As a participant of the NDIS you should be able to access support and services so you’re able to live independently and enjoy the same things in life as other people.

You can choose and pay for these supports and services out of your individually allocated, based on the personal goals you’re hoping to achieve.

Supports and services fall into three broad categories: Core, capital and capacity building.

These supports are broken down into fifteen more specific categories, depending on their purpose. One important support category is services that help you improve your health and wellbeing, with more disability-related health supports added in recent years.

Nursing care is an important service that many people living with a disability rely upon to manage their impairment and stay as healthy as possible.

To be eligible to claim nursing support, you need to demonstrate that your need for this support is ongoing and is directly related to your disability.

What nursing support is available through the NDIS ?

If you are assessed as being eligible to receive nursing support through  your NDIS plan, it’s important to speak to your NDIS provider about the services you require, how you’d like them delivered and by whom. If you live in a regional or remote part of Australia with limited medical facilities, a home nursing service  may be even more important and necessary.

To help you decide what services you need, a registered nurse can carry out a  full  health assessment. Once you have been assessed they will develop a care plan for you in conjunction with you and your family. This plan will detail the services that have been identified as necessary  and the days/ times you prefer them to be delivered. This plan will be reviewed every six months or so, or as your needs change.

General nursing services can include a whole range of supports from showering assistance to blood transfusions and continence management. Nurses will work closely with your doctor and assist with the coordination of any scheduled medical and other allied health professionals appointments.

Your nurse can also advise and support on more complex issues such as:

  • Continence assessment and management
  • Catheter care, changes and management
  • Wound management
  • Diabetes management-including insulin administration
  • Managing your medication, if necessary

Nurses can also provide advice and education on appropriate safety equipment for the home and refer you to an occupational therapist for specialist equipment, if required. In some cases, they may provide information, including lifestyle planning  and nutritional advice/support to you and your carers.

They can advise and support on things like:

  • Continence management and assessments
  • Catheter care, changes and management
  • Pressure care and wound management
  • Complex disability care, including PEG, ventilator and bowel care
  • Diabetes management-including insulin administration
  • Medical management and administration including sourcing and picking up medication, administering drugs and intravenous lines etc.

These are just some examples of the medical support a trained nurse is able to deliver. There are many more services  you can access under your NDIS plan, depending on your individual  needs and circumstances.