NDIS Provider Registration | Registro
Helping Participants Transition from Residential Aged Care: Empowering Independence and Choice
Introduction
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is committed to providing younger participants, those under the age of 65, with greater choice and control over their living arrangements.
The YPIRAC Strategy recognizes the importance of participant living and seeks to improve the quality of care for younger people in aged care. It emphasizes the need to empower individuals to make choices about their living arrangements and enhance their overall quality of life.
By providing participants with information and support regarding alternative home and living options, the NDIA aims to enable them to transition out of residential aged care and into settings that better meet their needs and preferences. This strategy aligns with the NDIS’s goal of promoting participant choice and control, ensuring that individuals with disabilities have access to the supports and services that enable them to live independently and thrive in their communities.
Supporting Participants in Exploring Home and Living Options
The implementation of the YPIRAC Strategy may lead to an increase in the number of NDIS participants currently residing in residential aged care who seek alternative home and living options and supports. As a provider, this presents an opportunity for you to offer home and living supports tailored to the needs of younger people with disabilities.
As a support coordinator, your role involves reaching out to participants currently in residential aged care. This includes assisting them in understanding the alternatives to residential aged care, helping them identify their home and living goals, and connecting them with appropriate home and living options and supports. This may entail facilitating the implementation of home modifications or exploring other suitable accommodation options.
Home and Living Options
A variety of alternative home and living options and supports are accessible to NDIS participants, offering them the opportunity to tailor their living arrangements to their specific needs and preferences. These options include home modifications, private rental, social housing, other group residential settings, and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).
Participants eligible for SDA can take advantage of the SDA vacancy finder tool provided by the NDIA, which enables them to explore and connect with available SDA homes in their local area. This tool simplifies the process of finding suitable SDA accommodations that meet their requirements.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the home and living supports that the NDIS can fund and to initiate the process of seeking alternative accommodation, participants are encouraged to complete the Home and Living Supports Request Form. This form is specifically designed for individuals seeking alternative housing options, enabling them to provide detailed information about their preferences, requirements, and goals. By completing this form, participants take the first step towards exploring suitable home and living options and connecting with providers who can support them in achieving their desired living arrangements.
The availability of diverse home and living options, coupled with the support of the NDIA and service providers, empowers NDIS participants to pursue independent and fulfilling lives in environments that align with their preferences and needs. By leveraging these resources and taking proactive steps towards seeking alternative accommodations, participants can enhance their quality of life and exercise their right to choose the living arrangements that best support their goals and aspirations.
Helping Participants Avoid Residential Aged Care
As a support coordinator, it is important to proactively identify participants who may be at risk of entering residential aged care, either presently or in the future. If you come across such participants, please contact the specialist YPIRAC team. The NDIA’s specialist YPIRAC team is dedicated to supporting participants in identifying alternative home and living goals and facilitating their transition away from residential aged care.
Useful Contacts for Support Coordinators
As a support coordinator, you may encounter situations where additional support or guidance is required. The following contacts can provide valuable assistance:
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission: Contact them at 1800 035 544 or visit their website for information regarding NDIS participants in residential care and related complaints.
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission: Contact them at 1800 951 822 or utilize their online form to lodge a complaint about care or services provided under the Aged Care Act 1997.
- Department of Health – Aged Care (ACAT) Assessments: Refer to their website for the latest information on younger people in residential aged care and contact their NDIS contact person for guidance.
- Ability First Australia YPIRAC System Coordinator Program: Learn more about the YPIRAC System Coordinator Program and their efforts in supporting younger people in residential aged care who are not NDIS participants.
By working together as providers, support coordinators, and specialists, we can facilitate the transition of NDIS participants from residential aged care to alternative living arrangements that empower their independence and enhance their quality of life. The commitment to providing choice and control is at the heart of the NDIS, and by fulfilling this commitment, we can make a profound impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. Also Australian government may be having some plan for living in residential aged care strategy 2020-2025
Conclusion:
Supporting participants in transitioning from residential aged care to alternative home and living options is crucial for empowering their independence and choice. The YPIRAC Strategy, introduced by the NDIA, emphasizes the need to provide younger individuals in aged care with the knowledge and resources to pursue their living goals. As an NDIS provider, you play a vital role in assisting participants in understanding the available options and connecting them with suitable supports.
By reaching out to participants currently in residential aged care, support coordinators can help identify their home and living goals and facilitate the implementation of necessary modifications or explore alternative accommodation options. A range of choices, including home modifications, private rentals, social housing, group residential settings, and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), are available to meet participants’ needs.
Proactive identification of participants at risk of entering residential aged care allows support coordinators to engage with the specialist YPIRAC team, which is dedicated to supporting individuals in transitioning away from such care. Additionally, useful contacts such as the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission can provide valuable assistance and address any concerns or complaints.
By working collaboratively, providers, support coordinators, and specialists can facilitate the transition of NDIS participants to alternative living arrangements, empowering their independence and enhancing their quality of life. This commitment to choice and control aligns with the core values of the NDIS and enables individuals with disabilities to live fulfilling lives within their communities. Through these efforts, we can make a profound impact on the lives of participants, ensuring they have the opportunity to thrive and achieve their goals.
