Disability Services Commission Annual Report

3. Significant Issues and
Trends
The Commission strives to keep abreast of trends and issues in
the disability sector on a local, national and international level. It
does this in a number of ways such as monitoring statistics, data
analysis and research.
The following have been identified as significant issues and trends
in the sector.
Demand for Services
Demand for specialist disability services continues to grow.
Factors influencing demand include:
ageing population;
growing life expectancy of people with disabilities;
increased survival rates of people with severe and profound
disabilities;
changes in patterns of informal care;
changing community expectations; and
sustained increases in the number of people with disabilities.
Carers
Almost 87 per cent of people with disabilities in WA who require
assistance receive support through family and friends. The
provision of support services for families and carers to help them
maintain their caring role is critical in promoting individual, family
and carer wellbeing, reducing the need for crisis support and
avoiding premature or inappropriate entry into high cost residential
care. Increasingly, families and carers are seeking more flexible
approaches to family and carer support.
Many people with disabilities live at home with ageing parents.
The ageing and associated health issues of carers are placing
urgent demands on accommodation and community-based
support services. Ongoing planning is being undertaken to help
support families and carers plan for the future.
Community Living
While WA has generally been considered a leader in the provision
of individualised and personalised accommodation support for
people with disabilities, there is growing demand from individuals
and families for an expanded range of more innovative
Disability Services Commission Annual Report 2007–2008 49