- Attendant care An introduction for people new to attendant care
- What is attendant care The essence of attendant care
- Attendant care workers:
Part of a team The team, who's who and roles - The attendant care process The process of attendant care work
- Finding the right providers
and carers How to find a provider and get the right carers - Attendant care in NSW Attendant care programs in NSW
Funding attendant care in NSW
Funding attendant care in NSW
The principal sources of funding/programs for Attendant Care in NSW are:
- icare lifetime care
- Aged Care
- Workers Compensation Insurance and Motor Vehicle Accident Insurance (icare)
- National Disability Insurance Scheme
- Private insurance (e.g. disability insureance, income protection insurance).
icare
Lifetime Care pays for the treatment, rehabilitation and care of people who’ve been severely injured in a motor accident in NSW. People who are eligible for the Scheme will have a spinal cord injury; moderate to severe brain injury; amputations; severe burns; or will be blind as a result of the accident.
The Workers Care Program pays for the treatment, rehabilitation and care of people who’ve been severely injured at work in NSW and meet the same injury criteria as people who are eligible for the Lifetime Care scheme.
Dust Diseases Care provides a number of benefits to workers and their families who have been impacted by a work-related dust disease. People who are eligible for the scheme will have a dust disease which was contracted as a result of exposure to hazardous dust whilst a worker in NSW.
More information: Lifetime Care
Insurance
Workers insurance
Workers Insurance provides protection to workers and their employers in the event of a work related injury or disease.
Through the workers insurance system injured workers may have an entitlement to:
- weekly payments
- lump sums for permanent impairment (and pain and suffering where applicable)
- payment of medical bills
- provision of legal assistance to pursue a claim
- intensive rehabilitation assistance.
When a worker is injured at work, the employer, injured worker, insurer and treatment provider have responsibilities to ensure that the injured worker is provided with benefits and assistance to recover and return to safe, durable work.
The icare website has information about reporting an injury at work, making a claim for workers insurance and the benefits an injured worker may be entitled to.
Motor vehicle accident insurance
The State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), regulates workers compensation insurance, CTP (Green Slips) insurance and home building compensation insurance in NSW and provides independent dispute resolution services. Their purpose is to ensure that insurance and support systems are easy to deal with and deliver good outcomes at an affordable price and in a sustainable way.
The SIRA website has information about treatment and rehabilitation, returning to work, recovery from injury.
Other forms of insurance
Accidents may have occurred where other forms of insurance are in place, e.g. public liability and income protection insureance.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is an independent statutory agency. Their role is to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which will support a better life for hundreds of thousands of Australians with a significant and permanent disability and their families and carers. The NDIS will mean peace of mind for every Australian - for anyone who has, or might acquire, a disability.
The priority of the NDIA is to ensure people with disability continue to get the support they need. The changes that are required to existing disability support systems are significant. Arrangements are being made to ensure the scheme can be introduced gradually, ensuring a smooth transition for people with disability and support providers.
More information: National Disability Insurance Scheme
Aged care
People over the age of 65 at the time of a serious TBI/SCI are likely to be eligible for Australian Government funded aged care services (and may also be required to make a contribution to their cost).
There are Australian Government aged care programs:
- To support people living independently in their homes and
- To provide alternatives where they are unable to continue living independently in their own homes (e.g. aged care home).
Eligibility criteria include:
- Older person (usually 65+ or 50+ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
- Finding it harder to do the things you used to do.
Everyone who has an assessment through My Aged Care and is found to need services, is eligible to access services that: may be partly or fully funded by the Australian Government; and are regulated by the Australian Government.
