Access: How many agencies does it take to change a light bulb?
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
This is a NASC. Can you believe it??????
Sadly, yes.
The very last thing the NASCs want is for actual disabled people to turn up at the office.
Goodness gracious me...we can't have that.
The NASC in Hamilton, Disability Support Link is...
Upstairs? Yes
Small lift? Yes
Mobility Parking? one park, up a narrow side alley, on a sideways slope
The last time we went to DSL....some years ago now (because we want nothing to do with them since they seem to think residential care would be appropriate for Peter) they shared a floor with a Probation Office. DSL's office was not wheelchair welcoming, and one had to wend one's way around desks in an open plan office to get to the private meeting room.There is a message being sent here.
Maybe we could compile a pictorial record of these examples of state funded disability providers failing to provide adequate access.
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
Push the intercom button and you come up on a screen in Taikura’s reception
Hang on a minute….is that a camera I spy in your pic? On the intercom panel?
Please tell me it isn’t so…
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Angela Hart, in reply to
.is that a camera I spy in your pic? On the intercom panel?
yup, if you can't be seen, you probably don't get in. Secure access, even for the stairwell. We're a scary lot, must be.
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Angela Hart, in reply to
Maybe we could compile a pictorial record of these examples of state funded disability providers failing to provide adequate access.
Something like Steal Magnolia, maybe Access Denied? Russell?
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Gillian Hart, in reply to
Yeah. They tried to assure us that they’d see me on the screen if I needed to come in, but the screen only comes awake in reception when the button is pressed–I saw it happen while we were up there. I only caught a glimpse of the standing person’s top half, so I imagine I would have been completely invisible even if I’d BEEN able to, IDK, throw a rock at the intercom button, or beg a passing seagull to peck it for me. The angle of the photo is a little misleading–that intercom panel is MILES over my head.
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
Is there perhaps a money exchange in the building? A pharmacy?
A diamond dealer?
WTFF?
We’re a scary lot
I can see that. That hand moving towards the button!
Questions Need To Be Asked.
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
throw a rock at
See! Scary.
or beg a passing seagull
We will not beg.
(but you could pay a seagull, bread maybe?)
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Gillian Hart, in reply to
(because we want nothing to do with them since they seem to think residential care would be appropriate for Peter)
Residential care is appropriate for Peter like execution is appropriate punishment for farting in public.
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
if I needed to come in,
Ahem....
according to this....https://www.health.govt.nz/.../hcss-implementation-guide-mar09.pdf
Needs assessment and service co-ordination will be conducted with the person in an environment comfortable to them. The NASC will:
• provide information about the NASC service and work to ensure people, providers, GPs, other community groups and potential referrers are aware of NASC referral processes
• promote access to services by Mäori and Pacific peoples
• identify, and build into the service, strategies to overcome known barriers to access for Mäori, Pacific peoples, and other population groups with specific needs
• operate from premises that are appropriate, accessible and welcoming.
• have NASC premises open during normal business hours.
Bold, mine.
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ACC in court again.
Gordon Palmer sold his business to help his wife, as looking after Luke alongside two other young children became full-time work for two people. But the ACC only paid them attendant care for 35 hours a week.
"We ran his rehabilitation from home. It meant that we had another bed in Luke's room and we took turns sleeping in there with him," said Mrs Palmer. "We would wake up the other half whenever Luke needed turning or changing because he had wet the bed, or was having a seizure... it was intense."
Dealing with ACC was always difficult, they said. "I always feel stressed dealing with them because you feel like they're going to take something away from you," said Mrs Palmer. "They still don't give you a good indication of what you're entitled to," added Mr Palmer. "It's more a case of them paying what they have to, or what they can't get out of paying."
The Palmers are among 30 families battling for backdated compensation, but ACC argues if care was not given for a full 24 hours a day, it would not pay. The families have already won the case before the Accident Compensation Appeal Authority and in the High Court, and now go to the Court of Appeal in February.
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) has been accused of being stingy to families of severely disabled children.
ACC has obviously been taking lessons from the Miserly of Health.
My understanding (and I could be wrong) is that there is a very grey area under ACC when it comes to funding parents (and other family members) for care provided when the child is under the age of 14.
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Angela Hart, in reply to
“I always feel stressed dealing with them because you feel like they’re going to take something away from you,”
Just like the NASC system (which was pleased to take away our useless carer support days yesterday) except that
indication of what you’re entitled to
you have no entitlement with MOH, possible eligibility, zero entitlement. At least ACC has an appeal authority and the potential to go to court.
All it really takes is a common sense, practical approach that puts people first.
Keeping control of a budget is important but it shouldn't be the prime factor and it usually is, and it shows.
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Sacha, in reply to
Thank you for that. And welcome to Access.
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Sacha, in reply to
Keeping control of a budget is important but it shouldn't be the prime factor and it usually is, and it shows.
The irony as we've discussed is that they spend more money saying no than if they just got on with it and said yes.
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Angela Hart, in reply to
The irony as we’ve discussed is that they spend more money saying no than if they just got on with it and said yes.
and they really don’t grok that
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I'm pleased to report that the DHB has now reimbursed the generator hire cost. I shall invest in an inverter and a battery.
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
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Recently I sought to procure $10,000 so that it could be used to help develop IT services and software aimed at enhancing mental health recovery plans focussed on those all important things; information, communication and effective feedback. A first step in relation to this would be to provide selected members of my representative group (Social Housing for Midlife Consumers in Advance Recovery) with I-Pads loaded with the appropriate ‘apps’ and included associated training. My recent experience around mental health recovery plans indicates that this could be very helpful. Those who struggle on disability benefits,especially mental disability have complicated needs, they find it almost impossible to access services, AND can’t afford to purchase, or navigate their way through the maze of decisions, decisions, decisions and then be reward of confusion, dead cat bounces and eventual exhaustion.
To illustrate the point a person close to my heart is trying to access available services, but in order to do this a form must be filled in. It appears forms are easy to access on-line, but not readily available over the counter, or in hard copy format now. Of course filling out the form on-line requires the right equipment and skills, but a person on the benefit is not able to find the money to purchase it, or summon up the drive to accumulate the skills or move past the boundary imposed by severe anxiety; at least that is my current understanding.
A world of paradox is complicated for the best of us; just imagine what it is like for a person who struggles with their thoughts?
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
Tom Adson.
I admire your efforts, and I do understand your frustration....but could you please remove my details from your contacts list?
When I receive an unsolicited email with a list of other recipients that takes up half a page...I am tempted to treat it a spam and report it as such.
I also don't wish to be a party to any replies you get....though the one that popped into my inbox the other day sounded like a good idea.
Good luck.
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
A world of paradox is complicated for the best of us; just imagine what it is like for a person who struggles with their thoughts?
Tom, the very sad reality is that the 'system' is designed to create confusion and insecurity.
Under the Public Health and Disability Act, and according to the Misery of Health
one may be eligible for services, but one is not entitled to anything.Being eligible gives a person a right to be considered for publicly funded health or disability services (ie, free or subsidised). It is not an entitlement to receive any particular service. Individuals need to meet certain clinical and other assessment criteria to receive many services.
bold mine
http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/eligibility-publicly-funded-health-services
This is seriously, seriously f*#^ed up.
We need to find a way to change this. -
Steve Barnes, in reply to
But I was suggesting a portable UPS
Simple enough for even the most electrically inept person, well almost.
Car battery, battery charger and a simple sine-wave inverter. All available from a reputable motor accessory shop near you, or even Repco ;-)
Connect the whole caboodle together, plug in the charger and you’re done. Leave it plugged in and it will be ready when you need it.
Of course a good three stage charger will lengthen the life of your battery and a deep cycle battery will do the job better than a starting battery for longer periods, lithium iron yttrium if you are flush with cash.
Get a larger inverter and you can also run a few led lights around the house.
At a push you could get away with just an inverter and swap out the car battery for short outages.
You can go even more exotic with an ATS (automatic transfer switch) so it kicks in when it is needed, automagicly. -
Tom Adson, in reply to
Rosemary I am more than happy to remove you from my contacts list, however I can't see your name on it. Perhaps as a once only you could respond to my email and in that way I can be sure you are correctly identified, then ensure the removal is attended to as you wish. All the best.
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Rosemary McDonald, in reply to
however I can’t see your name on it.
Curioser and curioser!
However, Tom, just got your email and all sorted! Thanks.
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You will be aware that we have a family member who is a 40 year old male that is disabled. A couple of weeks ago after screwing up his courage to the sticking point in order to overcome the barrier of extreme anxiety he accepted the offer of work, in an effort to improve his well being, and attempt to contribute to the community as a whole. The work was to deliver circulars and free local papers. A three day slot was provided for the deliveries to be completed. It was understood that the payment would be $30.00, so about two hours work was expected when applying the minimum hourly rate.
The following day the papers arrived, later than was agreed to, so this put pressure on the timeframe. There were 10 different circulars running adverts for the well known big companies. The weight of the papers was about 70kg (measured by using bathroom scales). They were promptly sorted by the family member and delivered in two trips on foot out of his own back pack. The following morning another batch of papers to be delivered were found on the doorstep in the morning (part of the same job), which were the Hutt News and the Regional News weighing around 50kgs. This time the delivery required two adults to deliver and the family car had to be used because of practicalities and the bulk of the papers involved. The back pack just did not have the necessary capacity.
The total number of addresses delivered to was over 250. The total time committed to the work was 10.47 hours, the expense for the car at IRD rates of 74 cents/km, total $5.00. This makes the true cost of the work to be about $190.00 at the minimum hourly rate of $14.75.
The work experience served to accentuate extreme anxiety for the disabled person and it was necessary to advise the other party to the contract that further service could not be provided.
If $30 is the final sum that is paid (my understanding is that payment is still awaited(30 Nov 2015), but that it is likely to be $20 now, not $30. The actual hourly rate based on $30 will equate to under $3.00/hr for a 40 year old man who has contributed strenuous manual labour. Does this make sense, and is it right and just?
It seems to me that the ‘free economy’ has almost achieved its goal; competition has run its course to the point where human rights in Gods Own (NZ) are being contravened. This is because some of its citizens are now doing strenuous manual work/labour for almost nothing. If payment for the work is not made it will be less than nothing... at least $5.00 for the use of the family car and back pack. My guess is that this is not an isolated case.
I have just been watching a TV documentary about the “Death Railway” of Burma (1942/43), where men were worked, hipped and starved to death in order to support the economy. Is NZ unwittingly and blithely going down the same track? It looks as though it might be. After all I thought I heard the Chief Economist at the BNZ saying today that the NZ economy is doing well..."lots of ticks on the right side of the ledger" sheet. What about the left side, where we might find the hearts and minds of the people that are the neediest?
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Circular delivery rates are extremely low, probably because the work is traditionally done by children who don't qualify for either minimum wage or youth rates because they are too young. It is exploitation. I seem to remember some efforts to get better rates, but clearly they got nowhere.
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