How did you find out about our clinic initially?
Visually. It's down the end of the road so drive past it every day. So we did some research online to see what BIM is all about, and after doing some review of reviews we came in met with two people and asked who’d like to take on our case and Pete Graver put his hand up. We found out about the clinic through our OT at Everyday Independence who did the initial assessments – she gave us a list of some physios around the area and we said we knew this clinic down the road.
What were your first impressions of the clinic and your treating physio?
Professional I would say. Initially we might have had only one session in your offices so you could do a curb-side evaluation of what we could and couldn't do, and soon after, we undertook the first 6-12 months of sessions here at home. We initially did it at home to be comfortable because as you know, I don't like gyms; I've never been to a gym, I can't really operate in one effectively without having someone there to support us and same thing with our two affected children Will and Ella. For all of us you know it could be very intimidating, and with our kids who were 16 and 13, Ella in particular wouldn't have wanted to go to a go to a gym amongst other people.
It was really a case of getting some confidence from doing what we're doing at home first and with your encouragement we realised we could get so much more out of the BIM gym because of the equipment and set-up; it wasn't long before we realised that we didn’t have the facilities here at home to even closely match what we could do down there. So that was pretty much it once you get into the groove and get a little bit of confidence about the place and the people.
I think you’ve just got to remind yourself that everyone's there to get something out of it for themselves. It’s important that you not worry about what other participants were doing but just concern yourself what you're doing, because they're doing what they can do at whatever stage of development they're at and we're doing whatever we can do. It’s that simple.
What are your goals for coming to physio?
I expect Ella and Will to continue to improve as they're getting older because they're developing still so they can improve and actually get to a better position than they were yesterday, which was already better than the day before. I know you continue to challenge them in the gym and this is where their improvement comes from.
For me it's more about maintaining my physical state and not going backwards. If I can maintain it, I'll be happy with that because I think I'm also coming off a higher base than Will and Ella at the same age. There’s no doubt over the last three years I've improved because I can do things now that I couldn't do previously, particularly around balance and fall prevention. This is really important to all three of us, because as I keep saying, “prevention is the only cure” for us. We need to keep on our feet and keep active!
Realistically if I can do what I'm doing now in five or ten years I'll be pretty happy, because that means my quality of life hasn't deteriorated from a physical perspective. Ella and Will just want to be able to more easily integrate with their friendship groups. In Will’s case whether it’s going to pubs, restaurants or social gatherings, it’s about not “dragging the chain” when you walk with your mates, he just wants to be able to keep up with his friends, particularly when you are tired. And for Ella it's the same being able to keep up with her friends but it's also about not being noticed when and how you do things, walking a certain way, a certain gait - or something like that.
Again, Ella came off a low base but she's improving her sense of balance and strength – she has already improved significantly and with this improvement comes self-confidence. For both of them, it's about being able to navigate whatever surroundings you have to deal with, whether it’s school, work or the community and more easily integrate into community life. This means being able to go the footy, go to the cricket or go to the movies with friends.
How is your experience with the admission process to the NDIS?
The first 12 months was difficult and painful, as what NDIS was they trying to do was very ambitious rolling out such a big program so quickly. You had inexperienced people, non-healthcare people trying to do assessments, understand our needs, interpreting reports of occupational therapists and trying to understand your needs and in short, they had staff who were ill-equipped to deal with this.
My brother's been more recently admitted into the NDIS program in the last 12 months and it quite seamless. I can see this because for my case manager now, the review process works really well and I know my support Team are only a phone call away. They now know what they're doing, they have the right people in place and they listen to you. Clearly, they have learnt from their mistakes. Previously everything used to take so long to accomplish and there were so many phone calls, but now with the appropriate documentation from your physio, podiatrist, your doctor or other healthcare member, the system and the process is relatively seamless.
How have you found the day-to-day experience of the NDIS using the My-place portal, booking appointments and getting in touch with your providers and the NDIS?
It's a very useful tool. They've come a long way in three years and once you strike up a relationship with your provider or your case manager things are easy and straight forward enough. I can call them about anything and I’ve every confidence that it will be actioned quickly as long as the request is reasonable and supports my goals. And similar in terms of dealing with appointments with the support staff at the physio clinic and gardeners and cleaners, things like that. Because I have formed meaningful relationships with our support providers, for me it's no problem. The MyPlace portal and things like that are a piece of cake.
Anything else you’d like to add?
The best thing people can do if they're unsure is come down and meet you and Your team. We have had exposure to a number of the BIM physios (in your absences) and I would have no hesitation in recommending you or any of Your Team.
I'm happy to chat to anybody about my experience and answer questions a bit more independently. But apart from that I would simply say come down and meet with The Team at the BIM Blackburn Clinic. You guys have your 20-minute free assessments so you can get an idea of what your goals are and what you can do for them. When we first came down and met you, we received a warm welcome, just like when you walk in you get a good vibe. You want people who are keen to support others.
To chat to Noel directly about his experience he is happy to take calls or emails at
0408 575 492
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