NDIS High-Intensity Supports: Eligibility, Services & Benefits

For many Australians with disabilities, daily life may involve complex health and medical requirements. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) offers high-intensity support for participants with significant and diverse healthcare needs. These supports go beyond regular assistance and provide skilled care to those whose everyday life involves physical or behavioural challenges.

High-intensity support in Adelaide helps ensure that individuals with disabilities get the specialised assistance they need – delivered by experienced professionals to maximise their comfort, dignity and independence. Here, we will break down what high-intensity supports are, who is eligible, what services are included, and how you or your loved one can benefit from them.

Who Needs High-Intensity Support in Adelaide?

High-intensity support is designed for NDIS participants with complex needs that require careful, continuous and skilled attention in daily activities. These may include individuals with:

• Chronic health conditions requiring regular medical care.

• Disabilities that involve significant risk of medical complications.

• Behaviours of concern or substantial mental health challenges.

• Overlapping medical and practical care needs, such as wound care plus medication management.

Often, a complex needs support worker is required to safely and effectively deliver this type of care. These trained professionals coordinate with healthcare teams and leverage advanced skills to support participants with activities that may include medical interventions, behaviour management and crisis planning.

Eligibility for High-Intensity Supports

Not all NDIS participants need or receive high-intensity support. Eligibility is considered on a case-by-case basis, while focusing on the type and complexity of the participant's daily needs.

Generally, a participant may be eligible for high-intensity support in Adelaide if:

• They have medical needs requiring nursing care or ongoing monitoring (e.g. tracheostomy care or ventilator support).

• Daily activities involving high medical or safety risks.

• Their condition involves complex behaviours or safety risks.

• They or their caregivers feel that “standard” supports are not adequate for your needs.

NDIS support coordinators assess your requirements and, if suitable, include high-intensity support in your plan under the ‘Assistance with Daily Life’ budget or other relevant categories. You may also need specific documentation or assessments from your medical professionals to validate the need for high-intensity support.

Key Services Offered Under High-Intensity Support

NDIS high-intensity support services are customised to each participant, but usually include help with:

• Complex Bowel Care: Assistance with bowel management plans, monitoring and hygiene to maintain comfort and health.

• Enteral Feeding (PEG/Tube Feeding): Administration and monitoring of nutrition and fluids for those who are unable to eat or drink normally.

• Dysphagia Management: Specialist support for safe swallowing, eating and drinking where there is a high risk of choking or aspiration.

• Ventilator and Tracheostomy Management: Monitoring and managing ventilators, airway tubes and related respiratory supports for individuals with impaired breathing.

• Urinary Catheter and Stoma Care: Maintenance, hygiene and management of catheters or stomas to prevent complications.

• Subcutaneous Injections and Medication Management: Skilled delivery of medications (including injections), coordination with pharmacy services and ongoing monitoring for adverse reactions.

• Complex Wound Care: Advanced care and monitoring of chronic wounds, pressure injuries and surgical sites.

• Behaviour Support and Crisis Planning: Intensive management of challenging behaviours to ensure safety and wellbeing.

• Daily Living Activities: Personal hygiene, mobility assistance, meal preparation and participation in community activities, with support required over and beyond standard care.

These services must be delivered by a qualified complex needs support worker. The support worker is often trained and supervised by registered health professionals, with rigorous ongoing assessments to meet NDIS Practice Standards to ensure the participant’s safety. In Adelaide, a NDIS-registered high-intensity support provider like Tibii is committed to delivering such specialised services with exceptional expertise and compassion.

Benefits of High-Intensity Support

High-intensity support brings key benefits to people with complex needs, their families, and the broader community:

• Personalised Care: Every support plan is personalised, so you get precisely what you need, just when and how you need it.

• Improved Safety and Health: Skilled staff help manage high-risk medical routines safely, which results in fewer hospital visits and emergencies.

• Enhanced Quality of Life: With the right kind of help at the right time, the participant can indulge more fully in family life, work or social activities.

• Greater Independence: Supports are designed to facilitate autonomy where possible, which empowers the participant to live as independently as they can.

• Peace of Mind for Families: Families know their loved one is supported by qualified professionals, which lowers anxiety and caregiver’s burden.

• Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustment: Regular oversight means high-intensity support can be adjusted with the participant’s changing needs over time. This ensures uninterrupted care.

The best thing about high-intensity support is that it enables many people to live safely in their own homes or communities, instead of living in higher-care settings, which happens to be one of the main purposes of the NDIS.

Choosing the Right High-Intensity Support Provider in Adelaide

If you are looking for high-intensity support in Adelaide, know that it is important to work with an NDIS-registered provider with proven expertise in complex needs. Look for:

• Experience with similar health conditions or needs.

• Qualified, regularly trained staff, including complex needs support workers.

• Flexible, person-centred approaches.

• Positive feedback and robust safety practices.

Tibii is a trusted NDIS high-intensity support provider in Adelaide that offers holistic, individualised support for people with complex requirements. The team at Tibii not only helps with daily personal activities, but also assists in navigating the NDIS process, which ensures that your plan meets your actual needs.

Get in Touch with Tibii

If you think your family member or someone you support could benefit from high-intensity support in Adelaide, we encourage you to reach out to Tibii. Our friendly and knowledgeable team will listen to you, discuss your needs, help with NDIS eligibility and work with you to design a bespoke care plan.

Call Tibii at 1300 736 731, email at info@tibii.com.au, or complete the contact form on our website.