about the topics of communication; computer access and software; and tablets and smartphones?
These resources are designed to be a starting point when sourcing information on assistive technology. View the resources here.
Review of ILC services in regional WA
To help improve the services offered to people living in regional areas of Western Australia, the ILC will be working in partnership with Health Promotion Solutions to conduct an evaluation of our existing services and inform the development of new services.
In the next month you may receive an email from Health Promotion Solutions requesting your participation in a brief online survey. The survey will seek feedback on your knowledge of and use and satisfaction with our current regional services and explore options for future regional service delivery.
The survey will be sent to all of our stakeholders including people who use our services and equipment, allied health staff and carers. If you do receive this email, we would be most grateful if you could complete the survey as requested. If you do not receive an email and would like to provide feedback, would you please email or call us on 1300 885 886 or 08 93810600 so we can add you to our database.
If at any time you have any questions about the survey you can contact Stacey at Health Promotion Solutions by email: stacey@healthpromotionsolutions.com.au. We look forward to sharing the findings of this evaluation with you and to working together to improve the services offered to people living in regional Western Australia.
ILC Head Office
The Niche, Suite A, 11 Aberdare Road, Nedlands WA 6009
Phone: (08) 9381 0600 or 1300 885 886 (the cost of a local call from anywhere in WA)
