Every individual can transform their lives and be independent. In Melbourne, people with disabilities are either a target of sympathy or an easy prey for verbal abuse. This in itself is a matter of shame and disgust and makes no space for people with permanent disabilities to thrive, even when they are living in a city like Melbourne.
However, the rise of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is a ray of hope. With this funding, disability service providers in Melbourne can extend their support to help you in many ways. To be precise, allowing you to be an independent person who no longer has to face any financial and physical hurdles.
In this blog, we will explore NDIS, its eligibility criteria, and the eleven NDIS services that can help you live a fulfilling life.
What Does the National Disability Insurance Scheme Mean in Australia?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a move by NDIA, an NDIS government organisation in Australia, which aims to help people with significant and permanent disability.
Under this initiative, eligible people with disabilities can receive adequate funding support. If you are dealing with specific health concerns or if your disability impacts your daily needs and life aspirations, then knowing whether you are eligible for the insurance scheme is necessary.
Here are the following criteria that make you eligible for NDIS services.
- You must be above 18 and under 65 to receive NDIS services.
- You must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person holding a Protected special category visa in Australia.
- You must be a person who has permanent physical, mental, intellectual, sensory, cognitive, or other types of disabilities.
- Your disability stops you from doing daily chores, learning new skills, participating in social activities, travelling alone, or communicating with others.
Understanding Disability Service Providers and their Services
If you are eligible for NDIS support, the next step is to develop an NDIS plan with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). The agency has support coordinators who will schedule a meeting with you to understand your pain points, needs, and goals. Based on your information, they will make a plan outlining specific services and a budget for each service.
However, NDIA itself does not provide services. Instead, the support workers either recommend or connect you with disability service providers in Melbourne. These providers are the only ones who will deliver NDIS services, manage your plan, and track your well-being.
Before you begin searching for a reputed NDIS provider, let’s understand each of the services you get on the plate.
Daily Living and Personal Hygiene Activities
Under this service, you can avail:
- Assistance with cooking, laundering, gardening, house cleaning, and understanding medical prescriptions and bills.
- Help with cleaning, bathing, dressing, and grooming yourself.
Mobility Support
Under this service, you can avail support with:
- Travelling to your workplace, coaching, or other work and study-related appointments.
- Commuting to grocery stores, shopping malls, and medical shops.
- Go to community centres, events, and libraries.
- Commuting to nearby parks, yoga, health and fitness centres, sports stadiums, and other places you enjoy visiting.
- Guiding you through public transport access and suggesting the best ways to use it.
Community Nursing Care
NDIS support services often include community nursing care to help you with the following:
- Treating chronic illnesses, heart disease, respiratory problems, and neurological disorders.
- Regular medical check-ups, heal wounds, and get the proper dosages.
- Feeding tubes, catheter care, and respiratory support for coping with severe disabilities.
- Recover from surgery, monitor the recovery level, and handle post-surgery requirements.
Accommodation and SDA Accommodation
Under this service, you can obtain:
- Support with finding, shortlisting, and accessing various rental apartments and houses.
- Complete paperwork, house agreement, and guidance to prepare before moving in hassle-free.
- Full compliance with Australian government guidelines to ensure you don’t face any legal hurdles.
- Personalised assistance to suit your specific and lifestyle needs.
- Specialist disability accommodation if you have high-intensity disability needs.
- Support with host arrangements and private houses to live with other participants, peers, or family while receiving the best care.
Life-Stage Transition
Life-stage transition is one of the most life-enhancing NDIS support services that lend a helping hand in various ways:
- Accommodation transfer.
- Make you understand tenancy occupation.
- Transition you safely to the workplace, school, or any new job.
- Coordinate your support plan.
- It helps you plan ahead for your life goals.
- It enables you to make your own decisions and grow professionally and personally.
- Offers an personalised support for managing your NDIS plan.
Respite Care
Under this service, NDIS providers extend temporary relief to primary caregivers who want to fulfil their personal goals and responsibilities. These services accommodate with:
- Shared living environment to manage your daily activities, medications, and appointments effectively.
- Managing your expenses, bills, and making the right budget for your disability care and needs.
- Supervising you to complete necessary paperwork.
Life Development Skills
Learning life development skills can help you to live independently. Here are some services that you can expect:
- Sessions on planning and managing finances.
- Behavioural management.
- Preparing for a new job and soft skills.
- Training on using public transport independently.
- Support in household tasks and preparing meals.
- Health management.
- Communicate effectively, use hearing, and listening aids correctly.
- Learn new skills, manage time, and realise your potential.
Assistance Animals
NDIS support services offer assistance animals to eligible NDIS participants where workers:
- Assist participants who have animals like guide dogs.
- Trains guide dogs to perform at least three essential tasks to make the participants more functional.
- Helps you to live independently and utilise the ability of assistance animals.
Group and Centre-Based Activities
Under this service, you can benefit from:
- Group activities, either in a centre or a community.
- Social, recreational, and fun-filled activities to enhance your capabilities.
- Know like-minded participants and choose the groups that you enjoy participating with.
Community Participation
Under this service, you can participate in events relating to:
- Business support.
- Informative sessions.
- Independent travel training.
- Sports and engaging activities.
- Explore personal interests, skills, and new ways of thinking.
- Get help with discovering new ideas and psychology.
- Develop capacity level to the point where you no longer have to rely on a caregiver.
Assist Personal Activities (including High-intensity activities)
Assist Personal Activities, you can bring changes with:
- Building yourself into a confident and self-healing individual.
- Performing cleaning, household chores, paying bills, and going out to buy or take external medical assistance.
- Receiving support for managing your complex bowel care needs, tracheostomy care needs, complex wound care, physiotherapy needs, delivering subcutaneous injections, all to reduce the impact of severe disabilities.
Final Words
We hope you liked reading this blog. Disability service providers in Melbourne offer personalised services that align with your NDIS plan. You must consider only relevant services that will take you closer to your life needs and goals.
As mentioned, the importance of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and its access process is clear. We outlined various services, from daily living, mobility, accommodation, life transition, respite care, life-development skills, assistance animals, community participation, and high-intensity activities to support your growth.
If you are an NDIS participant or a caregiver looking for an NDIS provider, then Ability All Care offers a complete solution to reduce the impact of your disability. Contact today for more enquiries.
