Carrying out the tasks of day-to-day life with certainty and time-efficient manners are not easy objectives, even for a normal individual. It becomes more challenging if an individual has any sort of disability, especially one which makes oneself dependent on others’ help to perform routine tasks. A disability can be short-term or permanent. A permanent disability can affect daily functions and needs of an individual overnight in some cases, as there is no consistency or certainty as to how a permanent disability will manifest each day. Indeed, even in the case of a temporary disability, no one will be able to predict when or how it will affect the daily routine of the individual.

Assistance with daily life provides assistance or supervision of personal tasks during day-to-day life, enabling the participant to live as independently as possible. These supports are provided individually to participants and can be provided in a range of environments, whether the participant is living alone in their own home, with family or other people, when undertaking social, recreational, education, or employment activities, or during holidays away from home.

Personal care supports are likely to be supports in a manner which assists a participant to pursue a number of different goals, rather than being related to a specific goal.

Personal care supports relate to assistance with daily personal activities, including assistance with or supervision of personal tasks of daily life. For example:

1. Personal hygiene, including showering, bathing, oral hygiene, dressing, and grooming;
2. Toileting, bladder and bowel management, and menstrual care;
3. Eating and drinking;
4. Attending appointments;
5. Use of aids and appliances, hearing and communication devices;
6. Mobility and transferring, for example, moving in and out of bed, and on or off the toilet; or moving around the house;
7. Application of splints, basic first aid due to injuries sustained as a result of a participant’s disability.

In some circumstances, higher levels of personal care support can be provided. These include:

1. The participant has high care needs, for example, unstable seizure activity or respiratory support;
2. The weight (and other physical aspects) of the participant;
3. The medical condition of the participant, like intensive behavior support including any medication required;
4. Whether the need for a higher level of support is of a temporary nature. For example, due to waiting for a suitable home modification (for example, a bathroom modification) to be completed;
5. Whether two people are required for transfers;
6. Whether there are behavioral concerns which require more intensive assistance with personal care activities and there are no other options, for example, behavioral support intervention; and
7. Whether additional time-limited funding is likely to reduce a participant’s longer-term support costs by building their capacity to independently perform personal care activities.

When personal care supports are being considered, the department will have regard to the degree to whether these supports maximize the independence and functional skills of the participant; are appropriate to the participant’s age and circumstances; and whether alternative arrangements or supports could meet a participant’s needs in a less intrusive manner. For example, aids and equipment may enable a participant to complete tasks for themselves or the provision of training may increase the participant’s independence in the tasks.

Supports to provide assistance with daily personal activities should generally be limited to a maximum of 6 hours per day. This level of support is based on:

1. Bathing, dressing, toileting, and grooming up to 2 hours per day – including bowel management, skin care, bladder management, menstrual care;
2. Assistance with eating up to 2 hours per day which may include assistance with medication;
3. Mobility including exercise, positioning, moving up to 1 hour per day; and
4. Where toileting assistance alone is required, up to 1 hour a day.

Personal care supports for children are not intended to replace the usual care and supervision provided or paid for by a parent (see does the funding of the support take into account what is reasonable to expect others to provide?). However, the NDIA may fund personal care supports for children with complex needs where the level of support needed is beyond the level usually required for children of the same age.

Do you or any of your loved ones need high-quality personal care support?

Affection Disability Care has a team of experienced care professionals who always hold high the values of respect, dignity, care, and choice and are willing to help you cope with your day-to-day needs in a diligent way. We provide high-quality, compassionate, individualized supports in your home and community. We provide assistance with daily living to support you to live the life you choose. Our daily living supports are flexible and customized to your own choices, needs, goals, and outcomes. Our friendly and skilled professionals offer support to make sure your daily routine is achievable and manageable.

Our aim is not only to provide high-quality compassionate service to you but also to make sure that the support will assist you in pursuing your goals, objectives, and aspirations.

Contact us today to access state-of-the-art personal care services in the comfort of your place of choice.

For more info, please contact us.