The federal government's one-stop shop for supporting carers has a "fatal flaw" because it cannot provide the respite caregivers need to access the services, an inquiry has been told.
Family carers have to navigate at least two separate government programs in seeking support for themselves as well as the person they care for, public health academic Lyn Phillipson told the aged care royal commission.
She said the My Aged Care and Carer Gateway systems are not easy to navigate and don't share information or data.
Dr Phillipson said the separation entrenched a division of programs that failed to recognise the interdependency of the needs of informal carers and those of the older person they supported.
"It seems to me to be a bit of a fatal flaw that our new Carer Gateway has not been provided with sufficient funding to actually support the planned respite services that carers will need to access what could be quite valuable services for them," she told the royal commission.
She said the Carer Gateway had the responsibility to assess and refer carers to supports such as education and counselling but had no control itself over funding or arrangements for planned respite that may be needed to allow them to take part.
Dr Phillipson believed the problem was an unintended consequence of the new system.
The University of Wollongong academic noted the Carer Gateway was expected to be able to provide access to emergency respite later this year.
Officials from the health and social services departments will give evidence on Wednesday, the final day of the royal commission's public hearing focusing on the needs of family and unpaid carers.
They will be quizzed about the ways respite care is structured and funded, as well as the support services offered to carers.
Representatives of local aged care providers will also give evidence about the availability and quality of respite care during the hearing in Mildura in regional Victoria.
Australian Associated Press
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