Understanding Disability Care Services

What is a disability?

A disability is a physical or mental impairment that has significant long-term effects on someone’s ability to carry out the normal activities of daily living.

Australia has an estimated 3.96 million people people living with disabilities, including loss of limbs, paralysis, learning difficulties such as Down’s Syndrome and neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease.

A disability can present a variety of challenges, including moving, washing, cooking, and using the toilet. With the right support in place, however, people with disabilities can still lead satisfying and fulfilling lives.

What are disability home care services?

Disability care is a broad term that can include anything from housework and bathing to helping with complex needs like continence.

Caregivers, specially trained in working with people with disabilities and experienced in providing one-on-one care for clients, can be employed to come into the home and lend a hand. They can assist for just an hour or so, or they can provide 24-hour supervision depending on the individual’s needs.

Home health care workers can assist clients with bathing, lifting and transferring, dressing, washing, eating and other activities of daily living. Home health care workers from Compassionate Life Care Services can tailor their services to meet changing needs of clients affected by degenerative diseases or temporary disabilities.

The right caregiver can help individuals with disabilities lead comfortable, fulfilling lives. Live-in care for disabled people is also available, and Compassionate Life Care Services specializes in providing this service.

Rest and Respite Services

Not all care services have to take place every day or even every week. It can give family members some time to rest and recharge the batteries. We all need a break, and although caring for a loved one can be enormously rewarding, it can also be utterly exhausting, both physically and mentally.

Respite care is a service that provides substitute care for a person with a disability or chronic illness who is being cared for by a family member. Respite services are provided on an as-needed basis and can provide temporary relief to the family caregiver so that he or she has time to attend to his or her own health and well-being.

Funding Disability Care In Australia

Even in today’s challenging financial climate, government support may be available to help fund care. But the first thing to do is to ask your local social services department to conduct a health and social care assessment. An occupational therapist will visit the disabled individual in his or her own home to evaluate their needs and write a care plan.

Choosing The Right Care For Your Needs

Many individuals with disabilities are given personal budgets, which allow them to receive direct payments to pay for the care they need. This gives each person control over choosing the type of care he or she will receive, when the care will be administered and the right caregiver to provide support.

A quarter of disabled people say they have little choice and control over their lives. The NDIS has emphasised the importance of personal empowerment, because having control doesn’t just help with getting the right care, it also boosts wellbeing and self-esteem.

NDIS payments give individuals access to the care that best suits their needs. They may choose to receive care in their own home, using an agency like Compassionate Life Care Services to introduce a carer who has been carefully vetted and had their references checked. Others living with disabilities may prefer the social interaction and buzz of supported living situations, a residential home or a day centre.

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