When can the NDIS fund nursing care at home?

Having an NDIS plan does not mean every nursing visit can be paid for through it. The NDIS may fund nursing that meets its requirements for disability-related health supports. The health system remains responsible for many other health services. Before arranging visits, it helps to be clear about the support you need, how it relates to your disability and whether the relevant funding is available.

Start with the support you need

You might be looking for help with an ongoing continence or wound-care need, or advice about how a support worker can assist with a particular task. Explain what needs to happen in your day, what you can do yourself and where you need help. A diagnosis alone does not describe the whole arrangement.

The NDIA describes disability-related health supports as items, services and equipment that help manage the impact of disability on daily life. Nursing and training for the people supporting you may be included where the relevant requirements are met. Source: NDIS: disability-related health supports

Which system is responsible?

Medical diagnosis and treatment, hospital services and medicines generally sit with the health system. Nursing is not automatically an NDIS responsibility simply because it happens in your home. Source: NDIS: disability-related health supports

It is worth asking your treating clinician to explain the purpose of the proposed care. Is it treatment after a recent medical event, ongoing disability-related assistance, or a combination? There may be several services involved, with different responsibilities.

If you are leaving hospital, raise this question with the discharge team while arrangements are being discussed. Ask who is responsible for the care after discharge and how the next provider will receive the information they need. Do not assume that an existing NDIS plan resolves the discharge arrangements.

Funding and provider suitability are separate

There are two conversations to have. The funding conversation establishes whether the proposed support can be purchased through your plan. The care conversation establishes whether a particular provider has the people, skills and availability to meet your needs.

Ask your NDIS contact or support coordinator, if you have one, about the evidence and plan arrangements relevant to your situation. Your treating health professional can help describe the clinical need. WattleCare Services does not decide NDIS eligibility or funding. Source: NDIS: disability-related health supports

When you contact a nursing provider, explain the actual support involved. A request for “catheter care”, for example, leaves questions about the task, current instructions, frequency and what assistance you already have. Those details help the provider understand your enquiry without asking you to choose a service label yourself.

Prepare a short picture of your day

• The support you are asking about and how it affects your usual activities.
• Your preferences, including communication needs and who you want involved.
• Your location and the timing or frequency being discussed.
• Relevant clinical plans or instructions, if you have them.
• Your NDIS plan information and any questions about the proposed funding.

You do not need to gather every document before making an enquiry. Start with what you know. Ask which information the provider needs and how to share it privately. Please do not put a plan, medical history or personal health details in a social media comment.

Your part in the care plan

Care planning should include your goals and preferences, along with the support itself. Tell the team if a proposed arrangement makes it harder to get to work, attend an activity or keep a routine that matters to you. Ask for explanations in a form you can use, and decide who you want involved in the conversation. Participant involvement and accessible information are reflected in the NDIS Practice Standards. Source: NDIS Commission: provision of supports

Useful questions include: who will provide the support, what training is relevant to my needs, who reviews the plan, and what should I do if the arrangement stops working for me? You can take these questions into that discussion.

Nursing enquiries with WattleCare Services

WattleCare Services is accepting enquiries and referrals now. Before care begins, we work with you to understand your needs and confirm whether we can provide the support you require.

Our services page outlines our care at home. Our nursing care page describes the nursing we provide. If you are unsure whether a task calls for a nurse or personal-care support, read home nursing and personal care: who does what. The answer depends on your needs and the support arrangements; it is not decided by the task name alone.