ParaQuad New South Wales is now known as Forward Ability Support.

Since the organisation first started as ParaQuad NSW back in 1961, it has been dedicated to supporting people living with spinal cord injury in the community.

Forward embodies the idea that no matter where any of us may be, at any point in time – physically or mentally – there is always the opportunity to move forward.

If you have been impacted by a spinal cord injury (SCI), Forward is there to support you to move forward and live your best life possible.

Forward works with many different funding bodies including NDIS, iCare and other insurance bodies, Disability Supports for Older Australians, Department of Veterans Affairs, private funding and Self-Managed Aged Care.

Forward is a progressive, forward-thinking organisation and as experts in SCI, its extensive knowledge, expertise and clinical, evidence-based practices underpin everything it does.

Forward’s Clinical Services team is made up of clinical nurse consultants and occupational therapists with extensive experience in spinal cord injury and similar neurological conditions.

They can help you with:

• Continence assessments
• Wound and pressure injury assessments and management plans
• Equipment recommendations and prescriptions
• Advice on wheelchair use, including propulsion and overuse injury prevention
• Equipment assessment and recommendations
• Assistive technology, assessment and recommendations
• Transfers and techniques, and recommendations to maximise independence
• Information about home modifications
• Travel planning
• Advice and educationSkills training around the home or in the community
• NDIS and iCare assessments
• Consultations under private health insurance
• We also provide education and advice to carers, families and health professionals

They also offer Home and Living Support:

At Forward, our focus is on giving people living with a spinal cord injury every opportunity to live life on their terms.

And for many, that means finding a place you can call home; be it living in supported independent accommodation, specialist disability housing or receiving professional care and support in your current home.

Accommodation: Forward offers long term, short term and respite accommodation depending on your needs. This can be used for visiting Sydney for medical appointments, for respite or when home modifications are occurring.

Personal care at home: With in-home support from the skilled personal care team, you can maintain your lifestyle in the way that you choose. Your support teams take the time to develop a deep understanding of your individual needs, which means we can offer a high level of care with a personal touch.

Forward can offer you:

• Specialist care – Forward specialises in spinal cord injury (SCI) and similar neurological disability. Our team completes intensive in-house training in all aspects of SCI care: bowel care, bladder care, continence management, safe transfers, use of mobility equipment, pressure area and skin care and identification and response to episodes of autonomic dysreflexia.
• Planning – The team works together with you to develop and implement your individualised care plan.
  Collaborative care – Forward takes a holistic approach to care and work together with you, your family members, physios, OTs and other service providers.
• Highly qualified support staff – In addition to your support workers, you will also be supported by a highly qualified team including an assigned rostering lead, client manager, team leader and care coordinator.
  Flexibility – Forward understands that your support needs may change over time, which is why it offers flexible rostering to suit your timetable.
• 24/7 support – Forward’s after-hours team is available to assist you outside of business hours.
  Free PPE – The organisation provides all PPE for its services at no cost to you – gloves, as well as additional PPE as needed during outbreaks such as COVID.
• Best practice SCI support – The team is supported by Forward’s clinical experts who provide ongoing education in spinal-specific care and best practice guidelines for SCI support. An appointment may be booked with our Clinical Consulting Team for health and wellbeing reviews.
  Experience – Forward has more than 35 years of experience supporting people in the community with their personal care needs.

Forward’s support services include:

• Bowel care and management
• Bladder and catheter care
• Showering, bathing, grooming and dressing
• Safe transfers, including use of hoists
• Support for your exercise or physio program
• Light domestic duties
• Laundry and cleaning
• Shopping and preparing meals
• Assistance with feeding
• Accessing the community, appointments and social activities
• Assisting you with transport
• Support with daily activities

Forward is proud to make a real difference in the lives of clients, customers and its extended team.

Forward’s experience of working with people every day gives team members great insight and understanding of how far-reaching the effects of spinal cord injury are, not just for the individual but also their families and extended community.

These insights have moulded and formed how the organisation supports a range of people with healthcare needs.

While the brand of ParaQuad NSW has been a solid force, the organisation realised it had to evolve, to broaden its horizons and lift its scope.

That is why ParaQuad NSW became Forward Ability Support – a name that reflects the positive, life-affirming attributes of the organisation – in December last year.

BrightSky Australia is also a social enterprise of Forward and a leading supplier of specialist healthcare products around Australia.

If you need support or want more information about this New South Wales organisation, give Forward a call on (02) 8741 5600, email enquiries@fas.org.au or check out their website.

There’s even a branch in the Northern Territory!