When you’re living with a disability, managing your health can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to work out what the NDIS covers and what falls under the health system. If you’ve ever wondered whether the NDIS will fund that specialist nursing care, diabetes management support, or wound care assistance, you’re not alone. Understanding NDIS disability-related health supports is one of the most common challenges participants face.
At Centre of Hope, we help NDIS participants across NSW navigate these complex questions every day. Whether you need Support Coordination, Specialist Support Coordination, or support managing multiple health systems, we’re here to simplify the process and empower you to get the supports you truly need.
What Are NDIS Disability-Related Health Supports?
NDIS disability-related health supports are health-focused services, equipment, or assistance that help you manage health conditions caused by, or complicated by, your disability. The key difference between what the NDIS funds and what the health system provides comes down to one simple question: Is this support needed because of your disability?
Here’s how it works:
- NDIS funds: Supports that help you manage a health condition because your disability prevents you from doing so independently
- Health system funds: Treatment and care for illnesses, injuries, and health conditions that anyone might experience
All Australians, whether they have a disability or not, have equal access to the Australian health system. The NDIS doesn’t replace your healthcare; it complements it by providing disability-specific supports that help you access and benefit from mainstream health services.
The Simple Test: Disability-Related or Not?
Ask yourself: “If I didn’t have my disability, would I still need this health support?”
If the answer is no, then it’s likely disability-related and may be NDIS-funded. If the answer is yes, then it’s a general health need that Medicare, the health system, or private health insurance should cover.
Example: You have cerebral palsy and diabetes. Testing your blood sugar levels is something many people with diabetes do independently. However, because your disability prevents you from performing this task yourself, the NDIS may fund a support worker to be trained to help you test your blood sugar safely. The insulin and medical treatment for diabetes come from the health system, but the disability-related assistance comes from the NDIS.
What Types of Disability-Related Health Supports Does the NDIS Fund?
The NDIS may fund a range of disability-related health supports, including:
1. Dysphagia Supports
If you have difficulty swallowing, eating, or drinking safely due to your disability, the NDIS may fund supports such as:
- Modified food or thickened fluids
- Specialised eating equipment
- Training for support workers on safe feeding techniques
- Speech pathology for swallowing assessments
2. Diabetes Management Supports
If your disability prevents you from managing diabetes independently, supports might include:
- Training for support workers to test blood glucose levels
- Assistance with insulin injections
- Support coordinating diabetes care with your healthcare team
3. Continence Supports
For participants who need assistance with continence management, the NDIS may fund:
- Continence products (pads, catheters, drainage bags)
- Support with toileting and catheter care
- Equipment like shower chairs or raised toilet seats
- Training for support workers in continence care
4. Wound and Pressure Care Supports
If you have slow-healing wounds, pressure sores, or conditions causing poor circulation, the NDIS might fund:
- Pressure-relieving cushions or mattresses
- Wound care consumables (dressings, bandages)
- Training for support workers in repositioning and wound monitoring
- Registered nurse delegation for complex wound management
5. Respiratory Supports
For participants needing breathing support due to disability, this could include:
- Cough assist machines
- Suction machines
- Training in respiratory care techniques
- Support coordinating with respiratory specialists
6. Nutrition Supports and Meal Preparation
If your disability affects your ability to eat safely or prepare nutritious meals, supports may include:
- Dietitian consultations for disability-related nutrition needs
- Support workers trained in meal preparation for specific dietary requirements
- PEG (feeding tube) supplies and training
7. Podiatry and Foot Care
For conditions like diabetes or mobility impairments affecting foot health:
- Podiatry assessments and care plans
- Footwear modifications
- Support with foot hygiene and monitoring
8. Seizure Management Supports
If you experience seizures, the NDIS may fund:
- Training for support workers in seizure response
- Monitoring and documentation support
- Coordination with neurologists and medication management
9. Support Accessing Health Services
If you have complex communication needs or challenging behaviours, supports might include:
- Assistance attending medical appointments
- Communication support at healthcare facilities
- Support during hospital stays (in specific circumstances)
10. Specialist Supports for Newly Acquired Conditions
For participants with recent spinal cord injuries, acquired brain injuries, or similar conditions:
- Intensive therapy coordination
- Specialised nursing care during the recovery phase
- Equipment and modifications for new disability needs
What the NDIS Does NOT Fund: Understanding the Health System’s Role
It’s equally important to understand what the NDIS doesn’t cover, so you know where to access these supports instead:
The health system (not NDIS) funds:
- Diagnosis and treatment of health conditions
- GP visits, specialist consultations, and diagnostic tests
- Prescription and non-prescription medications
- Hospital stays and emergency department visits
- Dental health services and treatments
- Ambulance services
- Surgical procedures
- Mental health treatment (psychiatry, psychology for mental illness)
- Palliative and end-of-life care
- Routine health screenings and check-ups
Medicare covers many of these services, while the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidises most prescription medications.
If you need help understanding which system covers what, this is exactly where Support Coordination from Centre of Hope becomes invaluable.
How the NDIS Decides What Health Supports to Fund
For any disability-related health support to be included in your NDIS plan, it must meet the NDIS funding criteria. The NDIA asks three key questions:
1. Is it related to your disability?
The support must be needed because your disability causes the health condition or prevents you from managing it independently.
2. Is it value for money?
The NDIS considers whether there’s a more cost-effective way to achieve the same outcome. For example, training a support worker who already visits you daily is better value than funding a separate nurse visit for a task the support worker can safely perform with proper training.
3. Is it effective and beneficial?
The support must actually help you achieve your goals, increase your independence, or improve your quality of life.
Meeting all three criteria is essential. A Level 3 Specialist Support Coordinator from Centre of Hope can help you gather the right evidence and present your case effectively when health-related supports are genuinely needed.
Who Provides Your Disability-Related Health Supports?
Registered Nurse Delegation and Supervision
For many disability-related health supports, you don’t necessarily need a registered nurse to provide the care, but you do need proper training and supervision.
Registered nurse delegation means a qualified nurse assesses your needs, creates a care plan, trains your support worker (or family member), and provides ongoing supervision to ensure the support is delivered safely and effectively.
This model works for supports like:
- Testing blood glucose levels
- Administering insulin injections
- Catheter care (intermittent catheterisation)
- PEG feeding
- Basic wound care monitoring
High Intensity Daily Personal Activities
Some supports are classified as “high intensity” and require specialised training and higher support worker skill levels. These include:
- Complex bowel care
- Enteral feeding and management
- Severe dysphagia management
- Tracheostomy care
- Urinary catheter management
- Ventilator management
- Subcutaneous injections
- Complex wound management
The NDIS funds both the registered nurse’s time for assessment, training, and supervision, and the support worker’s time at the appropriate skill level to deliver the care.
How Centre of Hope Helps You Navigate Health Supports
Understanding what’s NDIS-funded versus health system-funded can feel like navigating a maze, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Support Coordination
Our Support Coordinators help you:
- Understand what disability-related health supports you’re entitled to
- Connect with registered nurses for delegation and training
- Find and coordinate allied health providers (OTs, physios, speech pathologists)
- Link you to mainstream health services like GPs and specialists
- Prepare evidence and reports for plan reviews
- Navigate the system when you’re not sure which service to approach
Specialist Support Coordination (Level 3)
If you have complex health needs alongside multiple system involvement (justice, mental health, housing), our Level 3 Specialist Support Coordinators provide intensive support:
- Crisis coordination when health situations escalate
- Multi-agency liaison between NDIS, health, housing, and justice systems
- Hospital discharge planning and transition support
- Complex care coordination for participants with challenging health needs
Psychosocial Recovery Coaching
For participants with mental health conditions affecting physical health management, our Psychosocial Recovery Coaches provide:
- Support building routines for medication management and health appointments
- Coping strategies when health challenges feel overwhelming
- Connection to mental health supports in the health system
- Recovery-focused planning that includes physical health goals
Justice System Support
If you’re involved in the justice system, health needs don’t stop. Our specialist justice system support coordinators help:
- Maintain continuity of disability-related health supports during custody
- Coordinate transition planning for community re-entry
- Link health supports across correctional health and community health systems
Special Situations: When Health and NDIS Overlap
Hospital Stays
While you’re in hospital, the hospital is responsible for your care, including disability-related needs like personal care, positioning, and medication. You can’t use NDIS funding to pay a support worker to visit you in hospital.
However, if you have Support Coordination or Psychosocial Recovery Coaching, these supports can continue. Your coordinator or coach can help prepare for discharge, set up home supports, and ensure a smooth transition.
Residential Aged Care
If you’re an NDIS participant living in residential aged care, the aged care provider is responsible for your disability-related health supports, not the NDIS.
Custody Settings
If you’re in prison, youth detention, or a court-ordered facility, the justice system provides your health and disability-related health supports. The NDIS can support your transition planning as you prepare for release. Learn more about NDIS support in the justice system.
Getting Disability-Related Health Supports in Your Plan
What Evidence Do You Need?
To have health supports included in your NDIS plan, you need evidence from healthcare professionals. This might include:
- Medical reports from your GP or specialist explaining how your disability affects your health management
- Allied health assessments from OTs, physios, or speech pathologists
- Nursing assessments outlining care needs and delegation requirements
- Hospital discharge summaries if transitioning from hospital
- Care plans detailing the supports needed
The NDIS has specific assistive technology assessment templates if you need equipment like pressure care mattresses or respiratory devices.
Requesting a Plan Change
If your health needs change or you need additional supports, you can request a plan review. Talk to your Support Coordinator, or contact Centre of Hope if you don’t currently have coordination support.
We help participants across Western Sydney, including Blacktown, Penrith, and the Blue Mountains, as well as throughout NSW.
Common Questions About Health Supports
Q: Can I use my NDIS funding for private health insurance? No. NDIS funding can only be used for NDIS supports outlined in your plan.
Q: Will the NDIS pay for my diabetes medication? No. Medications are funded through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), not the NDIS. However, the NDIS may fund assistance with administering medication if your disability prevents you from doing so independently.
Q: I have high electricity costs from medical equipment. Can NDIS help? No, but your state or territory may have schemes to assist with high electricity costs. Your Support Coordinator can help you access these.
Q: Can the NDIS fund oxygen supply? No. Your state or territory health system is responsible for oxygen supply and equipment. In NSW, this is the NSW Health Oxygen Scheme.
Q: My child needs regular health check-ups. Does NDIS fund this? No. Routine child health services are provided through the health system via maternal and child health nurses. However, if your child needs substantially more health support than other children due to their disability, the NDIS may fund additional supports.
Navigating disability-related health supports doesn’t have to be confusing or stressful. At Centre of Hope, we believe everyone deserves clarity, dignity, and the support they need to thrive.
Whether you’re trying to work out if a health support should be in your plan, preparing for a plan review, or feeling overwhelmed coordinating between health services and the NDIS, we’re here to help.
We offer:
- Support Coordination to help you understand and use your plan effectively
- Specialist Support Coordination (Level 3) for complex, multi-system situations
- Psychosocial Recovery Coaching for mental health-related disability support
- Justice System Support for participants involved in the justice system
We’re mobile across NSW, meeting you wherever is most convenient, at home, in the community, or via technology-enabled support.
📞 Call us: 0432 250 900
📧 Email: hello@centreofhope.com.au
🌐 Book an appointment: centreofhope.com.au/appointment
📍 Postal: PO Box 370, Mount Druitt NSW 2770
Operating hours: Weekdays 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Centre of Hope is a registered NDIS provider (Registration ID: 4050161679) committed to person-centred, trauma-informed care. Your goals. Your plan. Our support.
Learn More
Looking for more NDIS guidance? Explore our comprehensive resources:
- Understanding NDIS Support Coordination: What It Is and Why It Matters
- NDIS Funding in NSW: What You’re Entitled To & How to Use It
- Your First Support Coordination Meeting: Complete Guide
- Top NDIS Services You Didn’t Know You Could Access
For official NDIS guidelines and comprehensive information, visit the NDIS website’s disability-related health supports page.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information about NDIS disability-related health supports based on NDIA guidelines. Individual circumstances vary, and decisions about what is funded in your plan are made by the NDIA based on your specific situation. Centre of Hope provides support coordination to help you navigate these systems but does not make funding decisions. For personalised advice about your NDIS plan, speak with your Support Coordinator or contact the NDIA.
