19/05/2021
NDIS REVIEWS: Participant/Carer Statement - please share!
Lots of people write and submit a Participant and/or Carer impact Statement when they’re up for their scheduled (often annual) or the requested review.
These statements are not required, but can help give the planner an idea of your situation and needs, and according to the NDIS, must be respected in the planning process.
What to include?
Here are some ideas.
- family situation and dynamics that affect you or your ability to care (eg extra responsibilities caring for other or extended family members (young, aged, disabled etc).
- your own personal health and how that is affected by your disability or the person you care for (eg: you’ve slipped two discs in your back and can no longer help lift the person you love) or your own mental health diagnoses.
- how the disability impacts relationships and maybe makes it harder to have good relations with others in your family
- your ongoing ability to manage your disability or the person you love - be honest.
- if you are a Carer, what supports you need to be able to continue caring, and what will happen if the person you care for does not get those supports.
- keep your statement to less than a page - half a page is probably best, though I know that’s hard, we know that planners just have huge workloads and generally won’t take in much more than that, even if we think they should. Cut them a little break and make their jobs easier.
- if you really need to make your statement (or any reports for NDIS) lengthy, be sure that they are well presented - broken down into manageable chunks, with headings for each section and even with a cover page listing all the reports you submit etc. (Thanks to Laura Jade for the trigger for this addition.)
These are just some ideas.
Also, some people say you should write about your “worst day”.
I don’t advocate for that, UNLESS you explain very clearly how often worst day actually happens - be it weekly, monthly or once a year.
Don’t be a Carer who cries wolf. You’ll get caught and not be trusted further. It’s not worth it and also doesn’t respect the person you care for.
Good luck.
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