8.4 Criteria for assessing what is reasonably required

A claim for attendant care services should be considered carefully in regard to what is reasonable for the client to receive. In determining whether attendant care services are reasonably required the delegate must consider the matters outlined in section 218 of MRCA and subsection 29(4) of DRCA the nature of the client’s injury or disease:

1. the degree to which that injury or disease impairs the client’s ability to provide for his or her personal care;
2. the extent to which any medical service or nursing care received by the client provides for his or her essential and regular personal care;
3. the extent to which the attendant care services are necessary to meet any reasonable wish by the client to live outside an institution;
4. the extent to which attendant care services are necessary to enable the client to undertake or continue defence service or any other work;
5. any assessment made in relation to the rehabilitation of the client;
6. the extent to which a relative of the client might reasonably be expected to provide attendant care services; and
7. any other matter that the Commission considers relevant.

Further details about these criteria are explained in the following subsections and must be used to guide decision making.