My team of support workers is managed by a local agency called Golden City Support Services under a program called HomeFirst. It is a Department of Human Services (DHS) program that provides home and community-based support services to enable individuals with a disability to :
• live as independently as possible and not require staffed residential accommodation
• remain living in their own homes
• increase or maintain maximum independence
• move to more independent living arrangements
• access community activities and facilities
It is a Nationally funded scheme and an allocation of funds is set aside for each individual to cover costs of their support workers wages, necessary equipment and administration costs of the service provider.
Which has all been a blessing for me and no real problems have arisen - until now.
My allocation of funding for this financial year has almost reached as far as it can go... in other words, I am considerably over budget, the reasons mainly because of the increased rates on weekend, but also due to my increased needs.
It has been suggested (strongly) that I keep within my base roster hours for the rest of the financial year, unless I can pick up some extra funding. This means cutting down on support workers shifts, but what has to go? The first will be my lunch shifts with my carers preparing my lunch before they leave in the morning... or I could go up to the corner store and buy a pastie or something else I can put in the microwave oven.
Then, there is my radio program where one of my support workers helps out by operating the CD player and panel, while I do the presentation on air. This is my main form of recreation and I don't want to give it up. I have already cut back on playing darts each week.
Anyway, this all has to be sorted over the next few days. I'll keep you posted.
On top of this, I'm trying to find time to send my autobiography out to various publishers. My life is never dull!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
After waiting for six months, the City of Greater Bendigo acted on their commitment to upgrade the unmade path between my front gate 
and the lane leading to McIvor Road (which takes me to the bus stop from which wheelchair accessible buses can transport me into the city and various other locations around the area). In the photo on the left I am sitting at the point where the new path (very white) meets the old concrete lane (very dirty), meaning that I no longer have to traverse over rough territory (see both sides of new path) to gain access to the lane.
Other highlights of the first two months of this new year have been my Christmas in hospital (went in on Dec. 21 and came out three weeks later), which put paid to my plans of sharing the Season with my daughter and her family as well as with close friends. Since coming out I have been taking prescribed antibiotics to clear up the 'bug' and hope to come off those in another two weeks.
I have returned to doing my weekly community radio programme with Roberta (Bobbie) who did an excellent job filling in for me on her own while I was hospitalised. We also attended a fund-raiser for the radio station (Phoenix 106.7 FM) which took the part of a family movie night.
On February 6, we (my brother Geoff, together with our respective families and I) held a belated annual get-together tribute day known as "Harrymas" (after our late Dad, Harry), whose birthday would have been on Jan. 6. This is an annual family event where we celebrate the memory of his life with us. This was the first year we have held the event at the new home of my daughter/son-in-law (Leanne and Craig).
Finally, after more than 15 years of writing, re-writing, checking and re-checking, I have managed (with much help from my brother and several friends) to complete my autobiography. Watch this space for publishing details (when completed). There will be a celebratory launch date!
and the lane leading to McIvor Road (which takes me to the bus stop from which wheelchair accessible buses can transport me into the city and various other locations around the area). In the photo on the left I am sitting at the point where the new path (very white) meets the old concrete lane (very dirty), meaning that I no longer have to traverse over rough territory (see both sides of new path) to gain access to the lane.Other highlights of the first two months of this new year have been my Christmas in hospital (went in on Dec. 21 and came out three weeks later), which put paid to my plans of sharing the Season with my daughter and her family as well as with close friends. Since coming out I have been taking prescribed antibiotics to clear up the 'bug' and hope to come off those in another two weeks.
I have returned to doing my weekly community radio programme with Roberta (Bobbie) who did an excellent job filling in for me on her own while I was hospitalised. We also attended a fund-raiser for the radio station (Phoenix 106.7 FM) which took the part of a family movie night.
On February 6, we (my brother Geoff, together with our respective families and I) held a belated annual get-together tribute day known as "Harrymas" (after our late Dad, Harry), whose birthday would have been on Jan. 6. This is an annual family event where we celebrate the memory of his life with us. This was the first year we have held the event at the new home of my daughter/son-in-law (Leanne and Craig).
Finally, after more than 15 years of writing, re-writing, checking and re-checking, I have managed (with much help from my brother and several friends) to complete my autobiography. Watch this space for publishing details (when completed). There will be a celebratory launch date!
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