NDIS respite care concerns the canary in the coal mine
While there is much to commend about the $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme the reality is its roll-out has not been as successful as many would have hoped.
A necessary, and long overdue, attempt to better co-ordinate disability services, the scheme was marketed as a one-stop shop to streamline access to services by those living with a disability and to save money through economies of scale and the elimination of duplicated services.
While these are commendable goals the fact is there have been numerous unintended consequences.
One is the imminent denial of access to overnight respite care through Marymead to an estimated 80 Canberra families caring for children with disabilities.
This is a direct consequence of the low level of funding allocated to respite care under the NDIS model.
Source: Canberra Times