'My son's care costs $2m, and it's still not enough' (1 Viewer)

[cosmo 2]

https://www.kidspot.com.au/news/my-sons-care-costs-2m-and-its-still-not-enough/news-story/356f6c057e7dbe03ac8ff14a22b2fb99

The boy’s distressed mother told The Herald Sun his lacklustre care - despite the enormous bills charged by agencies - shows how broken the NDIS system is.

Two taxpayer-funded carers are responsible for the boy, who has a chromosomal deletion disorder, low IQ, autism, ADHD, intermittent explosive disorder, and a gross motor delay.

The Herald Sun reports the boy is one of just a handful of Aussie kids who is cared for in his own hardened house rather than the family home due to a complex disability.

His $2m annual bill is made up of a $1.2m NDIS package and $800,000 in funding from the South Australian government for housing, utilities, food, hardening, health, mental health, emergency services, and school support.

Despite the hefty bill, his mum claims there are still routine failures from providers with “absolutely no ramifications”

“Providers can charge up to $150 an hour yet pay under qualified people far less than that to provide inappropriate, dangerous, harmful, neglectful care that is a denial of basic human rights,” she said.

what do you think fellas? another 2m a year might be enough to help him live a fulfilling and happy life and fix all of his issues. we need to fund this right now!!!

 

[enoilgam]

what do you think fellas? another 2m a year might be enough to help him live a fulfilling and happy life and fix all of his issues. we need to fund this right now!!!

A super unpopular opinion, but one of the greatest tricks the government has ever pulled was closing mental/psychiatric institutions. They somehow convinced the lefties, academics and finally the wider public that these institutions were "outdated, cruel etc" when in reality, they wanted them closed purely for financial reasons. The result? People with severe intellectual disabilities and psychiatric problems being dumped on an unsuspecting and ill equipped public. Many have ended up on the street. But hey, that's less cruel then an institution with 24/7 care, nursing staff (not people with limited skills and training), food, shelter etc. People like this person should be living in an institution.

As a society, we really need to have a non-emotive/logical conversation about these issues. Realistically in this case, its ridiculous to spend $2 million plus of taxpayer funds on someone with no hope for a future who will require institutional care for life. We need to really be more ruthless in providing more care to people/causes that can improve lives, not throwing good money down the shitter for people who cannot be helped and who cannot function in society. Just stick him in a care home and dope him up with meds, it sucks but there is no other alternative. All alternatives suck in this case, you just pick the least sucky for everyone involved and move on.

On another note, the NDIS has really been a field day for external providers charging over the top amounts for services. This was utterly predictable though and pretty much happens every time government's outsource critical functions. It follows the same tired pattern:

- Government thinks about outsourcing
- Private firms offer "cheap" rates
- Government jumps at said cheap rates and privatises
- Government varies/changes contract
- Private firms start charging exorbitant rates due to the changes
- Government realises it was cheaper when they did it themselves but are now stuck with dreadful private contracts.