NDIS community nursing brings clinical care into your own home, so a health need does not force you into hospital or out of the life you have built. The NDIS funds this under a category called disability-related health supports. This guide explains what that covers, where the line with the health system sits, and how to get it into your plan.
Quick summary
- NDIS community nursing is funded under a category called disability-related health supports.
- That funding can pay for a nurse, and it can also pay to train the people who already support you.
- Continence, wound care, respiratory care, dysphagia, diabetes and seizure management are all on the funded list.
- The NDIS will not fund what the health system provides, such as hospital care, ambulance transport or medicines.
- You can ask for these supports at any time, not only at a plan reassessment.
- If the answer is no, you can ask for an internal review.
What NDIS community nursing actually is
The NDIS says it may fund disability-related health supports to help you manage a health condition caused by your disability. It describes them as health equipment, items and services that help you manage or reduce the impact your disability has on your day-to-day life.
NDIS community nursing sits inside that category. The NDIS lists funding for “someone to provide you with disability-related health supports, like a nurse or a qualified therapist”. So when people search for nursing at home, this is the part of the scheme they are usually looking at. You can see how we deliver community nursing across Western Sydney with registered nurses.
What NDIS community nursing can cover
The NDIS publishes the list. It may fund supports for:
- dysphagia, which is difficulty swallowing
- diabetes management
- continence
- wound and pressure care for slow to heal wounds
- respiratory care and planning to help you breathe properly
- nutrition, including meal preparation
- podiatry assessment and foot care
- seizure monitoring and management
- accessing health or mental health services
- specialist services following a recently acquired severe condition
- training for support workers or the people who support you, where appropriate
Funding can also cover equipment tied to those needs. The NDIS names continence products, dressings, food products for a PEG tube, and assistive technology such as pressure care cushions or a cough assist machine.
Where the line with the health system sits
This is the part that confuses people most, so it is worth being precise. The NDIS states it cannot fund services and supports you can get through the health system. Its own examples are services at public or private hospitals, ambulance transport, medicines, child and maternal health services, and palliative care. It also excludes the diagnostic assessment and clinical treatment of health conditions, including ongoing or chronic ones.
The simplest way to hold the two apart: the health system treats illness, and the NDIS helps you live with disability. If you need help managing your health, the NDIS says to talk to your doctor first.
A four question test before you ask
The NDIS offers a self test. If you can answer yes, the support may well be a disability-related health support:
- Is the support related to your disability?
- Is the support value for money?
- Will the support benefit you and help you to live more independently?
- Should the support be provided by the health system?
That last question is the one to sit with. If the honest answer is that the health system should provide it, NDIS community nursing is not the right door.
Nurses, and training the people around you
Two different things can be funded here, and most families only ask for one. The first is a nurse doing the task. The NDIS gives a plain example: your funding may be for a registered nurse who can change a urinary catheter, or a support worker to provide a feed safely using your PEG.
The second is training. If a support worker, family member or friend could carry out the task, the NDIS may fund a qualified practitioner to train them. Its example is a registered nurse training your support worker, family member or friend to prevent pressure sores and wounds.
There are conditions, and they exist to protect you. Before that person supports you, they must be trained by an appropriately qualified health professional, be trained for that task specifically for you, have experience in that task, and be competent to provide the support.
How to get it into your plan
You can ask for disability-related health supports to be included in your NDIS plan at any time. You do not have to wait for a reassessment.
- Understand what evidence you need. It depends on the support you are asking for, and your NDIS contact can explain it.
- Gather it. Start with your treating healthcare professional or allied health provider. Some supports need an assessment on the NDIS template, and some need a quote.
- Send it in. Through your NDIS partner, at a check-in or plan reassessment, through the NDIS service hub, or by post.
If your request is not approved, the NDIS will tell you why, and you can ask for an internal review. You can also ask for a plan change at any time if your situation changes. The full detail sits on the NDIS page about disability-related health supports.
How nursing fits with your other supports
Clinical care rarely arrives on its own. Most people receiving NDIS community nursing also have daily support, and the two work better when the same organisation runs both. Our in home care and personal care services are built to sit alongside nursing rather than beside it. If you are near our Rosehill head office, our NDIS home care Parramatta page covers the local picture.
For complex clinical needs specifically, our guide to complex care at home goes further into tracheostomy, PEG feeding and catheter care.
Frequently asked questions
Does the NDIS fund NDIS community nursing at home?
It can. The NDIS may fund disability-related health supports, and it lists funding for someone to provide those supports, like a nurse. The support has to relate to your disability rather than to a health condition the health system should treat.
What is the difference between NDIS nursing and hospital care?
The NDIS helps you manage a health condition caused by your disability in daily life. Hospital services, ambulance transport and medicines come through the health system, and the NDIS states it cannot fund those.
Can a support worker do clinical tasks instead of a nurse?
Sometimes, and the NDIS may fund the training. The person must be trained by an appropriately qualified health professional, trained for that task specifically for you, experienced in it and competent to provide it.
Does the NDIS pay for continence products or dressings?
Those are named as equipment the NDIS may fund under disability-related health supports, along with food products for a PEG and items like pressure care cushions.
When can I ask for these supports?
At any time. The NDIS states you can ask for disability-related health supports to be included in your plan whenever you need to, not only at a reassessment.
What if the NDIS says no?
You will be told the reason, and you can ask for an internal review of the decision. You can also request a plan change if your situation has changed.
Do I need a doctor involved?
Evidence usually starts with your treating healthcare professional or allied health provider. The NDIS also says to talk to your doctor first if you need help managing your health or a health condition.
How 1 Care Connect can help
1 Care Connect delivers NDIS community nursing as a registered NDIS provider and a nurse-led organisation, so clinical oversight shapes how we work rather than sitting on top of it. Our registered nurses support complex bowel care, urinary catheter management, enteral feeding, continence assessment, ventilator and tracheostomy care, and medication assistance with clinical oversight. If you are not sure whether what you need is an NDIS support or a health system one, call 1300 264 942 and we will tell you honestly.
Related reading
Sources: NDIS, What is a disability-related health support (ndis.gov.au, read 2 September 2026). This article is general information only and is not financial, legal or clinical advice. NDIS funding, eligibility and pricing are set by the NDIS and can change. Always check the current details on the NDIS website or with your planner or support coordinator. Last updated: 2 September 2026.
