‘I’m so happy,’ says Jeff

Jeff (not his real name) wanted to live independently in his own home and in his local community, and be provided with the necessary support and equipment to make this happen.

And that is what he is now happily doing, thanks to the support of the Intereach team at Wagga Wagga.

After two unsuccessful attempts to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Jeff was feeling lost and unsure what to do to get the support he required. However, that changed after he was referred to Intereach by the Junee Community Care Centre.

After meeting with Jeff and discussing his goals, the Intereach Community Linker – the person who ‘links’ the participant to the services and supports they need – supported him to receive interim services to assist with personal care, domestic assistance and meal preparation. Once these services were in place the Community Linker then supported Jeff to resubmit his NDIS application.This included collaborating with the local medical centre to gain further information around his disability and how it impacts his day-to-day life. Meanwhile, the Linker worked with Jeff to ensure the interim services were still in place while his NDIS eligibility was explored.

Once the interim Support and Service at Home (SASH) support was in place Jeff could see progress was being made. He got a spring in his step and was willing to take on the challenge of gaining permanent supports.

Jeff’s access to the NDIS has now been granted and he feels he has the support required to live a healthy and independent life and participate in his community.