NDIS Won’t Solve Young People in Nursing Homes - Report
The issue of young people with disabilities
living in nursing homes will not be resolved despite the
introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, according
to a report by the Summer Foundation and global professional
services company, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The report, NDIS Launch Sites: Projection of Number of Young
People in Residential Aged Care estimates that although the NDIS
will have been operational in the NDIS launch sites for three
years, there will be an additional 40 young people living in
nursing homes in these launch sites by June 2016.
However, it reveals that the NDIS, which is expected to be
implemented across Australia in 2018-2019, will be unable to fully
resolve the issue of young people in residential aged care in the
short term.
The Report says that without a large injection of funding and a
building plan and program, few people will be likely to move out of
residential aged care because they need somewhere to live.
Research by the Summer Foundation and Monash University had found
that 53 per cent of young people in residential aged care received
a visit from a friend less than once a year and 33 per cent never
had the opportunity to participate in community-based activities
such as shopping, leisure activities, or visiting family and
friends.
"Once the NDIS is fully operational, the problem will become the
dearth of accessible and affordable housing," Disability
Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes wrote in the report's
foreword.
"The community housing sector needs to get ready to meet the needs
of young people in aged care nursing homes, and the tens of
thousands of other people with disability who will have funding for
support, but no housing to live in."
Report co-author and Summer Foundation CEO Di Winkler said the
situation was dire.
"The NDIS is a crucial part of the solution to the issue of young
people in nursing homes and will provide the funding for disability
supports that this group needs to live in the community," Dr
Winkler said.
"However, we anticipate that very few young people will move out
of nursing homes in the launch sites because there is no where to
move to.
"There is a desperate need for more affordable and accessible
housing options for people with disability. Housing for people with
disability is still the responsibility of public and community
housing."
The report also revealed that services were needed to create
pathways back to the community for people with severe acquired
brain injury sitting in acute hospitals, such as slow stream
rehabilitation services.
References and further information