Easie Living

hi I'm Leslie from the Easy Living and demonstration center with I run the outreach
program we actually all need to be involved in uh helping people get back into their community
so this is all about the the Lottery application process for scooters right so Lottery individual
disability grants these grants enable people to engage in their Community like I said it's
really important to get out out there with the you know with groups and organizations you meet
other people you become you you feel part of that Community um to be able to access groups
volun work appointments and connect with friends and family that's another thing if you haven't
got the mobility to do so it's very difficult to be part of even family groups or grandchildren to
go and visit the grandchildren to go and watch them play sports you know to have you there the
grandchildren love that as well so it's it's again that's so important what do they find because it's
out in the getting people to be back engaged in their Community it's about those connection
tools so it's about scooters it's about power chairs it's about um communication devices so
people can communicate when they're out um uh in the community um assistant dogs um which is
really important for children autistic children to be able to um feel that they're able to be
out there in the community who is eligible to receive the funding anybody with a disability or
an age related condition lasting over 6 months so anybody that has that disability is available for
that funding with the disability uh restricts them from engaging in their Community but
you need to be a permanent resident or citizen of New Zealand to receive that
funding how long does it take well generally around 12 weeks but it can
take longer when we had um the Dreadful weather conditions and the hawk spay um
it definitely did take longer um it was pushed out because that funding was going to very needy
people so um again that will set back a little bit but mainly around the 12 12 weeks how much
do you get well that depends on what you are needing what equipment you're needing now if
you're going for a very large scooter because you need that size scooter or the terrain you
are going to be using using that scooter on needs to have that bigger bigger scooter to use then it
will be around about um $500 short because the scooter of that of that um size is around about
7,900 the power chairs we cover the whole power chair normally um and the cars we normally are
around about the 40,000 towards a car they do give $2,000 for an OT assessment which comes
on top of that so it's usually about 42,000 do you have to give the equipment back no you
don't that equipment is yours um all I suggest is that if one time any time that you're not
going to be using that anymore whether you sort of look at maybe another family member
that would need that equipment or somebody you know that would need that equipment or to maybe
um donate it to somewhere like age concern or somewhere where it can be really helpful Stroke
Foundation you know somewhere where this piece of equipment can be helpful for somebody else um
How likely is my application to be approved a lot of it is involvement in your community so if you
are involved in a volun role it is looked at quite quite strongly um if you have done things in the
past with um maybe volunteer just Children's School um anything like hospice shops um
age concerns um disability groups and you've helped with those groups that is quite strongly
looked at so that is an important factor to think about if you are going to look at applications
could you frame it so for example someone who's wanting to get involved in the community but
they're trying to apply because they're limited so they don't have a scooter or whatever else
absolutely you could frame it as what they plan to do they not doing it at the moment they don't
have yes yes you can and and it's not about it's not about right now it's about what you've done
it might be 20 years ago you know sometimes people forget about things that they have done and when
I'm talking to them I I take them back and they go oh I forgot I did that oh I did this for the
children I was a coach for my daughter's netball team or I I I helped out at the school for all
their fundraising you know people forget about some of the things that they do do or have done so
that's that's something that you've got to sort of sit down and have a chat about and and go through
those things um any other thing too it it's it's just like um being part of something too it's it's
not even voluntary it's it's it's being wanting to be part like coming to groups like this coming
to talks so you can be part of um the community in that sense as well or or being part of an age
concern group or being part of an exercise group so that again is is another thing that you know
is is important to place in your application types of application questions tell us about
your current situation tell us about your current stability or disabilities how does this restrict
you from engaging in your community so that's all about the um travel how do I get there um
times of course because often you can't get buses at that time all those sorts of things tell us who
you live with and what your day-to-day life is like what challenges have you faced been trying
to get involved in your community for instance how does living on your own impact your ability to get
to your community activities um if you live with someone it might be easier to be able to be taken
places but again that person that you live with might be working full-time or might be working so
therefore you do need to have that um independence of uh transport so that's another important thing
too is about how how do I get out there if I don't have the ability to do do that do you receive ACC
to assist you with your disability and have you approached any other funders so if you've had
ACC or you're on acc then they may ask why you know you haven't approached ACC for to help with
that fun fing for that equipment type of equipment being requested indicate the equipment that you
were needing and on that on the site you'll see a drop down list and that will show you what you can
click on to help with that um accessibility do you live in a rest home or retirement villagers
now this is a tricky one for me because in a retirement village you're still independent
and you're living it's almost just like living in a gated community but they it is more far
more difficult to get that funding if you are in a retirement village far more difficult because you
have the availability of a van to take your places but they have got I mean that is just uh their
daily maybe to the shops or to other organizations that they might be visiting it's not personal
things so they still have to try and find a way to get places if it's a personal will you be able
to use this equipment without assistance so if you are a young person um like the vehicles I have um
put applications in for young people their parents will then have to take them wherever they need
to go how have you previously contributed to your community this is what I was talking about before
about the The Importance of Being voluntary out in your community because you are being given quite a
large sum of money for a piece of equipment um they are wanting to see that you have actually
given to your community before that so you can continue to do that with that equipment so how
far back in years would they go for that oh can go back to way back oh it as I say it does not
have to be within the last even 10 years it can be 20 years ago what about 40 years yeah because
you have done that okay yeah you have given your services you have given you know part of your time
or your time yeah volunt yeah and how are you currently participating well often you're not
cuz how can I how can I be out there wanting to be part of of other groups and organizations helping
um in in that form or coming to groups because you haven't got the independence to do so it's
all about independence it's a wonderful thing to be able to decide when you want to go without
having to ask somebody every time and that's the difficult part isn't it always having to
ask someone for a lift and how will this equipment enable you to engage with and be more involved in
your community and that's the same um the scooter will enable you to attend groups um you'll have
more energy because you won't need to have to walk to a bus stop then You' got to get on the bus as
you say at the and where is the bus stop you know that's another thing how can I get there got to
talk I when I talk to people that have had the um wonderful opportunity of being a successful
application with the lotteries it has just changed their life absolutely changed their life and it's
wonderful to see and they right letters back and tell me all about what they've done and places
they've been and and thank you know just just thank me for the time and effort I've put in
but it's really about them isn't it it's about what they've done that has got that application
there so it's um it is wonderful to see so it's the area that you live in and you'll see a little
drop down key with that saying all of the area so it might be manongi um it may be the the um
Central Hawks Bay Hawks Bay you'll see that and you'll fill in that you just click on that and
it will take it over and you'll just place that onto the application um Mari you will go into the
E and you'll then um put what e that you belong to um the ethnic groups you just go into the groups
the community that will benefit with that group um amount requested and that depends on the equipment
so if it's a power chair or a Indigo scooter or a um the cross country or or a car you put down
what you feel that what that equipment is worth I always put down the full amount um sometimes when
I if I am told that it's going to uh increase in price they'll give me an indication of that
price increase and I'll add that to it as well and um and they'll come back with and usually
it's the same amount they come back with although I have noticed in the last six months they have
increased that so we're able to get a little bit more um do you receive work and income benefit so
whether it be supportive living or whether it be a pension you just place that place that in
and the household and so if you're living with somebody that becomes part of that household
income as well so there might be two people on the benefit so you have to place how much that
is coming into that household with those to um to anoun uh select the range uh that would
be total cash asset so that means if you have any extra income coming up through shares or
anything like that that's coming into the household so that has to be put in uh it's not
it's not like just um say a your normal household income that's that has nothing to do with it's
only extra money that you have in your bank that is um under shares supporting documents so two
supporting letters to support that application I always you know say two and then more if you can
because really the more the better the more we can show um that you have worked within your community
you've been a great citizen in your community the more we show that the better it is so the more
we have to support it the better I feel it is for that application and in that supporting letter yes
touch on your disability but the most important thing is about what you have done so that is the
the strong emphasis on that L but do touch on your disability but then really strengthen the um what
you've done in the community and adop assessment form which you know is actually attached and
you can just take that to the to your doctor and I'll for that [Music] out thanks for watching if
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