Making life easier at home: NDIS domestic assistance explained

A clean and comfortable home is the pride of every household. To achieve this, you need to do your daily household chores as needed. But for people living with a disability, performing their daily household chores may be a challenge. Either because they are unable to move around the house or they are unable to concentrate on the chores due to mental impairments.

But since everyone deserves a good life, certain arrangements have been made to assist people with disabilities to take care of their daily lives. This is the area where the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) comes into play. Participants are entitled to various support services and funding that simplify daily life, which include home assistance.

Through domestic assistance services, disabled persons get help with performing their daily household chores and more. Here is everything you need to know about this service and how to access it as an NDIS participant. Let’s start by discussing the tasks that this package covers.

What types of tasks are covered?

NDIS domestic assistance is flexible, and one thing you should know is that it can be tailored to suit your preferences. A comprehensive evaluation of your condition is conducted in order to identify the best care services for your requirements. Tasks that are typically covered include:

• General house cleaning
• Meal preparation
• Meal planning  
• Kitchen maintenance
• Cleaning of the bathroom and toilet 
• Laundry services 
• Arranging the house  

Note that these services will be provided in accordance with your disability needs. Any chore that does not directly relate to your disability will not be taken care of. Also, the services are only meant for you.

Who is eligible for NDIS domestic assistance?

Not everybody who is an NDIS participant will be automatically eligible for domestic support. Like all NDIS support, this form of support needs to have a direct connection with a person’s disability and be “reasonable and necessary.”.

So to be eligible for home help services, you’ll need to be living with a physical or mental disability that prevents you from performing domestic activities because of your safety. This will be determined upon assessment, probably by an occupational therapist who will determine what you can and what you cannot do.

Your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or NDIS planner will assist you with this. Just make sure to clarify your daily issues at home well so they can include the right assistance in your plan.

How to access domestic assistance through the NDIS

If you believe you need help with household tasks, here’s how to get domestic assistance included in your NDIS plan:

• Talk to your provider 

Let your provider know about your challenges with performing certain day-to-day tasks. Be open and explain everything as it is.

• Provide supporting documentation 

Reports from occupational therapists or support coordinators can help justify your need for domestic assistance.

• Request funding under Core Supports 

The good thing about NDIS funding is its flexibility. Upon request and successful assessment, you will be able to receive funding for domestic assistance under Core Support funding.

Choosing the right support worker or Service provider

The kind of support worker or service provider you choose will determine how helpful your domestic assistance plan will be. With the right support worker or provider, you will be amazed at the benefits of the services provided. Here’s how to find one:

• Go for experience

Choose a support worker who has helped someone with domestic chores before. With the right experience, you will have better results.

• Ask for flexibility 

Check to see how often they can come in to attend to your needs. Without a flexible schedule, you may end up not getting the help you need.

• Check reviews 

See what others say about their services. Only choose reliable support workers that can offer personalised services to suit your needs.

• Go for NDIS-registered providers

Registered providers under NDIS are in a better position to help you access and manage your domestic assistance funding and services. You can find a list of available providers on the Myplace portal. 

Benefits of domestic assistance 

The benefits of domestic assistance transcend the physical help it provides. It has way more benefits than can be qualified by cleaning or meal preparation. Here is how: 

• Helps you maintain independence 

One of the most common reasons people move into nursing homes is their inability to take care of their daily needs. But with domestic assistance, you can stay in your own home and control how you want to be cared for.

• Supports health and safety

A clean home reduces the risk of infections and accidents. Domestic assistance helps improve your physical and psychological health as you have fewer things to worry about as it concerns home management.

• Reduces stress 

You have nothing to worry about. Domestic assistance workers come in to lift any form of physical and mental load off your shoulders and you can focus on your hobbies and relationship.

• Family support 

Your family and loved ones can take a break to focus on their own lives. This is an underrated opportunity as disability care takes a huge toll on family members.

Conclusion

Living with a disability shouldn’t prevent you from living in a clean and organised home. With the NDIS domestic assistance services, you can live independently at home and receive help with taking care of your daily household chores. No need to bother your family or loved ones again, support workers will handle the tasks to your satisfaction. If you need help with your day-to-day activities, talk to your NDIS provider and ask for domestic assistance.