NDIA Accountability Project

Lack of support for carers of children with dual diagnoses

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: Thursday, 24 January 2013 11:50:09 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.

Services only respond to tick box check lists. If your child has a dual diagnosis of mental illness and disability, services refuse to accept treatment on the basis of their lack of expertise in either field.why is it ok to let mothers care for children who are violent, but no services will provide respite. caring for an Autistic child 24/7 leaves the career exhausted , as well as on the poverty line, with no prospects for a career or any sense of self, other than a carer. “Support sessions” for careers are often just bureaucratic exercises of ticking boxes that a health service paid lip service for caring for carers.

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

  • People with a disability can choose the types of support to use,
  • More opportunities to participate in the community

The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:

  • Therapy and allied health services,
  • Education support (technology/services/equipment),
  • Support for families and carers

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

The carers of people with a disability know what they need for themselves and their cared for.Carers and their charges currently live in poverty, miss out on early intervention if they are too complex to fit the tick boxes and are denied life changing basic therapies that would be provided to more well known disabilities. Carers caring 24/7 are constantly living with exhaustion, worry and fear for who will take over as they age. It is in humane to leave this role to individuals without support and yet most carers are women whose partners have long left them. The support must not be available just when the carers are too old to carry on, but now, so that they can live some semblance of a life that most people take for granted once their children reach adulthood. Day centres and life skills centres and real opportunities to create community contact and awareness with individuals with a disability will go a long way to create communities that are inclusive and provide real oppo rtunities for integration, employment and acceptance through educating the public.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Ms Katherine Baychek