NDIS Support Services: Why Quality Matters More Than Quantity

Won’t much good come from having a long list of NDIS support services on paper if it isn’t followed through. Many people report across Australia that their plan may be good, however the support that they have experienced feels ‘generic’, ‘disconnective’, ‘not the same’ or ‘inconsistent’ to their actual goals. It isn’t the scheme per se. It’s the execution.

NDIS support services only work when the provider is genuinely committed to providing them to a good standard, has the clinical skills to do so and is operationally reliable. One of the most important and helpful things that a participant or family can learn is knowing the difference between good and average.

Expectations for NDIS Support Services

Expectations matter. It helps participants and families to be able to identify and ask for good quality support. A good NDIS support service plan is not a template that is created for everyone. They are provided by staff who maintain regular and well established roles and are well trained and know what the participant wishes to achieve and enjoy. They involve good communication with the participant, their family and their support coordinator.

They also evolve, they change. A good provider will update the support plan as the goals of a participant change or or their health status changes, and will not always keep doing the same. Wise Care Services incorporates this flexibility into their model from the outset and champions the regular communication process with participants, families and coordinators to ensure there is a constant consistency of support to meet the real needs.

What is the connection between everyday personal activities and independence

Daily personal activities support (category 0107) is for the help required by many NDIS participants in relation to their personal care, such as showering, dressing, grooming, toileting and mobility. These are very personal relationships. The quality of these moments directly impacts on dignity, comfort, and self of a participant.

This rapid, impersonal personal care is not only unpleasantly done quickly.This quick and impersonal personal care is unpleasantly done quickly. Patient dignity is an issue. Support workers taking the time to understand and respect the contrast with personal care preferences is a whole different ball game. The participant feels that he or she is not processed. Wise Care services valves this emotional element within having physical support. The NDIS always requires support services delivered with this type of respect and sensitivity that personal care requires.

The relevance of communication in the provision of good support

Most of the failure of a disability care Melbourne relationship is due to poor communication. If families are unaware of what goes on in their family members’ daily support, they are unable to advocate appropriately. Providers that do not provide up to date information may lead to a support coordinator to make unfounded changes in the plan. Participants begin to ignore or tune out the conversation if they do not feel that their voice is being heard.

Wise Care Services is committed to effective oral communication with the participants, families and coordinators. This is NOT a CS system. It’s a safety and quality mechanism. Early discussions regarding participant needs help to avoid small problems becoming large problems. Communicating makes families fully informed about the care they are receiving, and someone who feels his voice is heard will contribute to his care.

How Will a Community Nurse be Involved in an NDIS Plan

Community nurse (category 0114): Clinical care provided by a registered nurse. It includes health assessments, managing medicines, chronic disease tracking and complex health support outside of a clinical context. Community nursing is considered one of the key supports that enables many people who participate in the NDIS to live in their own home or other shared housing rather than a hospital or residential home.

Wise Care Services delivers community nursing from clinical professionals that are registered Nurses. This provides a form of health monitoring and clinical responsiveness in community care which cannot be achieved by most mainstream disability support organizations. This clinical layer is not recommended for participants with complex or evolving health issues. It’s essential.

What is the connection between good NDIS Support and Social Participation

Social participation exists not as a luxury, but a true need for health. High rates of social isolation are linked to poor health, both physical and mental. Legislators and researchers identified this link, partly, which is why there are services available to help people participate in their communities, the Disability Support Services Program (DSSP). There’s more to it than fun when supporting someone to connect with their community. It’s about avoiding dire health consequences of isolation.

Community participation support is different for each participant in practice. Someone may be supported to join a sports group meeting once a week. One another might go to the art school. A third might be allowed to attend a cultural or religious group with which they felt excluded. The variety matters. Wise Care Services customizes community participation support based on personal and specific values and interests.

Information on Group Centre based Activity Support.

Group centre based activity support (category 0136) gathers participants in a structured activity program, which is held at a centre or facility. Programs are for creative arts, fitness and wellness, skill development and social connection activities. There are positive aspects to the group as such and to the social interaction with peers, in addition to the aspects of the activity.

Group activities may be extremely helpful supports for individuals who enjoy social interactions, as they can be one of the most meaningful interventions in these people’s plan. Structured group practice activities offer a scaffolded environment for developing social competence. However, regardless of the type of program it is, the experience helps to create connection and capability along with the skills it focuses on.

Conclusion

The quality of services provided to assist people with disability in the NDIS is limited by the quality of the services themselves and the provider delivering them. A caregiver who shows up on time, and is familiar with your preferences, the nurse-led team who picks up on health issues early, the manager who calls back on your Schedule and clearly communicates with your family are all examples of how a quality experience is manifested through the small details. When these all go together regularly, NDIS support is the kind of support the scheme was intended to be, and is what it should be—a true means of enabling independence, dignity and full life.