What is it about?

The rollercoaster adventures of parenting three kids, dealing with disability and mental health - and discussing disability discrimination and how to tackle it.

Tuesday 30 June 2015

3 weeks

People are sometimes surprised to hear the way parents and people with disability talk about service providers. 

Overall, we are not impressed. 

But they do such great work.

Yes, yes. And there are some top individuals working there, who are good at their jobs and work with the right motivation. There is no doubt about that. 

But nevertheless, we are not impressed. 

Here is an example why,

Today I got the phone all we have been waiting for. The new wheelchair is finally ready! Hurray. The current one is falling apart and too small, resulting in daily back pain.


The new one took about a year to arrive and now it's finally here.

But.

Siince it's a government funded wheelchair,  the occupational therapist (OT) of my service provider needs to sign for delivery. I get that.

The OT, who is very capable and lovely, works part time. I get that. Her diary is full up for the next three weeks. First available appointment with her is in 4 weeks. I get that.

So, we are supposed to wait another 4 weeks to receive a chair, which is ready. Which is badly needed. Which would help a great deal towards alleviating daily pain.

My service provider is one of the biggest and oldest in NSW. They know my kiddo. They know the issues. They have her backache on file. And they want to let a 9 year old kid in daily back pain wait three weeks to receive her new wheelchair because the OT's diary is full.

Ask another OT to receive the chair and sign off on it maybe? Nope.

See why I'm not impressed?

Their systems and procedures might work for the organisation's management. They just don't work for the clients. 

Now thankfully the folks at Mogo Wheelchairs who made her chair do have working brains and hearts. 

I am picking the chair up on Wednesday. Their guy, a qualified OT, will make any needed last minute adjustments. We can then take the chair home while waiting for an appointment to get the OT to officially receive and sign off the chair.

But the service provider, who gets 48 million dollars a year from the government, would have us wait nearly another months...

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