household services

Some clients may require additional support in order to live independently in the community.

Household services are provided for in Division 3 of Part 7 of Chapter 4 of the MRCA and section 29 of the DRCA.  A client's need for household services may be identified through a Needs Assessment, an ADFRP assessment if the client is still serving, a

Legislation

When determining whether a person reasonably requires household services, sections 29(2) of DRCA and 215 of MRCA require a delegate to consider the extent to which household members, or any other relatives of the person, might reasonably be expected to provide household services for themselves and for the person and the need to avoid substantial disruption to the work or other activities of the household members.

As a general rule, household services are only provided if the household tasks were personally undertaken by the person prior to their injury or illness. For example:

The key concept in considering any proposal for the provision of household services is whether or not the person reasonably requires the services, and that requirement is as a result of their service injury or disease.

Expectation of household members with external commitments

It is not considered reasonable that household members be required to give up employment, educational, sporting, recreational or community commitments in order to provide additional household support to a client. Delegates are expected to be sensitive to each client's individual circumstances when making decisions about what it is reasonable to expect family members to contribute to helping with the proper running and maintenance of their household.