The 9th National MND Australia Conference, hosted by MND South Australia, was held on Friday 31 August. The conference MND Care: Informing, Influencing, Innovating attracted over 200 delegates with diverse health, allied health and community support backgrounds from around Australia and New Zealand.
Personal perspectives from two people, one under the age of 65 and one over, set the scene for the day. They highlighted the positive impact on quality of life of timely access to diagnosis, support from MND Associations, multidisciplinary health care, assistive technology and at home supports, and the negative impact of waiting lists and lack of understanding particularly for older Australians.
With a program that covered topics as diverse as adapting to the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Assistive Dying legislation in Victoria to carer support and well-being, as well as updates on the latest research, it was a lively and informative day. In addition trade displays, poster presentations and networking during the breaks enabled delegates to share their experiences and knowledge, further supporting the aim of this conference, to promote and support better outcomes for people living with MND nationally.
Over 60 staff from MND Australia and the six State based MND Associations came together for the national support staff meeting the day before the conference. It was a lively and vibrant day of sharing best practice models of support and challenges faced in adapting to the changing service delivery landscape in Australia. In a country as vast as Australia these biennial meetings provide a vital opportunity for MND Association staff to share, network and develop professionally with their peers from around the country. If you were unable to attend the National Conference this year you can catch up on all presentations here.