Anyone started with the NDIS?

Funny how what is helpful for oneself is helpful for others.

I was impressed you remembered which page it was on!

@eth

I've referred quite a few people to it @Appleblossom . @CheerBear went all the way back and found it again for me at one stage. But I hadn't revisited it myself for several months. I've printed it again and will make notes on it to take to my review meeting. Have just read on fb that some people's review mtg is up to 2 months before the end date of the current plan. Maybe I need to get onto NDIS about it but will try and do it through my (inefficient and frustrating) Coordinator of Supports for a week or so first. That's the stuff she's getting paid for after all.

It's so true - there are many ways that helping others helps us too.

So .... I now have the date for my plan review meeting in about 3 weeks. On the one hand it's good to know it will happen before my current plan expires. On the other hand it's not very long to gather necessary reports which have to be submitted to them in advance of the meeting. Plus I'm nervous about it being with a new NDIS representative that hasn't worked on my previous plan and probably hasn't seen all the information submitted for my eventual acceptance to the scheme almost a year ago. Actually I'm just nervous about it generally, very. I have collected various resources to help prepare for the review and it's time for me to look at them all now.

I have a 9 page document to do for my coordinator of supports before this Thursday. Luckily bro and sil have agreed to go through it with me before then. I'm so eternally grateful for their support with all this stuff. They have a lot of other big things going on in their lives right now.

My CoS has been rather slack the last 2+ months. I received an apology from her boss and the CoS told me they've 'red flagged' my case lately because of that. I've raved elsewhere and could again here. One of the things that happened is that one of my supports stopped coming and wasn't replaced for 8 weeks. etc etc. The CoS seems to be stepping up her support of me but I just don't feel I can really rely on her. She repeatedly told me she would do things and didn't do them when she said she would, went on leave without telling me, seemed to have a breakdown of communication with my support workers' team leader ...... so I feel I need to be strategic with her and not do an official complaint as I need her on board for my review. Don't want to have to start with someone new this close to it. But I may well request a new CoS after my new plan is in place.

I need to go through my goals and steps towards them, what has and hasn't worked, progress made and hinderances, new goals for the new plan and lots more as well as gather reports from psychologist, plan manager and case workers from support organizations. One of them did a case management plan recently that they want to submit for the review and it has a whole lot of stuff in it that's just not relevant to where I'm at (re looking for housing, applying for employment and even community engagement for aboriginal identifying people - which I am not). So that has to be done again by a guy who showed this week that he can't even remember what I said in a phone call from the day before, and rings my support worker instead of just ringing me. It's just this sort of complication that means I have little faith in the people up the line from my actual support workers (who are great).

I still have to say that the end result of being accepted to the scheme last year was a very good outcome for me - $55 000 of funds in total - so I'm doing my best to stay hopeful for the outcome this year and tell myself it's worth the effort. So many hoops to jump through, even tho' NDIS website says that once you are accepted it's for life. One of the tricky parts is in the proving that what you are asking for is 'reasonable and necessary'. And remembering all the NDIS-specific language to use.

Wish me luck!

@Bunniekins @CheerBear @Queenie @saturnzoon @Appleblossom and anyone else following.

My annual review meeting is in one week. I do have a few new reports that will be lodged with NDIS before then but I know there's no guarantee that anyone will read them before the meeting. My current coordinator of supports (from an external organization) and my sister-in-law who was my carer last year will both go with me. Really wish I was feeling hopeful about it but I'm too anxious to feel much else.

Thanks for following to anyone who is.

@Appleblossom @CheerBear @Queenie @saturnzoon @Bunniekins @PurpleKathy

Thanks @CheerBear - a lot xx If you want to continue our other discussion from a few days ago just tag me - I've been wondering how you are going.

@eth keep us posted eth. I will have my fingers and toes crossed for you just remember when you fill out for forms the bleaker the better. (I don't attempting to teach you how to suck eggs lol).xxx

Wishing you luck @eth

It is a good plan you have!

A lot relies on how it is followed through with, rather than simply being a dollar value.

I had a medical non NDIS surprise yesterday. My gp referred me to xrays, and CT scans were done within an hour. I was totally amazed. I had been given the flick every time I mentioned or asked for anything around my neck. I was so grateful. I kept saying OMG in the car like a stuck record, but it was in relief. As she said, my last ones were 12 years old, and I had substantial conditions. I also ran into the medical technician in fruit & vegie sect of supermarket 15 mins later ...

fancy seeing you here! lol

Hope all goes well NDIS wise. It is still a lot of work to get organised.

Thanks @Bunniekins Yep I've got that. Such a dichotomy between what we need to present to NDIS (our worst days and episodes) and trying to live focussed on models of recovery.