Disability is costly. It is a contradiction of itself. Most of us with a disability are either on a government pension or work reduced hours. Therefore the nightmare begins with penny pinching and creative ways of making do. The maze of benefits dances like a carrot in front of a donkey. It's great if you know how to access them, it's hair pulling time if you don't.
My previous employment in community services plus having a well informed social worker helped us from drowning in an otherwise unknown world. The web of accessing benefits can be so confusing it can feel like you went to sleep on Earth and woke up on a completely unknown planet.
What did we need now which we had previously lived very well without?
- Shower chair
- Lotions and creams
- Padded dining chair with arms
- Plastic bottles with straws
- Lift chair
- Disability access bathroom ($14,000AUD)
- Wheelchair
- iPad with speech app
- ACROD permit
- Companion Card
- Continuous support and companionship during waking hours
- Government hand outs
Juggling the benefits with the extra costs of products, items and services is daunting. I have met so many people who just throw up their hands in frustration of their situation. It is important that at all times we retain our dignity and independence, at home and in our community.
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