Attendant Care Services

At Health & Community Services, we offer support for eligible clients through funding for attendant care services, aimed at aiding rehabilitation and maintaining daily living activities. Our attendant care services encompass a range of assistance, including physical support or guidance with personal care tasks such as bathing, dressing, and eating. Additionally, we provide assistance with therapy programs devised by healthcare professionals.

Our attendant care services extend beyond personal care, encompassing support for community engagement activities such as shopping, banking, employment, and education. We understand that each individual’s needs are unique, and therefore, we assess the need for attendant care services on a case-by-case basis. Our support services are tailored to the specific requirements of each client, ensuring they receive assistance in the right place and at the right time.

By facilitating access to essential services and activities, our aim is to enable our clients to participate fully in social and economic roles and to lead independent lives to the greatest extent possible. We hold the principles of person-centred practice in high regard, ensuring that our clients receive support that upholds their dignity, privacy, and overall well-being.

Daytime Support Services

Health & Community Services offers daytime support to clients who require active provision of attendant care. This support is categorised as follows:

• Personal Care: Involves physical assistance with daily living tasks as directed by the recommending occupational therapist or other allied health professional. This may include the provision of domestic services by the attendant care support worker during downtime between personal care tasks
• Therapy Support: Aids clients in actively participating in goal-directed home or community-based rehabilitation activities necessary to achieve specific goals and outcomes. Therapy support is documented in the client’s Support Plan and is subject to revision as required by a treating health professional.
• Community Access: Assists and supports clients in engaging in community activities as directed by the recommending occupational therapist.

Overnight Support

We offer support for clients in need of assistance during their regular sleep period, whether in their own home or at an approved location. Overnight support typically involves an inactive sleepover shift, although some clients may require active support during this time.

Our overnight support services are designed to ensure that clients receive the necessary assistance and supervision to promote safety and well-being throughout the night. We recognise the individual needs of each client and strive to provide personalised support to meet their specific requirements.

Inactive Sleepover Shift

An inactive sleepover shift is an overnight support service lasting for 8 hours, provided in the client’s home. During this shift, the support worker may sleep but remains available to respond to the client’s personal support needs if necessary, such as assisting with toileting.

Typically, inactive sleepover shifts commence at 10 pm and conclude at 6 am the following morning. However, the start times may be adjusted to accommodate individual client preferences.

Active Support

Active support involves the support worker remaining awake and engaging with the client in planned or scheduled activities. Examples of activities that constitute active support include, but are not limited to:

• Assistance with personal care such as toileting and continence management
• Medication and pain management
• Managing spasms, turning and repositioning
• Assisting ventilated clients who require suctioning
• Assisting clients in altered states of consciousness
• Assisting clients with medical needs requiring frequent attention
• Activities to reduce behaviours of concern, including implementing strategies identified in a client’s positive behaviour support plan.

Occupational Therapy

We can provide assessments and recommendations related to:

• Home services
• Activities of daily living
• Assistive technology
• Home modifications
• Vehicle modifications
• Driving programs/lessons
• Vocational and return to work plans
• Transport and travel training
• Attendant care programs, including carer training, community access guidelines for a client and reviews of client functional capabilities
• Support and monitoring for clients engaged in community group programs
• Disability support services
• Neurobehavioural rehabilitation services

Nursing

We offer a range of nursing services tailored to meet the needs of our clients. These services include:

• Nursing consultations conducted in the patient’s home.
• Provision of specialist training to individuals involved in the patient’s care, such as attendant care workers.
• Long-term nursing support.
• Specialist nursing assessment and preparation of reports to evaluate the management of a client’s condition.
• Review of management for specific nursing tasks, such as bladder and bowel management.
• Pressure care and wound management.

If your patient already benefits from an individualised funding package, nursing services may be covered as part of that package.

Find out more about the TAC in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).