C.W.A.C. REPORT: SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2021 - KZN Cerebral Palsy Association

C.W.A.C. DAY CARE CENTRE REPORT: SEPTEMBER 2021 – OCTOBER 2021

Members

DESCRIPTION	NUMBER
Full time	19
Part time	1
Casual	0
New members (September 2021 – October 2021)	0
Member resignations (September 2021 – October 2021)	0

There have been no new members at the Centre. Lack of transport continues to be a deterring factor. Potential member assessments are continuing, and should the vehicle capacity issue be sorted, these members will now be able to join and benefit from the Association.
The members who attend therapy continue to display positive outcomes through Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy. With the Yellow Group (early intervention), the members have made progress in terms of their feeding and swallowing. With the ongoing Physiotherapy and OT, members have made pleasing progress in terms of reduced spasticity, enhanced holistic engagement, and more appropriate positioning.
Member wheelchair assessments occur as required and is usually sent through to the relevant wheelchair companies.

The Care Workers continue to engage members in the daily stimulation programs which have provided a positive change. The Yellow Group has implemented an adjustment to their program as they have found it to be more effective to do the member exercises earlier in the day as opposed to after breakfast.
The Green Group Care Workers have begun to engage the members using a tablet – with visual and auditory stimulation. This has made quite a positive difference in the members’ engagement and performance. They have shown more awareness when they interact using the tablet. The Yellow Group will include a similar program once they receive a tablet as well.
There have been no additional training or webinars attended. The Care Workers will engage in further training and webinars as opportunities arise.

Therapy services and volunteer services have resumed. Currently we have monthly visits from Speech Therapy, twice monthly visits from Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy.

On the 6^th of October 2021, we celebrated World CP Day. The members and staff were spoiled with donated goodies to celebrate this day. To further commemorate this day, the Association, in collaboration with the eThekwini Municipality, was able to host a CP Awareness Program on 21 October 2021. We invited members of the disabled community, parents, caregivers, community members, and healthcare professionals to attend on this day. At this event, we were able to spread awareness through the views of CP members, staff, and parents affiliated with the Association. This event was a huge success, and it provided a good platform for networking, reaching those who require assistance and promoting our work at the Association. Additionally, it provided the means for parents and community members to question the eThekwini Municipality on various aspects on service delivery. Overall, this event went well, and it was a huge achievement and step forward for the Association and in building a more inclusive society for people with disabilities. We are quite proud of our staff, CP members, and parents of the Association for attending and engaging in our program.
The members Christmas party is set for 26 November 2021. The staff members are preparing the members to participate in a play for the day.

On the 4^{t h} and 5^th of October 2021, I attended the NAPCP Conference. It was hosted to discuss the latest information and advances in academics that impact treatment and performance of CP individuals. The presenters were from different provinces and included an array of healthcare professionals from the multidisciplinary team. It was interesting to see the different ideas mentioned and it provided information on evidence-based practice, the underlying reasons we follow certain courses, and how we should adapt based on different community models. The information was quite academic in nature; however, it is useful to implement in practice when carrying out treatment from the rehab team.