Moonbi’s Marie Cowing would like to add new information to the great article that Daniel Johns wrote (NDL, January 19) re the NDIS in NSW, as she has new information.
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If the tender process that I have been informed about goes ahead the following scenario could occur.
Because the NDIS is built around individual needs, it means each of the five residents in the group home my sons live in could select, through their parent/family member/advocate (agent), the service they would like.
So I could, on behalf of my sons choose, for example, Challenge Community Services to provide the total 24-hour in-house care they need.
I could also select a different service provider for each of my sons.
One other resident might, through their agent, choose The House With No Steps as their service provider, yet another might choose Sunshine Homes and the other person the Endeavour Foundation.
That means there would be four or five different service providers entering the same group home at the same time providing services to all five residents.
This will be for assisting out of bed, showering, eating or being fed breakfast, dressing for a day program or a day at home.
Again, this could potentially mean four or five different carers all using the same facilities at the same time.
What could go wrong there? The logistics of this would be mind-boggling.
I am so worried about people who need 24-hour total care who do not have the cognitive ability to make their needs known through any means.
They will need advocates throughout this process or will be screwed by this NSW government that seems so hell-bent on tightening its purse strings.
In so doing, they are targeting people who are already among the most undervalued, vulnerable people in the world.
You are auctioning my sons and others way too cheaply and I cannot let that happen.
Please come to the table and negotiate.
Don’t leave huge gaps in the information being given to families.
Trying to get verifiable information from the government on this is like pulling sharks’ teeth.
I implore the NSW government to come forth, meet with us and tell us what is going to happen with the roll out of the NDIS.
At the moment it’s like trying to defend the kings new clothes.
I won’t, nay can’t, go away.
I am too sick from Lupus SLE and other things to be having to do this all over again.
We parents got these group homes through blood sweat and tears beginning in 1976, now the fight is on again.
