Von
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Von and his wife Gianna are in their early 80s and live independently.
Almost five years ago Von had an operation on his neck and spine that left him paraplegic.
Prior to discharge a care provider told him he would receive level 4 My Aged Care support but after discharge he discovered it was level 3. Even with level 4, Von said in his submission, he would only have been able to afford support workers for 12 hours, four days per week.
Von wasn’t eligible for other disability supports so Gianna needed to provide most of his care.
Australians over 65 with a disability are not eligible for an NDIS package. Von told the Royal Commission he finds this incomprehensible.
‘A male person, 27 years of age … who incurred an accident of his own making on a dirt bike and broke his neck in an horrible accident, [gets] all the support possible under the NDIS … with equipment, carers [and] a KIA van adapted for his disability.’
Von appreciates the man needs and deserves the equipment and care, but finds it ‘galling’ that ‘the same type of care does not apply to the disabled seniors in the community’.
It has been a challenging five years for Von and Gianna.
Von has tried to access respite care so his elderly wife can ‘enjoy a decent break from … 24/7 full-time care’, but says it is almost impossible to find.
Since being discharged from hospital, Von has only spent two weeks in respite care. ‘The facilities there were totally inadequate,’ he said. The bathrooms were not designed for someone with paraplegia and ‘the carer’s station was too far away’ from Vons’s apartment.
He was grateful he could have his usual support workers for 12 hours per week. He said this made his life ‘bearable’ as the respite workers were ‘unable to answer some of [his] toilet calls due to other residents’ needs’.
‘Australia has an obligation to care for its disabled seniors,’ Von said. He believes all people with a disability should be able to access the NDIS.
Additionally he would like an ‘an advocate to be appointed to help disabled seniors find respite care in the shortest possible way, instead of leaving it to the elderly to sort out’.
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.