What is the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)?
The NDIS provides support to people with a disability (under the age of 65), their families and carers. The scheme is funded jointly by Australian state and the Federal Governments and was introduced in July 2016. It is designed to bring specialist disability services under a single umbrella now supports over 500 000 Australians. This number also includes approximately 80 000 children with developmental delay.
What does the NDIS do?
The NDIS provides eligible people with multiple services and supports. These can include daily personal services, transport to help access the community, assistance to get employment, therapeutic supports such as physiotherapy and exercise physiology, household maintenance, provision of aids and equipment, and home or vehicle modifications. Funding is allocated based on the persons specific needs and aims to improve their overall quality of life.
Participants who already have access to their own NDIS plan are often involved in deciding what services they receive. This allows them to choose how much of their plan they want to control. Further, it gives them the autonomy to allocate their funds to supports that are meaningful to them.
For more information on how the NDIS works and some useful tools for participants follow this link: https://www.ndis.gov.au/
Conditions likely to meet the requirements to be a participant of the NDIS
Numerous conditions can receive supports from the NDIS. General categories include:
- Intellectual disabilities
- Autism
- Cerebral palsy
- Genetic conditions that result in permanent and severe impairments
- Spinal cord injury or brain injury
- Hemiplegia (stroke)
- Permanent blindness in both eyes
- Permanent bilateral hearing loss
- Deafblindness
- Amputation or congenital absence of limbs
Can I receive treatment from a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist if I am receiving support from the NDIS?
The short answer is yes! If physiotherapy or exercise physiology aligns with the goals you have developed in your plan and there is allocated funding to physiotherapy or exercise physiology, then you can access these services knowing they are covered by your NDIS plan.
Funding for physiotherapy or exercise physiology falls under the “Capacity Building Supports” category. This category of funding is allocated to services that aim to help build your independence and skills so that you can pursue your goals.
Can physiotherapists or exercise physiologists at Macquarie Physiotherapy help me if I have NDIS funding?
Yes! We are a registered NDIS provider meaning you can access our services via your NDIS package. We already work with numerous clients who receive funding from the NDIS. Some of the more common conditions we see include autism and stroke, however we are not limited to servicing these.
We can provide a variety of services to help you meet your goals, improve your access to the community, and get you living and enjoying life how you want to.
Our skilled physiotherapists can help manage ongoing musculoskeletal complaints, reduce your pain, and incorporate an exercise regime to improve your function so you can do more of the things important to you. They bring with them a great level of experience in improving your movement and function. Further, our team are also skilled in hands on manual therapy, dry needling, and exercise prescription.
Our exercise physiologists can provide you with a tailored, safe, and effective exercise program specific to your needs. They have an excellent understanding of a variety of conditions and appreciate the value of working with you to achieve your goals. Most importantly, they work out of our full equipped Exercise Centre.
If that isn’t enough, we also have a massage therapist who can help manage your pain!
All our clinicians will go the extra mile to ensure you get the best care possible and that you are achieving what is important to you. We do the little things in the background as well, such as liaising with other parties involved in your care and completing reports in a timely manner.
What now?
If you have been looking for a physiotherapist, exercise physiologist or massage therapist but have been overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the right provider for you, look no further! Our expert team are capable and competent and love nothing more than helping our clients achieve their goals.
Keen to get started? Book an initial assessment today!
