What other matters may be relevant in considering a claim for attendant care services will be entirely dependent on the circumstances of a particular case. The most obvious example of any other relevant matter is any report obtained from a Community Nursing assessor or an Occupational Therapist in relation to what attendant care services are reasonably required due to the nature of the accepted service injury or condition.
Matters considered relevant also include whether the attendant care services are reasonably required for a particular period of time due to a change in circumstances. For example, if the client is in hospital or respite care temporarily, then they will not require assistance from DVA with personal care needs (grooming, bathing, feeding etc) as these should be provided by the facility they are in and not by a service provider in the person’s own home. If the client is on a rehabilitation plan, it is expected that the rehabilitation service provider will know when the person is in hospital or away from their home, and will advise the Rehabilitation Coordinator. If any invoices are presented by attendant care service providers they must be scrutinised carefully to ensure that payments are only made for attendant care when the client was in their own home and not in a facility.
If the client moves into palliative care or residential aged care on a permanent basis, then attendant care payments should be ceased from the date that they entered care on a permanent basis. If the person returns home, then their attendant care payments may be reactivated however, an assessment by an independent and qualified medical professional or rehabilitation service provider with specialist skills, such as a contracted Community Nursing Program Provider or Occupational Therapist with specific expertise may be required if the client's needs have changed as a result of their hospitalisation.
Rehabilitation and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Attendant care services can be provided by both DVA, through the rehabilitation plan, or by the NDIS, through an individual care plan. Where DVA clients are accessing support through the NDIS, they can choose which of these options suits them best. However, an important principle is that the same attendant care service must not be provided by both NDIS and DVA. Therefore, it is important for Rehabilitation Coordinators to advise Occupational Therapists or other allied health professionals undertaking assessments for attendant care services, that they should:
- ask the client whether they are receiving any services or equipment from the NDIS;
- provide details of any services or equipment being provided through the NDIS;
- explain to the client that they cannot receive the same attendant care or personal care services through both the NDIS and DVA; and
- document that they have made the client aware that they cannot receive the same services from both DVA and the NDIS.