NDIS Services Alice Springs
"We currently have no in-person capacity in this area, however if you fill in our enquiry form you'll be added to our telehealth waiting list."
NDIS in Australia
According to a web report done by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1 in 6 people in Australia has a disability. This means that in Alice Springs, there are at least 4,408 residents, out of the estimated resident population of 26,488, with mild to severe types of disability.
This alarming fact is one of the main reasons why the Australian Government decided to conduct the National Disability Insurance Scheme or NDIS through every state in the country. The program is handled by another newly formed agency called National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and is responsible for handling the licencing of clinics and eligibility of patients for the said program.
Why must a patient apply for NDIS?
Whether a resident is in Alice Springs or another state, the question of should they take an assessment for NDIS relies on whether the resident thinks that they need support with their disability. It was found also that 32% of adults with disabilities experience high levels of psychological distress and this greatly affects their families and themselves. If a resident think that they need help in any way, applying for NDIS is the most logical thing to do.
A person may be worried about what people would think if they apply for disability support. However, people today are now more open to the concept of disability and open to helping and supporting people with such conditions.
Take note though that the NDIS program is not meant to give lifetime support to the patient. Different plans are made for each patient after their condition is assessed. These plans will help the patient to recover and eventually live independently from the program.
What will a patient get from NDIS aside from assessments?
Indeed, there will be many assessments that the patient must take to be eligible for the NDIS. However, all of them are worth the time and money because of the benefits that the patient will get. Regardless of whether a patient will apply to other states, the services offered are almost the same.
Depending on the plan that the patient will receive, the budget and the services that will be provided will also vary. A patient with a more severe or complicated condition might getter more budget. This will be discussed in a while.
According to the NDIS government website, there are 3 main categories in which support for disabilities falls under:
Core. The Core includes assistance from NDIS that will help the patient complete simple daily tasks and normal living activities. Physical disabilities such as the inability to walk, hold objects, and loss of sense are part of this program.
Capital. The Capital includes support through money. The money must be used to buy equipment such as gadgets that can help the patient do daily tasks. The money can also be used to modify the house or car of the patient. Handicap walkways and car wheelchair lifts are some of the equipment that can be bought using capital services.
Capacity Building. This service is like the core because it includes training the patient with their basic skills. Some basic skills that are trained by NDIS professionals include reading, writing, or memorising.
All three categories are fully subjective to the patient and can even be mixed or applied at the same time. Depending on the severity of the patient’s disability, the support they will get may vary from:
Basic Transportation Training
Support with consumables/medicine/maintenance
Basic socialising skills training
Installation of assistive technology within their home or car
Planned living arrangements
Job application training or Job opportunity
Improved learning, life choices, daily living
As much as the government wants to support everyone, there are limitations to the support that it can provide. The support must be strictly used only for the disability. Using the program for non-disability-related activities may result in the ineligibility of the program.
It also does not mean that the NDIS should automatically support a disabled person. Some patients with a disability may be better helped by schools, medical therapies, or other agencies.
How to apply for NDIS in Alice Springs
Like any other program, a person will only be given the service if they are eligible for one.
Here are the 4 steps in applying for an NDIS program:
Eligibility Verification
For NDIS eligibility, a client may first try to self-assess themselves by asking these questions:
Am I between 7 and 65? Am I taking care of someone below the age of 7?
Do I live in Australia? Am I an Australian Citizen?
Do I ask for support from my relatives because of my disability?
Am I using a piece of special equipment that I need support in maintaining?
Do I need support today to mitigate my future needs?
Make an access request
After answering all the questions above, the next step is to request access to the program by contacting the NDIS government agency. The patient can also submit their access form via email, and through direct application to any local NDIA office.
Answer the Access Request questions
The NDIA will respond to the access request and will give a set of questions to the patient. The patient must then answer all the questions and confirm their NDIS eligibility, consent, and type of disability.
Provide more information about the disability
Of course, the patient cannot just walk in straight and say that they have a disability. The patient must prove the disability by providing evidence and further explaining the nature of it. There are 11 types of disability evidence that are accepted by the NDIA:
Primary Disability – Acquired Brain Injury
Primary Disability – Autism
Primary Disability – Cerebral palsy
Primary Disability – Hearing impairment
Primary Disability – Intellectual disability, Developmental delay, Global developmental delay, Down Syndrome
Primary Disability – Multiple Sclerosis
Primary Disability – Psychosocial disability
Primary Disability – Spinal cord injury
Primary Disability – Stroke
Primary Disability – Vision impairment
Primary Disability – Other
The evidence that the patient will provide must be backed up by an assessment done from the past by the patient, and the assessor of those tests must be licenced to give such exams.
For more details on NDIS Services, citizens and residents of Cairns who are exhibiting permanent and significant disability, may call Positive Moods on 1300 001 470, email at ndis@positivemoods.com.au, or fill up the contact form on https://www.positivemoods.com.au/contactus.