NDIA Accountability Project

Sister's severe intellectual disability and lack of staff support

Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012

From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Sunday, 20 January 2013 5:32:30 PM

Please consider this email a formal submission by me to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012.

The current disability system has many problems that need to be addressed.

Our much loved sister lived with severe intellectual disability until she died in 2011 aged 54 years. My parents were forward thinking and placed her into care as a young adult so she could adapt to not always depending upon them. As a family we remained in regular weekly contact with Michele and her DSC carers and staff. However, over many years the ratio of carers to residents in care facilities was often very poor resulting in many times when Michele and her housemates were left unsupervised due to a staff member having to leave them in order to attend a different care facility to assist or deal with a crisis. This meant anxious times for us and other families and did result in some accidents occurring during these staff absences.

Lack of staff has been a core issue in our experience.

The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:

  • Increased ability to coordinate services to suit the “whole” person/family,
  • People with disability/family will influence the types of support and services offered,
  • Older parents and families will not worry what happens when they can no longer provide support

The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:

  • Support for families and carers,
  • Flexible in-home/outside home respite,
  • Case management, planning and coordination

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

As a nation the NDIS will assist almost everyone at some point in time in their lifetime and as such is a progressive and responsible step for this country and its people. The NDIS incorporates a constructive forward planning as a nation.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Ms Karen Anderson