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8.6 Attendant Care Service Provider issues

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Last amended 
26 May 2017

It is important that attendant care service providers have appropriate and sufficient skills to enable them to provide high quality personal care, in line with best practice and industry standards. A care plan should be developed to direct the services to be provided to the client, and ensure that their needs are being effectively met. There are clearly defined roles and responsibilities that related to the provision of attendant care services. It is really important that these are communicated clearly to the client.

The DVA delegate is responsible for determining:

  • whether attendant care services are reasonably required;
  • the amount of compensation that is payable; and
  • making payments of compensation for attendant care services.

The client is responsible for:

  • choosing a suitable provider;
  • ensuring that an appropriate standard of service is provided;
  • arranging the times when the provider is to undertake the attendant care services and the conduct of the service provider in the client’s home; and
  • any public liability issues arising from having service providers undertake work in and around their home.

There is no flexibility under the attendant care legislative provisions for payments in excess of the legislated statutory limits to be made under any circumstance. If delegates are aware of clients who require high levels of nursing and/or attendant care services (in excess of the statutory limits) due to their accepted conditions, please contact the Rehabilitation Policy section through rehabilitation@dva,gov.au.

DVA may, at times, need to reimburse a client for attendant care payments made while the client is living overseas. With the production of receipts and confirmation of the approval of the service, DVA can reimburse the client in $AUD to an Australian bank account or to an overseas payment address.