Carers and families of profoundly disabled loved ones have welcomed the public's positive response to a Disability Care levy. But they say the Government's announcement raises more questions than answers, reports the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.
In fact many remain deeply concerned at the Gillard Government's lack of detail and transparency about its planned scheme to support people with severe disabilities. They are also upset that although assessments are being made for the initial trials due to start in just eight weeks time, they have no idea of the criteria being used to decide on who will be eligible for the trials and who will miss out.
The Government's draft legislation for the NDIS, now renamed DisabilityCare is planned to be rolled out in 2018-2019 but under its proposals, it is the bureaucrats and providers who take precedence - not those who need the support and care.
"The proposed legislation is inflexible, top heavy on bureaucracy and fails to recognise the rights and importance of family-carers and the integral role they play," says Maree Buckwalter, the Sydney-based Founder and President of the Carers Alliance and the mother and carer of her 27-year-old severely disabled son, Alex.
Instead under the scheme planned by the Government, family-carers of people with significant disabilities needing full time care have been sidelined with the draft bill proposing Canberra bureaucrats take over decisions about individual care plans for the family's son, daughter, wife, husband or parent with a profound disability and needing around the clock care.
"The draft legislation deigns to recognise, acknowledge and respect carer-families and then relegates them to observer status, ignoring their expertise and input and excludes them totally from the decision-making process," Maree says.
"You would think it would be obvious how crucial input from family carers would be in any decision-making about the care of those they look after. These are the people who understand their needs, know them better than anyone else and who for many years with little help or support, have been caring for them 24 hours a day."
This is a report taken from the Catholic News published on May 5, 2013 .This is the link to read the full article published on May 3.2013 from the Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese
The bold sections have been highlighted for special attention, as these issues were well canvassed by Dr Simon Duffy as reported in this column on February 11, 2013 Look here for a quick link to this article.