Since joining the NDIS, John has become a happy and active member of the community. However, things weren’t always this way.

Prior to joining the NDIS, John received a very small amount of funding, and relied upon family members for support. John’s brother Michael and his wife spent a lot of time caring for and spending time with him, however work commitments meant that giving John the daily assistance he needed was difficult. “There are certainly people out there who are worse off than us”, says Michael, empathetically, “however, it’s never easy being a carer without any help or support.”

John lives on his own and often felt trapped, “He would do anything to get out of the house”, says Michael. He was often found wandering about in town, sometimes getting himself into potentially dangerous situations. But all John wanted to do was talk to people.

John wasn’t engaged in social activities. He was lonely, felt disengaged from his community and was experiencing poor mental health. Michael says, “He just wanted to be like everyone else.”

Since joining the NDIS two years ago, John’s funding means he now receives support from care workers through Centacare, Port Macquarie five days a week, for three to four hours each day.

This has opened up a whole new world for John. His family have seen a HUGE improvement in him. “He’s gone ahead in leaps and bounds”, says Michael.

In the past two years, John has been on two big trips (to the Gold Coast and on a cruise), as well as some shorter ones, with other NDIS participants and care workers. This is something his family could not have imagined two years ago. “Seeing the smiles on their faces before and after these trips is incredible”, Michael says.

John is now a very active member of his community, and with a support worker goes fishing, on walks, out for coffee, to concerts, Saturday sport mornings, BBQs, ten pin bowling, horse riding, out to dinner in a group once a week. “Basically, anything he wants to do, he does”, says Michael.

In his spare time at home, John’s hobby is restoring people’s furniture. He does this free of charge for friends and family, sometimes with the help of his support worker, as his Cerebral Palsy means he has difficulty lifting, particularly with one arm. He is always keen to source spare parts and enjoys lacquering and sanding to upgrade outdoor furniture, benches, tables etc.

For years now, John has been volunteering to raise money for various charities, and sets up a stall to fund raise in front of shops around town, several Fridays a month. He see this as ‘his job’, and as his family agree, it’s a lovely way of giving back to the community. He has raised money in support of Chrohn’s disease (a disease which his nephew has) and Bear Cottage, among others. He has now raised close to $20,000, and is well recognised for this in his local area.

John no longer requires mental health support as he is thriving and forming new friendships. His family no longer worry about him wandering the streets aimlessly at night. John and his family are very happy with the support they’ve been receiving so far.

John’s brother Michael believes the “NDIS has saved John” and that the NDIS and Centacare “cannot do enough to help.” To have the stress and pressure taken off them as sole carers is of course a benefit to John’s family, but the best thing about John’s new support is to see him busy and to see him with purpose in his life. “It’s so nice to see people helping other”, says Michael.