Quadriplegic denied NDIS care for staggering reason

Gary is a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair.

But according to the NDIS, he performs late-night medical miracles and doesn’t need overnight care.

“The NDIS say I’m a sleepwalker, if only I could,” he said.

Gary’s 90-year-old mother Jean has devoted her life to being his carer while raising three other children, but she can’t physically do it anymore.

“He’s been in a wheelchair for so long and he can’t walk,” she said.

“I cared for Gary for 68 years until I just hit the wall.

“I lost a bit of weight and wasn’t 100 per cent well and things had to change and this is the change.”

Read more

Debra went in for routine surgery. A catastrophic error changed her life and disfigured her forever

Gary is almost 70 years old.

Up until a few years ago, Gary only needed walking sticks to get around.

He could also drive to and from his old job at the transport department.

“For him to get a job in the government, I mean, was an achievement,” Jean said.

“Really, for him to be able to drive a car, whoever thought that Gary would be driving a car.

“I mean, he’s done so much in his life that it’s surpassed our imagination, really.

“Now when he needs a little bit of TLC and help, you know ... it’s not there.”

Gary’s support coordinator, Annie Olbertz, is fighting for the NDIS support he needs to access overnight care.

“He can’t get out of bed by himself, he is literally stuck there until he has support to get out of bed,” Olbertz said.

“Jean still cooks for Gary and all of those things that she should be now in her own retirement.

“She’s a tiny little woman and she cannot lift Gary.

“So if anything happened overnight, Jean hasn’t got the capabilities to move Gary out of the house.”

Gary’s current plan funds a carer for five hours a day but only one of those hours is to help him use the toilet.

“If he stays in bed all night, he’s going to end up with bed sores, pressure sores, which he’s had previously,” Olbertz said.

Read more

Planning U-turn transforms couple’s dream home into nightmare

Gary has been churning through his own money to fund more carers.

“He’s taking money from his super, which he shouldn’t be having to do, but it’s a necessity for Gary,” Olbertz said.

Gary said he just wants to have a fair deal.

“About $40,000 a month, it’s just going to empty my superannuation,” he said.

Instead of offering up a fair deal, the NDIS has focused on something entirely different.

The NDIS has claimed Gary has level three autism, he can’t make a decision on his own, he needs 24/7 care at another place and he has behavioural issues.

Gary and his carer said this is incorrect.

“I felt a bit numb to be honest with you,” he said.

“We thought, OK, they’ve made a mistake, this is not Gary’s plan.

“When we called them, they just went, ‘oh, that’s just an admin error, we’ll have it rectified’.

“It took a month for them to rectify that, and they came back with less funding.”

Despite acknowledging they had the facts wrong, the NDIS still hasn’t budged on its position to grant Gary overnight care at home.

“If I didn’t have this reserve of money behind me, Mum and I’d be in a nursing home,” he said.

“I just don’t want to be in a nursing home at this stage.

“I’ve had a lot of stress over this too.”

Gary has exhausted all avenues with the NDIS for overnight care so Olbertz is taking his fight to court.

“They only just need support in their own home, that’s all they’re asking for, not to be forced out,” she said.

“The evidence that they’re requiring to go to tribunal is mounds and mounds and thousands of dollars.

“Gary is not asking for anything except to live a normal life.”

Statement from an NDIA spokesperson

The NDIA will continue to work with Mr. Appleton and his network to ensure he has access to the reasonable and necessary supports he needs.

The Scheme provides funding for reasonable and necessary supports based on the available evidence.

The NDIA acknowledges it would be distressing for a participant to receive incorrect correspondence, and we move quickly to correct any errors made.

Protecting the accuracy of participant information is important to the NDIA, and we are committed to continually improving our processes to minimise the risk of errors occurring.