Where clients have complex injuries, or can be regarded as having high needs, the Community Nursing Program must be involved in assessing the client’s nursing and attendant care needs.

Delegates need to ensure they are not approving attendant care services where other services are being provided that meet personal care needs. This is particularly important where a DVA Health Card holder is receiving Community Nursing services via Part 7.3 of the MRCA Treatment Principles, or services through the Veterans’ Home Care program (see section 5.4.3 and section 5.4.4 of this Guide for further information) or where the client’s attendant care needs are being met through other arrangements for a specific period of time.

For example, if a client is in hospital or respite care, then their attendant care needs are being met through these arrangements for the period that they are not at home. Likewise, if the client is receiving assistance through a Home Care Package managed by a community provider, while still remaining in their own home, then their attendant care needs are likely to being met through these arrangements.

In these circumstances, and particularly where a client is way from home, the “usual” care arrangements will need to be adjusted and any invoices presented by attendant care providers must be scrutinised carefully to ensure that payments are only made for attendant care services that are actually provided to the client. This applies to attendant care services provided by professional, qualified attendant care providers or by a partner or relative, where the exceptional circumstances criteria are met.

The Rehabilitation Policy team works closely with the Community Nursing Program to ensure that the client’s care requirements are met in a coordinated way using best practice principles, and properly accredited care providers. This approach also allows tailored approaches to delivering high levels of care to be developed where needed. If delegates are aware of clients who require high levels of nursing and/or attendant care services due to their accepted conditions, please contact the Rehabilitation Policy team through rehabilitation@dva.gov.au