Respite funding is broken: mother
A Baldivis mother has labelled the State and Federal Government's disability services systems "broken" after she failed to gain short- term respite funding for her disabled daughter.
Carolynne Charles' 33-year-old daughter Melissa has an intellectual disability and rare muscle disease which requires full-time care.
Mrs Charles said her daughter had the confidence to go on a holiday with a carer for the first time last year, giving her independence and self-esteem.
The holiday also provides Mrs Charles and her husband a much-needed break.
The trip was partly funded by Disability Services Commission and the Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre.
Melissa's holidays are expensive because she requires 24-hour care.
This year Mrs Charles approached the same services, among others, only to be told funding for short trips was no longer available.
Last Thursday State Deputy Opposition Leader and Kwinana MLA Roger Cook raised the issue in a parliamentary grievance debate, calling on the issue to be rectified.
"My grievance is to ask why funding for respite is not available and parents in this situation have to scrimp and save and approach different funding sources in order to get together these sorts of resources," he said.
Mr Cook said respite services were important for families to give carers a break and children with disabilities the opportunity to experience travel.
Mrs Charles said the responsibility of looking after her daughter became overwhelming and the respite funding relieved the pressure.
"Twice a year, it all gets a bit too much for me, it wears you down," she said.
Mrs Charles said she could not understand why funding was no longer available for respite travel.
"I was pretty cross about it, it doesn't just affect me, it doesn't just affect Melissa, it affects every family and not every family has the voice to stand up and say 'this isn't right'," she said.
"This needs to be improved because it is broken and needs fixing and someone needs to step up to the plate."
Disability Services Minister Helen Morton said she was aware there had been a positive relationship between the Charles family and Ms Charles' DSC Local Area Co-ordinator and support was ongoing.
Mrs Morton said the State Government had provided an additional $24.6 million to disability services this year which would partly go towards direct care services, respite and other family supports. She said when Cockburn and Kwinana join the Federally-funded National Disability Insurance Scheme My Way trial from July 1, additional support would be available.
