Inline assistance advice please

[nadroj]

As a few of us are in the process of gearing up to do a bit of work John is unable to do it raises the question of what assistance he & Donna are entitled to under ACC etc. Anyone got any expertise in things like property maintenance costs etc?

[Quasievil]

Cant help there mate, but would be keen to come down with some tools to help out if I can fit it in on the day youre planning it

[Ixion]

In theory, under the social rehabilitation provisions of the act Inline is entitled to assistance in dealing with day to day living (eg someone to help him shower if necessary; someone to help with housework or meal preparation , and such like). Basically, things he used to do before, but now cannot because of his injury. This would include basic maintainance tasks, such as lawn mowing,basic gardening etc.

It has to be something that he can prove he did regularly before the injury, and that still needs to be done, and is a necessary part of life (so it is very hard, though not impossible, to get assistance with hobbies); and that noone else can do it (ie for free) .

The question of anything he did for Donna is much more difficult.

Be aware also that also these are discretionary entitlements. The IP must be assessed by an independant assessor and ACC then decide what assistance, if any, they will provide. They can be very difficult to work with, and very keen to evade their responsibilities. In particular , watch out for them trying to foist all the assistance-with-living stuff into Donna, unpaid. They can't so that , but they will almost certainly try.

As regards property maintainance, the tricky bit is usually proving that the IP did those things regularly before the accident. So, if before the accident, you paid a guy to mow your lawns, after the accident you can't claim anything for lawnmowing. But, if before the accident, you always mowed your own lawns, and can prove it, and now you can't, then you are entitled to assistance. Note that the "assistance" is just that it never covers the full cost of having someone else do it.

PM Stonechucker, he has recent relevant experience.

Always, always with ACC remember the vital principle - if you don't demand you won't get.

Inline should have an ACC case manager by now. Donna should find out who , and start asking for stuff for him. And when they say "No", ask again, and then if necessary start getting stroppy.

[Joni]

I reckon Donna needs to PM Stonechucker and have a chat with him

Dave has been through this personally, and not that long ago, he know the processes, the things to avoid and what Inline and his loved one can expect.

[TonyB]

Eerily enough, this is sort of thing is now a major part of my job. I started at my new job only a few days after IL4 had his accident.

I haven't exactly been doing it a long time, so don't expect this to be word perfect. What will happen is that his ACC case manager will arrange for an Ocupational Therapist to assess IL4's situation. They will visit his home, possibly with a third party who is contracted to project manage the refit (that'd be my boss or me in Canterbury), assess what it will need to have done to make it accessable, and write a report making recommendations on the best course of action. The Project Manager will then design and price up what needs to be done. This includes things like ramps, chairlifts, new bathrooms, minor or major alterations to allow access etc. In some cases the best or only option is to relocate.

ACC accepts that peoples needs will change or they may want/ need to move in the future, so this is not a one time only process.

[trumpy]

...Always, always with ACC remember the vital principle - if you don't demand you won't get.

Inline should have an ACC case manager by now. Donna should find out who , and start asking for stuff for him. And when they say "No", ask again, and then if necessary start getting stroppy.

Enscribe this rule in stone, wood, on your mirrors, on every page in your diary, on your kitchen bench etc so you see it all the time. This is THE golden rule when working with ACC. Many, many of our clients are under ACC and believe me this cannot be over emphasized.

[Macktheknife]

Sadly ACC do not cover anything in the gardens, like lawnmowing or weeding etc. They do cover all house mods for access and vehicle mods for transport. Thay also cover personal carers and home help for cleaning and cooking.