From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: sub969Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Thursday, 17 January 2013 3:10:15 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.
My wife Fay suffered from MND for the past three years until she died in late November 2012. One of the major difficulties I experienced was that, although the MND Society, Mercy Palliative Care, ISIS, RDNS, Werribee Council and Care Connect were very supportive, the time lapse between when equipment was needed and it actually arriving was often too long. By the time the equipment arrived, Fay’s health had deteriorated rapidly and the equipment was no longer required or suitable for her needs. My observation was that the time between personnel requesting equipment, funding and assistance was not geared to the rapid deterioration of an MND patient. The assistance, to my mind, was more geared to people with long term disabilities. I also found the need to to fill in multiple forms, applications and associated RED TAPE was repetitive and annoying. Once agency dealing with a patient would eliminate much of the duplication and confusion of the client and their carers. I also have a suspicion that it would significantly reduce the cost of the number of advisors, managers and consultants involved in dealing with the case.
The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:
Ensure support and equipment is available when needed, Increased ability to coordinate services to suit the “whole” person/family, 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:
Equipment and home/vehicle modifications, In-home care and domestic assistance, Case management, planning and coordination
I support the introduction of the NDIS.
I believe that one of the greatest problems that carers experience is that of what to do when they can no longer continue to care for their disabled child, partner or parents. A local woman in her late eighties has cared for her son, who had cerebal palsy, until his recent death at age sixty three. Her greatest fear was what would happen when she died. Fortunately for her peace of mind this was not the case. I also believe that people who become disabled from accidents and are not able to find someone to blame such as an employer, another driver or a negligent organisation are virtually left high and dry. The hours spent in courts trying to apportion blame, for what in many cases depends on an incompentent jury feeling sorry for the disabled person and deciding that the council should have erected signs at the side of the road or the beach warning of the dangers of trees and shallow water. What an absolute lawyers picnic. Get rid of the blame game, support the disabled by having a National Disability Insurance Scheme that support those it should be supporting not over paid barristers.
I agree for my submission to be made public