Attendant care for people with a severe injury

If you have been severely injured in a motor accident or at work in NSW, we can pay for attendant care services.

Attendant care services through Lifetime Care and the Workers Care Program are delivered by support workers. They can assist with day-to-day activities that are difficult for you to manage because of your injury. This can include personal care, managing medication, home rehabilitation programs and getting involved in community activities.

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How attendant care can support you

Support workers can help you with:

  • personal care, such as showering or dressing
  • domestic tasks, such as preparing meals and cleaning
  • help to attend your injury-related treatment and rehabilitation activities or appointments
  • support with engaging in family or community activities
  • registered nursing assistance
  • gardening and general maintenance of your home.

To find out more about attendant care, including what a support worker does, and what it is like to have attendant care in your home, visit Living with Attendant Care.

Requesting attendant care

Your need for attendant care will be assessed when you enter the Lifetime Care scheme and periodically as needed from that time. A care needs assessor, who is a health professional, such as an occupational therapist, will identify your care needs. They'll meet with you and your family at your home to talk about your care needs. They may also talk to your case manager and any other service providers working with you to make sure they understand your needs.

The care needs assessor will send us a report on your care needs and a request for services to meet the care needs related to your injury.

The amount and type of attendant care we can pay for depends on:

  • your needs relating to your injury
  • your goals for what you want to do
  • your personal and home circumstances.

If you are not currently receiving attendant care and believe it is needed, or you need a change to your attendant care, talk to your icare contact, who can arrange an assessment of your care needs.

Attendant care isn’t always the only option, or the best option. If your assessment recommends this as the best option to meet your needs, we will talk to you about the support you’d like.

Choosing an attendant care provider

We have a panel of approved attendant care providers that have the skills and organisational capacity to deliver high quality services for people with severe injuries, including brain and spinal cord injuries.

Selecting the right attendant care provider is a personal decision that comes down to you. The panel has a range of service providers with different areas of specialisation.

It’s important to consider which provider seems best to meet your specific needs and can offer services in your location. You can speak to more than one provider before making your decision.

  • When choosing a potential attendant care provider, consider things like:
  • Are they local to your area?
  • Will they be familiar with the community and resources near you?
  • What types of services do they deliver?
  • Are they familiar with your type of injury?
  • How do you contact them after hours or in an emergency?
  • Ways you can be involved in choosing your support workers

Different types of support

The types of supports offered by attendant care providers are described in the following categories:

  • Clinical/high level support: Can include supports such as managing your oxygen or a ventilator, complex wound management, complex continence management. May require registered nursing support
  • Physical support: Can include physical supports such as transferring, mobility and personal care
  • Cognitive and behavioural support: Can include supports such as prompting, supervision, or strategies to help with memory, organisation and behaviour
  • Registered nursing: Includes tasks that must be performed by a registered nurse.

Not all providers offer all types of supports. Use our Attendant Care Finder tool to find suitable attendant care providers who offer the supports you need and who work in your area.

Getting started

Your provider will explain how their service works and will discuss with you what tasks will be included. It’s up to you and your provider to work out the finer details of your support, such as scheduling visits and emergency contacts and procedures.

It’s important to us that you are getting the most out of your service. That’s why we schedule regular reviews so that as your needs change over time, the services you receive can be adjusted to make sure they remain appropriate.

If you decide you would like to change your attendant care provider, you should discuss this with your icare coordinator or case manager who can help you with this process.

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