Dear Friend,

With NAIDOC week just coming to an end, I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation, the traditional owners of the land where our Asthma WA offices are found. I’d also like to pay my respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging who have contributed and worked alongside us to provide ongoing services to many of WA’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

When I first sat down to write this, our State was entering a new phase of lifted restrictions, and the very next week we went into lockdown. Ongoing uncertainty with the pandemic and the need to be flexible affects us all in different ways… I hope you are OK and if our team can support you in any way please don’t hesitate to reach out. Winter is certainly here with the wild weather conditions we have been experiencing so it seems timely to talk about some of the seasonal challenges our community faces when it comes to managing their respiratory health. 

In this edition, we have an exciting update on a new service, some of our team tackle the often-confusing topic of respiratory viruses, we share some insights from people we have supported this year, and we share tips on how to stay well and warm this season. We’re also seeking expressions of interest to join our Consumer Advisory Network.

I hope you are keeping well – but if your asthma or COPD symptoms are playing up or it’s been a while since you’ve spoken to someone about how you are managing, please remember we are here for you. Do not hesitate to call our Respiratory Health Team on (08) 9289 3600 to talk through your asthma and/or COPD.

Warmest wishes,

Donna Rendell
Chief Executive Officer
Asthma WA

COPD Community Integrated Care Program

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often need additional support following discharge from hospital. This helps to improve their health outcomes and quality of life, while also decreasing the risk of future unplanned returns to hospital. 

Thanks to the generous support of WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA), Asthma WA is working in collaboration with Silver Chain to develop a new service that will provide this important support and education to people with COPD who are recently discharged from hospital.

How your feedback helps develop and grow our services

Asthma WA is committed to ensuring our services are consumer-driven. Each year we survey people who have received our services in the past 12 months which always provides invaluable insights, helping us to improve and establish new services.

It’s not surprising that there are increased feelings of anxiety and/or depression due to the pandemic, but also the judgement felt, when coughing or wheezing due to their asthma or COPD and not COVID-19. This feedback is prompting us to focus on ways we can assist people to become more confident in their ability to control their respiratory condition, and we hope in the next 12 months to develop more resources and education programs to support people in this area. Until then, don’t hesitate to call (08) 9289 3600 to speak to one of our Respiratory Health nurses or educators for support.

A pleasing 82% of respondents had received, or were planning to have, their flu vaccination, and we hope that we will see the same number or more people having had the COVID-19 vaccination in our survey next year.  Asthma WA advocates strongly for all people with asthma and COPD to ensure they are fully vaccinated where possible.  Click here for some useful resources

The two biggest challenges faced by respondents were sleep and overall wellbeing. If this sounds like you or a loved one, we urge you to call us on (08) 9289 3600. 87.5% of respondents also reported they learnt new information about their asthma/COPD, 85% now manage their condition in a different way, and 74% said their symptoms improved after help from Asthma WA. We could help you too!

Respondents also gave feedback on where they would like to see Asthma WA focus our service delivery. The top responses were:

• Education for GP’s and pharmacies (16% of respondents didn’t have an Asthma Action Plan and 34% had no COPD Management Plan. These are essential tools to maintain a good quality of life. If this is you, please ask your GP at your next visit).
• Free lung function testing clinics
• Increased presence in hospitals

We will be responding to these and many other suggestions in the coming year and are working closely with the WA Department of Health and WA Primary Health Alliance to source funding for new and pilot projects such as the COPD community integrated care program mentioned earlier. 

Further information on the consumer survey will be in our annual report later in the year.

Consumer Advisory e-Network - Calling for expressions of interest

Asthma WA is interested in your views.  In addition to our annual Consumer Survey and our ongoing service evaluation, we are establishing a new Consumer Advisory e-Network.  This will consist of consumers with asthma and/or COPD, carers, and family members who have an interest in our organisation and would like to participate in the development of resources, services and programs. 

If you would like further information or are interested in being involved, click on the button and complete the “Expression of Interest” application.

Niamh talked to us about her fascinating work that explores ways to improve the immune system with the view to prevent lung infections and asthma. Her research focuses on babies and their developing immune systems to determine if it is possible to alter the way their immune system responds to infection, making them able to fight infections better.

The WA-based Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre aims to prevent and cure respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, in children. This centre is the first of its kind, bringing together clinicians, scientists, and the community with a vision of developing a vaccine-like treatment that eliminates asthma.

It was wonderful to hear about some of the research underway at the centre and our team at Asthma WA is looking forward to collaborating with the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre and Telethon Kids Institute in our shared pursuit to not only improve quality of life but eradicate this life-altering condition.

How do you use your medication?

FACT: Using your inhaler like a perfume spray will not help relieve your asthma or COPD symptoms.

Our Respiratory Health Team sees a lot of different interpretations of how a person thinks they should use their asthma medication. Some need small adjustments to ensure a person gets greater effect from their medication, and some need guidance on completely changing their technique.

Often, these common (and occasionally unique) techniques are caused by a miscommunication that can be easily resolved with a review from one of our Respiratory Health Nurses or Educators. Been a while since you had a review of your technique? Book a free consultation with our team to help get you back on track. Request your consultation online or give our team a call on (08) 9289 3600.

A touch of history

Have you ever been to Kellerberrin? Did you know there is a Preventorium? One of our team recently heard from a friend visiting this lovely Wheatbelt town and that they weren’t staying in a local hotel. They were going to spend the night at St Joseph’s Preventorium!

This historical building was built in 1928 as a Preventorium for children with asthma and other maladies. It was the first of its kind in Australia and was run by the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and provided a haven for children until its closure in 1976.

The building was restored many years later and now operates as a function centre and accommodation.

Thank you for supporting our appeal

Thank you so much to everyone who generously gave in support of our recent appeal. It has been a challenging couple of years for many of us and it means a lot to us and the people we support throughout our vast State to have you by our sides through it all.

If you haven’t donated yet, there is still time. While the 30th of June has passed, you can still make a tax-deductible donation for our new financial year. Your support today will help us continue providing our services for free to vulnerable Western Australians with asthma and COPD.

Planned burn seasons

Planned burns (also referred to as prescribed, controlled and hazard reduction burns depending on who is managing them and why they are undertaking the task) are more common at different times of the year.

In the Pilbara and Kimberley regions, prescribed burns are common from February to May. In the southern part of Western Australia, planned burning typically takes place from April through to October when vegetation contains more moisture. Local councils and private landowners also burn off during these periods which can create smoke that impacts nearby urban centres.

1. Make an appointment to see your doctor to review your Asthma or COPD Action Plan – you should do this at least every 12 months, or more often if your symptoms have changed
2. Know when the typical planned burn season takes place in your region – there is no fixed date for it to start or finish but knowing when they are likely to take place will help you plan ahead.
3. Take your preventer medication as prescribed – it can take 6-8 weeks to provide maximum protection
4. Revisit your device technique – are you using it correctly to maximise the benefit of your medication? Asthma WA’s Respiratory Health Team can help you, and it’s a free service. Give us a call on (08) 9289 3600 to book your free consultation.
5. Make sure you have your reliever medication with you at all times and that it has not expired.
6. Check out the resources we have compiled on our Asthma Alert webpage. They include air quality and emergency updates, information on planned/prescribed burns, understanding weather inversions and satellite imagery.

The event ran over two days and the crowd kept us busy! We are grateful to Celebrate WA who invited us to attend this great event and for the support of some amazing volunteers from NAB who helped our stall activities flow.

Resources for health professionals

Your health team plays an incredibly important role in diagnosis and treating a person’s respiratory condition. Our Respiratory Health Team works closely with health professionals from GPs, respiratory physicians, specialists and pharmacists to help provide additional support to their patients with asthma and/or COPD. This includes education, medication and device reviews, understanding Asthma and COPD Care Plans and promoting self-management of their condition.

In April last year, just as our State was heading into its first COVID-19 lockdown, we were thrilled to welcome Jacqui to our Respiratory Health Team to provide education and support to people with both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It wasn’t the easiest time to start a new role in any organisation, but she took to it like an inhaler to a spacer and has been making an enormous difference to the respiratory health of many Western Australians since.

Once upon a time, Jacqui worked in the frontline as a Registered Nurse and educator in the UK and Canada. She has a strong interest in aged care with a drive to form positive connections with people wherever she goes.

A mother of two, Jacqui is always pretty busy. When she finds time in her hectic schedule, she enjoys gardening, cooking, going for walks, meeting friends for coffee and on occasion, baking cakes, doing yoga and travelling.

Are you interested in learning more about helping kids with asthma during exercise? Our Activ8 for Asthma coaches' program is a FREE online course specifically for those working with children and young people in sports or who have an interest in better understanding asthma and knowing what to do in an asthma emergency.

Find out more on our website and share with anyone you think would benefit from this course. The more people who understand asthma and how to manage the condition, the greater our children’s involvement and enjoyment of sport will be.

The Activ8 for Asthma online training was made possible due to the support of Telethon 7.

• AstraZeneca and Dr John Blakey for supporting our ‘Diagnosing Asthma’ video

• Boehringer Ingleheim for supporting our webinar for health professionals on COPD Medications

• Stan Perron for supporting our EasyOne Pro Lab lung function testing machine for our Paediatric Respiratory Hub and community

• Alcoa's 'PEACH - People Employed at Alcoa Charity Help' program for raising funds in the workplace to purchase much-needed spirometry equipment

• National Asthma Week – 1-7 September 2021

• Father’s Day – 5th September 2021

• Queen's Birthday public holiday (WA) - 27th September 2021

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