20th August 2024
Nomads Golf Club Inc.
Re: Multiple Sclerosis Auckland
Vehicle supplied by Nomads Golf Club to be used by an MS Auckland Community Advisor as they support people in the community with Multiple Sclerosis to best manage this life limiting condition
Dear Wayne Scholtz, Paul Lash, Vern Pere and the members of the Nomads Golf Club,
On behalf of Multiple Sclerosis Auckland and the people in the community we serve with Multiple Sclerosis we wanted to express again our deepest thanks for the vehicle your club donated to our organisation back in 2021.
The vehicle is running faultlessly and it has made a world of difference to our service delivery and is on the road most days, seeing people with multiple sclerosis in their homes or places of work. We have been especially grateful that it is a hybrid which has saved us significantly on fuel costs as every dollar saved can be put back into serving those most in need.
In 2020 MS Auckland was part of a group of Disability Support Services that engaged Impact Lab in Wellington to conduct a study on the social benefit provided from our services. For every $1 donated to or granted to MS Auckland, there was a measurable $8.50 in social impact benefit to society… an 850% return on investment! We are very proud of this achievement.
Thank you once again for your generosity to those in need – we are so grateful!
Yours sincerely
Mark Blackie
Business Manager
Multiple Sclerosis Auckland
Our MS Community Advisor puts in monthly reports about the work she is doing supporting people with MS and their families in the community. Here are several excerpts from her recent reports which illustrates the impact the Nomads Golf Club’s donation has been having:
- MS Community Advisor provided support for a woman in her early 40’s with MS who also suffered a stroke and has a complex family dynamic with a pregnant teenage daughter. She also has an inadequate living situation and limited care. She was unaware of social housing and full WINZ entitlements. The MS Community Advisor guided her through her MSD eligibility assessment for social housing and WINZ financial entitlements. She also supported her to get reassessed by WINZ and then advised her on what is available for her in terms of supported living. Discussed how she could support her daughter and her unborn child whilst she manages her daily living as well as she can. Got Oranga Tamariki involved and liaised with the service facilitator from Taikura Trust to increase support hours.
- A newly diagnosed woman asked if her MS Community Advisor would come and chat to her family about MS and how they could support her. There were 10 family members present, some from South Africa. They had many questions and the session lasted for a full two hours. They were very appreciative of the service MS Auckland is providing. The woman also asked the MS Community Advisor to her place of work to chat to the directors about MS and how they could support her. They directors were very supportive of their employee and asked all sorts of questions about MS. The general feeling was that the employer was committed to making her workplace a good and positive experience.
- Home visit to a person with MS who has major balance issues from MS and a sprained ankle. He works full time but is currently on ACC. He lives on his own with a large flight of stairs to his home. He is unable to do much housework and is unable to afford to pay for home help. He is not eligible to receive help through Taikura Trust. He has been given notice that he needs to leave his rental accommodation. He has also removed himself off his disease modifying medications. The MS
Community Advisor spoke to him about the importance of taking his medication and not stopping it or restarting it without speaking to his neurologist and referred him to the MS Nurses to assist him with restarting his medication, a community social worker to assist him with finding suitable housing to meet his needs and sourced a loan cane to help him with his balance. The social worker had many questions regarding MS and liaised frequently with the MS Community Advisor. The Community Advisor also did a Total Mobility assessment to assist him with reduced taxi fares.
- An elderly woman with MS who is living in a Housing NZ complex had new neighbours move in next door who are excessively noisy all hours of day and night. The woman felt unsafe in her home and was unable to rest. Her MS symptoms were worsening due to fatigue and continuous anxiety. The Community Advisor supported the woman to contact the Kianga Ora Tenancy Manager and organised a meeting in her home. The Community Advisor attended the meeting in support. The decision was made by Kianga Ora to find other accommodation for her neighbours, as they
did not fit the demographic of the complex. The residents in the complex are mainly retired, whilst the new tenants are a young couple with children. In the meantime, the new tenants were given notice to rectify their behaviour. The elderly woman was most grateful, is feeling much better and her health is returning.
- Helped a man with secondary progressive MS navigate getting some suitable footwear as postural asymmetry, swelling and limited hand function made socks and shoes impossible. He also needed a power chair as he is completely off feet at home. At the same time, we looked at a vehicle adaptation and helped him prepare for his Driving License renewal, which was causing him some anxiety about passing.
- Working with a young woman with MS who is about to become homeless. She is also dealing with a brain injury, addiction and mental health issues. Supported her around advocacy – assistance with finding a suitable place to live and support around her addiction and mental health needs.
- Man with primary progressive MS and in a power wheelchair. His National Travel Assistance has been revoked and he has been turned down for funding support to his health appointments. Even with a total mobility card he will need to pay $90 each way for a power chair accessible vehicle for his medical appointments. Advocating on his behalf without success to date. Looking now at submitting an application for funding to Lotteries enable him to purchase his own vehicle.
- Supporting a recent widow with MS who lives alone in a caravan park. She has limited mobility, is socially isolated and has no family in NZ. Liaised with Taikura Trust to increase her support hours, put her in touch with the local church for volunteers to clean up around her caravan, and arranged for a volunteer visitor, and introduced to an MS support group which she thoroughly enjoyed.
- Supported a man with progressive MS who, due to his speech being strongly affected by his MS, was unable to explain his needs for his bathroom to the community occupational therapist. Worked together with the man and the OT to arrange to make his bathroom accessible. It was a very satisfactory result which will now enable the man to stay in his home longer.
