Significantly improving the lives of carers is the intent of a new Australian Government report which includes 50 recommendations for providing better support to carers..The report, entitled Who Cares …?, was launched on 1st May, 2009 by The Family, Community, Housing and Youth Committee.

The committees terms of reference were to obtain an improved understanding of the challenges facing carers and their support needs. More than 1300 submissions were made to the committee by carers and care organizations. The committee gave consideration to diverse options for reform including significant fundamental reform and options for the more efficient use of existing resources

A Committee media release on 1st May says that financial relief for carers is a key outcome and urges a national focus and recognition for carers.

Ms Annette Ellis, MP, chair of the committee says. in the forward to the report, that it is her view “that many of the report’s recommendations are a starting point only, providing a baseline for more fundamental and significant reforms to systems of support for carers”

The CEO of Carers Australia, Joan Hughes, says “We need to see these become government policy backed by adequate funding with the wholehearted support of all government departments, particularly the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet”

The list of 50 recommendations can be found in the ” Preliminary Pages” of the Who Cares …? report, which is downloadable along with the rest of the report on Parliament of Australia  “Inquiry into better support for carers” page. The report, which I thought easy to read, includes explanations of the committee findings and details and examples of the submissions received.

I have included my own summary of the recommendations below but please read the report’s full list of recommendations and the report itself for more detail.

Who Cares …? Recommendations

An increase in Financial Support

• a significant increase in the base rate of carer payments and reduction of the disincentive for carers to earn supplementary income,
• increased funding and more tax concessions to help with the costs incurred for medication, therapy, aids and equipment, vehicle and home modifications,
• an increase in capital and recurrent funding for respite and other carer support services,
• for Health Care Cards to be issued under the same means test as Carer Payment to those receiving Carers Allowance.

Advocacy and Community Awareness

• a review of arrangements for systematic care advocacy and an extension of the National Disability Advocacy Program,
• a national education campaign to increase community awareness of the needs of carers,
• Promote to health and community care providers the importance of involving carers in the treatment and services of those receiving their services,
• a national information campaign to raise awareness about the need for, and benefits of, enduring powers of attorney and advanced care directives in the general community and among health and community care professionals.

Assessment and application procedures for benefits

• to expand the nationally consistent assessment process based on the Carer Eligibility and Needs Assessment-Revised questionnaire,
• a review of the assessment process for Carer Payment/Allowance (adult),
• review Centrelink’s application processes for income support for carers and care receivers,
• introducing a national carer card for recipients of Carer Payment and Carer Allowance in order to verify the relationship between a primary carer and a care receiver.

Health Care/Counselling for Carers

• a preventative health care program for carers and an expansion of the National Carers Counselling Program to better meet the demand for counselling services,
• raising awareness among GP’s of the high incidence of mental health problems among carers and their families and of the options available for support.

Support for Carers

Recommendations for an increase in support that is more nationally consistent and streamlined including:

• improvements or additions to respite and other support services for carers including expanded health and community care services in regional and remote locations and more flexibility and support for carers in the workforce,
• improvements in information, education, training and skill development for carers including
  • the establishment of dedicated Carer/Disability Unit with staff to provide specialist advice to carers and care receivers
  • to extend the Access Points Demonstration Projects to include disability services and community mental health services.
  • an expansion of the MyTime Peer Support Program to include parents of school aged children with disability.

Respite and Care Services

Recommendations for increased funding for and an urgent increase in the availability and accessibility of respite and in-home assistance:

• an increase in funding for in-home assistance, respite and other carer support services including people living in regional and remote locations,
• providing extended respite and support for all working carers,
• extending the eligibility criteria for its Respite for Young Carers at Risk Program,
• to collect nationally consistent data to more accurately determine the level of unmet need for community based carer support services.

The workforce and studying

• increase the number of hours of work, volunteering or study that those receiving Carer Payment can undertake,
• amendments to the Fair Work Act to extend the right to request flexible working arrangements to carers,
• consider the skills development and training needs of carers, particularly long-term carers, when developing plans to assist those wishing to enter or re-enter the workforce after a period of absence,
• additional funding for disability support workers in long day care, out of hours care and school holiday care to improve access for employed carers,
• ensure that employment service providers consider the specific needs of carers seeking suitable employment and encourage and support employers to provide employment opportunities for carers,
• develop flexible policies to make it easier for students to combine education with caring.

Other Recommendations

• development of nationally consistent carer recognition legislation, a national carer action plan and a national office for carers,
• consolidating portfolio responsibility for people with disabilities, people with mental illness, the frail aged and their carers into a single Australian Government department,
• nominate carers as an early priority for social inclusion on the social inclusion agenda and with the Australian Social Inclusion Board,
• national consistency and mutual recognition governing enduring powers of attorney and advanced care directives.

Further Action Recommended

• review existing legislation and policy relating to health and community care to ensure that carers are adequately recognised,
• further research, reviews and data collection on carer needs and the adequacy of community based support services including the specific needs of Indigenous carers,
• a survey to measure the financial costs to households of caring for people with disability and examining how carer payments may be restructured to better reflect differences in the levels of care provided,
• examining options to build capacity in the community care workforce, particularly initiatives to encourage retention of trained workers in the sector,
• to review the adequacy of case management or care coordination for carers and care receivers using community care, aged care, disability and community mental health services,
• Investigate whether state and territory provisions adequately allow carers to be involved in the treatment of the individuals for whom they care. Pilot studies to test the potential for carer respite and in-home assistance through ‘individualised funding programs’ for carers who want to manage the purchase of services themselves,
• review the temporary cessation of care requirements for Carer Payment and Carer Allowance recipients.