Buddy, you really need to lift your game. 🙄
Printable View
These parents do have a very tough time caring for their children with disabilities, and my heart goes out to them.
Whether or not the taxpayer should fork out so that they can have a break from their children is another matter.
So far as I can see, despite the emotive headlines…this is what is being cut. Not funding for the children who are disabled.
I think where you lose people is when you come hard like this on your High Horse.
The Minister is right, the govt is not an endless money pit and I would expect any govt to be continually reviewing priorities.
Mate, this is personal. No high horse, but certainly emotional, as I have intimate knowledge first hand of what some of these families go through.
The sleep deprivation is incredible, it's a 24/7 job that is with them for life.
I know of parents in their 80s still caring for their 50 something year old son. That's just one example of many I am aware of.
This in the end what happens to all these carers, as their situation is never going to change and they just worry who is going to look out for their adult child when they are gone.
The respite can be the disabled person going on a holiday from their parents or the parents from their child. Quite often it makes sense for the child to stay in the home as it is all set up for their particular disability and it's familiar & safe.
What sort of society are we becoming if this sort of thing is OK?
At least the minister has apologised half heartedly.
As i said there's no high horse here, it's either your unaware of what these families go through (and many people are to be fair to you, but the ministry isn't) or heatless
Exactly right, mT - there is no funding cut.
A lot of speculation and aggro about how the criteria change is a cut in funding but it is NOT.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/disabi...IJAS3K4XVV2MQ/
A statement on the ministry’s website said it was not reducing funding but was clarifying what disabled people could purchase.
The ministry also said it would be prioritising equipment and modification services according to who needed them the most.
This could include wheelchairs, customised standing frames, customised seating systems, adjustable beds, communication devices and housing and motor vehicle modifications.
PS. Think about what the $56m wasted on the bike bridge to nowhere, the $228m spent & wasted on the Auckland light rail project (not a single track laid after 6 years) and the $200m wasted on 3 Waters by Ardern & Labour would do for the disabled.
The best case scenario is that by not cutting funding but narrowing the criteria, the funding will go towards more necessary items for more people who need them.
Maybe case managers had more discretion previously, resulting in some needs not being met? Having said that, respite care is essential to maintain mental health. Without it, that could cause further needs later on, which may cost public health funding even more.
I have been the primary carer for a family member. Luckily I can find or fund respite care when I need a break. If I couldn’t, and there was no public funding, my patience and physical health would run thin putting both myself and my family member, and indeed others, at risk.
Why such a heavy handed approach to such a vulnerable part of society?
If they think a review is appropriate then carry out the review first, consult to the participants impacted on the outcome of the review, before pausing funding which in effect is reducing funding.
Disability care is very bespoke as each person's needs are quite different depending on their disability, their location I.e what support is on offer and what care is provided by the family etc.
This approach is so wrong on so many levels.
Yes it is all about prioritising spending.
Labour tried to lead with their heart and we went backwards in a lot of ways.
Cannot design good policy based on emotion and we cannot have expect taxpayers to fund everything and anything.
Their just aren’t enough of us in this small country.
As an addendum to my post above….the health board has allotted a number of weeks per annum of fully funded residential respite care for my family member. I never take it because I think in home respite care is more appropriate. However I need to privately fund that in home care.
Has the Minister said how much money will be saved by tightening up on respite care?
Ultimately this becomes a difference of opinion between those who think Big Govt is good. We pay higher taxes and then the Govt takes care of it all.
Or Smaller Govt where we pay less tax but then are expected to take full responsibility for ourselves.
In reality we trend somewhere in the middle. But over the last 6 years we were heading more to the left with the big spend ups (and nothing to show for it).
So the inevitable reset is going to feel tough for some. But we are a small country and we do not have infinite money.
So as much as I feel for parents and carers who are looking after disabled people, and understand (with my heart) this will be tough on some families who depend on the respite funding (my heart) I also understand (with my head) where the Minister is coming from.