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Why
WHO MAY NEED HELP:
Typically they will be those who
suffered more than just " cancer". Treatments for cancer haa left them with Chronic Nutritional illness for
the rest of their life.
Bowel,
stomach, throat, mouth cancers but not confined to just these types.
Adults over the age of 18.
People
who are predominantly on their own now through marriage breakdown or
were single
prior to cancer, but not strictly confined to this group. Couples and
families can be considered.
10%
of marriages/relationships will not endure the cancer treatment stage
as per the NZ Cancer Society's own research and literature supplied to
cancer patients.
Chronic
lifetime illness, fatigue, social isolation, depression and a lower immune
system leads to constant and persistent infections, repetitive medical
GP/ hospital admissions. This can and does in many survivors lead to a
physical weakening, depression and a hopeless.... what is there to live for!
Anecdotal
discussions have suggested suicides in some circumstances, committing
crime to achieve possible imprisonment as a life sustaining alternative
where they can receive full assistance with the ongoing crisis, with day
to day life, medical treatment, a bed, warmth, roof over their head and
a relief from the stress of everyday life of bills etc.
EXAMPLES:
Extra
costs not supported by the state:
Toothpaste
(Dry mouth) $17.95 tube, is approx 10% of a weekly invalid's benefit.
When a survivor inquired as to why the New Zealand Health Dept
had suddenly banned this toothpaste, the Department wrote back stating they
the survivor, could import themselves the specialised toothpaste but in
the same reply, threaten to sue the survivor if they imported more than
enough for there own personal use or distributed it to others??? This
seems a threatening attitude from a bureaucrat who is supposedly
employed to help those in need; when the reality is in this circumstance
they were creating more problems for the survivor.
To date some 4
toothpaste shipments of 6 tubes have not made it to New Zealand via the postal
system as they have been confiscated by customs either in NZ or
Australia despite it being legal to do so.
Teeth
repairs are a side effect of
radiation with more rapid decay of teeth and loss of the enamel
protection. Also
complete or substantial loss of loss of saliva in the mouth, but they
have to pay for the repairs themselves. The only option, if you can get
a sympathetic WINZ (Work and Income) employee, is to apply and borrow against your benefit
and repay back to the New Zealand State at a weekly rate possibly.
Many
can no longer swallow pills or solids; liquid is the only option for
pain relief. Liquid
Voltaren (pain relief) is $54.00
for 1 weeks supply and not subsidized by Pharmac. $54.00 is 33 %, YES
that's
right 33% of the base rate weekly invalids/sickness benefit.
A
breast survivor who had total a
mastectomy diagnosed along with kidney liver cancer was given a terminal
date. She has now lived past the terminal date. Now 3 plus years she
would like breast reconstruction. The State will not fund it because she
is terminally diagnosed. Though she has proven her ability to live past the
terminal date. She is denied any further assistance as a decision
appears to have been made. There is no rehabilitation for her which gives no value
or worth. What has happen to her "quality of life"?
Equipment
not funded by the State could be a feed pump, breathing assistance
machinery and the associated ongoing cost of consumables associated with
it.
Housing. A New Zealand citizen was in hospital for more than 3 weeks
(total 11 weeks). He had his accommodation supplement cancelled through
WINZ. When he
asked a WINZ social worker in hospital, they said the hospital was his
accommodation currently so they did not have to pay twice (hospital and
his rental home). Because of the lack of WINZ funds now coming in to
cover his automatic payments for his home rent etc he had set up; his
bank account accrued monetary penalties from the bank for insufficient funds.
So his landlord was not paid and he was evicted as payment on rent could
not be met. So upon his release from hospital not only had he incurred
banking debts
but had the associated costs and worry of finding somewhere to live.
If
those on a State Benefit can or attempt to
work part time the tax rate is secondary and UP TO 70% in the
dollar earned. This rate
is the highest tax rate in the Western world and effectively penalises
the survivors.
While they may be able to file a tax return in 12 months or so to get a
possible refund when their total earnings are calculated they may
also end up in debt to the State and risk having their benefit cut or
going into a repayment mode lessening even more their ability to fund
that week The stress of this on survivors IS MASSIVE AND FEARFUL on
little or fixed income. They live DAY to DAY not only in the mental
state but in their physical state and financial state, losing 70% of
income earned
So
often things about and the
dozens of other things not mentioned devalues your sense of worth,
your feeling of hopeless and that the State and society doesn’t give a
“toss” about you and supports penalising you while “braying about “
bludgers. There is no differential, you are left feeling worthless and a
burden upon society; thoughts of why bother trying to live; its easy to
just sit and waste away; is that what society wants???
Some of the examples above are just the"
tip of the iceberg" of the
struggles these survivors face each and every day. Thus their ability to
fund after cancer or remission even the most basic of care or
necessities of life is extremely limited.
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