News

• National Equipment Database Improvements 
• Important Changes to Hire Services
• Speech Pathology Week 2020

• Coronavirus Pandemic Update

• Meet our Team

• Regulars

 
National Equipment Database Improvements

Australia’s biggest AT database, NED (the National Equipment Database) is currently undergoing some improvements, aimed at making the database easier to use. Some of the updates will include an easier search function and personalisation options for consumers and product cataloguing and an ecommerce platform for suppliers.

Last year NED recorded approximately 900,000 unique visitors to the site that engaged with more than 13,000 products across 5,600 suppliers. With that in mind the aim of the upgrade will relaunch NED with a new look and feel as well as improved functionality. It will create a more user-friendly experience that seamlessly connects people with the equipment they need, bringing tangible benefits to users. We hope to have most of the updates completed by the end of 2020.

If you have questions about the NED upgrade, please contact: sacha.marchant@askned.com.au

Visit NED

Important Changes to Hire Services

As of 1 July 2020, Indigo’s Equipment Hire Service ceased offering low-level and some high-level types of assistive technology (AT). Assistive Augmentative Communication (AAC) devices, including iPads with communication apps, switches, and mounts are still available to hire. Between the end of July and 30 September the following items are being phased out for hire:

• Shower commodes
• Hoists
• Slings
• Manual wheelchairs
• Standers
• Mattresses
• General communication items
• Voice amplifiers
• Chairs - flotation

• Bath seats, buggies and chairs for children
• Walkers
• Cushions
• Bellman amplifiers
• Alarm clocks
• Ramps
• Car supports, harnesses and car seats.

Low-level assistive technology can instead be hired from a range of other specialist AT suppliers and pharmacies and is also available for older people through the

Commonwealth Home Support Programme’s (CHSP) Goods, Equipment and Assistive Technology (GEAT) service. Find out more about the GEAT service.

If you would like further information about the changes to Indigo’s Equipment Hire Service, please contact our friendly team on 08 9381 0600 or help@indigosolutions.org.au.

Speech Pathology Week 2020
It was Speech Pathology Week from 23-29 August and Indigo is proud to celebrate the work of our passionate speech pathologists who work with people of all ages and abilities to communicate with confidence! Speech Pathology Week aims to promote the speech pathology profession and the work done by speech pathologists.

Did you know that 1.2 million Australians live with communication disability? Working with people to be more confident communicators enables them to participate in daily activities, learn and achieve more independence.

In this picture our experienced speech pathologists and speech pathology students display a range of communication systems and solutions to support people's communication needs.

Download Indigo communication resources

Read more about Indigo’s speech pathology services.

Coronavirus Pandemic Update

Based on the latest health advice, Phase 4 of the Western Australia COVID-19 roadmap has been extended until the end of October. This means that WA’s two square metre rule, 50 per cent capacity for major venues, hard border and access restrictions still apply.

Phase 5 would see remaining restrictions removed, except WA’s hard borders and access to remote Aboriginal communities. Given that the Eastern states have recently experienced an upswing in the number of coronavirus cases and fatalities, it is important that we do not become complacent and we are focussed on continuing to offer high quality services while practising good hygiene and physical distancing.

What you can do to help keep our community safe

Please follow the advice from the Department of Health. This includes:

• Download the COVIDSafe app
• Stay at home if you are unwell
• Practise social distancing
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, or hand sanitiser
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or use your inner elbow
• If you have arrived from overseas or interstate, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days.

Meet the Team

Name, Title/Job Role:

Gertie, Quality Risk Professional

What does your role involve? A key function of my role focuses on the organisation’s commitment to continuously improving the outcomes of care and service delivery.

Quality improvement is fundamental to the way the organisation thinks about what it does and as such my role works collaboratively with all business units to ensure quality is embedded within the organisation’s philosophy, practices and business processes.

Sitting alongside my quality portfolio is risk and here the focus is on ensuring risks are identified, minimised and managed and that lessons learned enable us to identify opportunities for improvement and empower us to drive and embed change.

How long have you worked at Indigo?

I started with Indigo in February this year. I was a mere six weeks into my role when the COVID-19 global pandemic struck, and most of the workforce moved to working remotely. It was a bit of a shock to the system at first, especially as I was still getting to know the organisation and its people. However, given the integrated information management systems coupled with a connected and engaged culture, it was so easy to continue to build and maintain effective relationships.

Read more about working at Indigo

People with Disabilities WA (PWdWA) State Conference

Indigo is proud to be a sponsor for the inaugural People with Disabilities WA (PWdWA) State Conference, which will be held at the Bendat Centre in Wembley from 19-20 November 2020. 

A first for WA, this pioneering conference will become a biennial event and focus on the perspectives, voices and input of people with disability. It will provide disability information, resources and opportunities to organisational and peer leaders, and share the lived experience of people with disability.

We will be part of a panel where we share our learnings and experience around the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Register now.