Frequently Asked Questions

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is an Australian Government initiative that provides funding directly to individuals with permanent and significant disabilities, allowing them to access the supports and services they need to live independently.

To be eligible, you must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or hold a Protected Special Category Visa; be aged between 7 and 65 years old when you apply; and have a permanent and significant disability that affects your ability to take part in everyday activities.

You apply by submitting an Access Request Form to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). You will need to provide evidence of your disability from your treating doctors or specialists.

Once approved, you will have a meeting with an NDIS planner or Local Area Coordinator (LAC). You will discuss your current situation, your goals, and what supports you need to achieve them. This forms the basis of your NDIS budget.

The NDIS funds supports that are considered "reasonable and necessary." This includes daily personal care, transport, therapeutic supports (like nursing or physiotherapy), home modifications, mobility equipment, and social participation.

No. The NDIS does not cover day-to-day living costs that people without a disability also have to pay, such as rent, groceries, electricity bills, or standard household items.

NDIS funding is generally split into three categories: Core Supports (everyday activities), Capacity Building Supports (skill-building and training), and Capital Supports (investments like equipment or home modifications).

Core Supports help you with everyday activities, your current disability-related needs, and working towards your goals. This includes funding for support workers to help with personal care, cleaning, or community transport.

This funding is allocated to build your independence and skills. It can be used for therapies, finding employment, or learning how to manage your plan and budget.

This is for higher-cost pieces of assistive technology, equipment, or home and vehicle modifications.

Historically, plans were reviewed every 12 months. However, the NDIS is moving towards longer plans (up to 2 or 3 years) for participants whose situations are stable, though you can request an unscheduled review if your circumstances drastically change.

Self-managing means you (or your nominee) receive the NDIS funding directly. You are responsible for finding providers, paying invoices, and keeping records. It offers the highest level of choice and control.

Plan-managing means the NDIS pays a registered Plan Manager to handle your funds. You still get to choose your own providers (registered or unregistered), but the Plan Manager takes care of paying the invoices and organizing your budget tracking.

This means the NDIA holds your funds and pays providers directly. The major restriction here is that you can *only* use NDIS Registered Providers.

By working with Self-Managed and Plan-Managed participants, we can operate independently of heavy bureaucratic red tape, allowing us to deliver highly flexible, individualized, and clinical care that focuses entirely on your specific needs.

You can request a change to your fund management style during your regular plan review, or by contacting the NDIA to request a light-touch plan variation.

A Support Coordinator helps you understand and implement your NDIS plan. They connect you with providers (like us) and help you negotiate services. Not everyone receives funding for coordination; it is usually for those with complex needs.

A Service Agreement is a simple written contract between you and your provider (like Happy in the Home). It outlines exactly what supports will be delivered, how much they cost, and the responsibilities of both parties.

Yes. You have total choice and control over who provides your supports. You can cancel a service agreement based on the notice period outlined in your contract (usually 14 to 30 days) and switch to a different provider.

You don't have to! We simply send our invoices directly to your Plan Manager, and they pay us out of your NDIS budget.

We will send the invoice directly to you. You then log into the NDIS portal, claim the funds, and transfer the payment to our nominated bank account.

Generally, no. The NDIS expects families to provide informal, unpaid support. NDIS funds are meant to be used to hire professional support workers and nurses to alleviate the pressure on family caregivers.

A Home Care Package is a government-funded program designed to support older Australians with more complex care needs to live safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.

You must be aged 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) and need coordinated services to help you stay at home safely.

You must register with My Aged Care. They will arrange for an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) to visit you at home to assess your needs and determine your eligibility.

An ACAT assessment is a face-to-face meeting with a healthcare professional (usually a nurse, social worker, or occupational therapist) who evaluates your physical and mental health to see what level of care you require.

Packages are tiered by need: Level 1 supports basic care needs; Level 2 supports low care needs; Level 3 supports intermediate care needs; and Level 4 supports high care needs.

Absolutely. If you have clinical needs (such as wound care, medication management, or catheter care), your package funds can be used to hire Registered Nurses, which is our specialty at Happy in the Home.

This is an extra contribution that some people pay towards the cost of their care, determined by a Services Australia income assessment. If your income is above a certain threshold, the government subsidy is reduced, and you pay this fee to make up the difference.

The Basic Daily Fee is a contribution that the government allows providers to charge to all clients, regardless of income. However, many providers choose not to charge this fee to keep costs lower for the client.

Yes. Once you are assigned a package, you can choose any Approved Aged Care Provider to host your package. You also have the right to change providers if you are dissatisfied with your current service.

No. Unlike NDIS Self-Management, HCP funds are paid directly to your chosen Approved Provider. The provider holds the funds in trust for you and pays for the care workers and nurses you use.

Brokerage is when your main Approved Provider sub-contracts another specialized company (like Happy in the Home) to deliver specific services. For example, if your provider only has domestic cleaners, they can "broker" us to provide your clinical nursing care.

Yes! We regularly partner with larger Aged Care Providers in the Geraldton region to supply expert AHPRA Registered Nursing and dedicated support workers for their clients.

The Support at Home program is the Australian Government's massive reform to the aged care system. It will eventually combine all current home care programs (including HCP and CHSP) into one single, simplified system.

The transition is currently scheduled by the Australian Government to begin rolling out over the coming years, phasing out the old system to create a more transparent and efficient model of care.

No. The government has stated that nobody will lose their funding. If you are already on a Home Care Package, you will be smoothly transitioned to the new Support at Home program under a "grandparenting" arrangement.

The new system is designed to be much simpler. It will feature clearer pricing, fewer administrative fees, and separate budgets for clinical care, independence support, and everyday living, ensuring your funds actually go toward your care, not administration.

Yes. Choice and control remain a central focus of the Support at Home program. You will still be able to choose trusted local professionals, like Happy in the Home, to deliver your care.

Yes. Clinical care (like wound management, post-hospital care, and health monitoring) is a major pillar of the new program, ensuring seniors have access to Registered Nurses in their own homes.

Yes. Support for everyday living tasks, such as house cleaning, laundry, gardening, and meal preparation, will be covered under specific service categories in the new program.

If you already have an active Home Care Package, you will not need to re-apply. The Department of Health and Aged Care will manage the transition of your file to the new system automatically.

The government is finalizing the transition rules, but generally, any unspent funds accrued under your old package will be addressed to ensure you do not lose the value of the care you were allocated.

The new program aims to implement fairer, more transparent fee structures. While contribution rates may be updated, there are safety nets in place to protect pensioners and those with lower incomes.

We proudly serve Geraldton, Western Australia, and the surrounding regions. If you are unsure if you fall within our catchment area, please contact us directly.

It means our standards are higher. AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) sets strict clinical, ethical, and safety guidelines. Because our founder is an RN, every care plan, protocol, and staff training module is built on rigorous medical foundations.

Yes. We provide hospital-level care in your living room. This includes complex wound care, stoma and catheter management, medication administration, diabetes management, and chronic disease monitoring.

Yes. We provide specialized, compassionate care focused on cognitive health, establishing safe routines, and offering behavioral support for individuals living with dementia, as well as respite for their families.

Absolutely. Our "Hospital to Home Transition" service ensures you recover safely. We provide clinical monitoring, fall prevention checks, and medication oversight during those critical first few weeks at home.

Yes. The safety of our clients is non-negotiable. Every team member undergoes strict national police clearances, NDIS worker screening, and continuous clinical and manual-handling training.

It starts with a conversation. You can fill out the Request Care form on our Contact page or call us directly. We will arrange a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your funding and your specific needs.

No. Our Service Agreements are flexible. While we require an agreement to legally provide care, you are not locked into long-term traps. If your needs change, we adjust your care. If you wish to leave, you only need to provide the standard notice period.

For medical emergencies, you should always dial 000 immediately. For urgent care logistics related to our active clients, we provide an after-hours contact protocol as part of your tailored care onboarding package.

If your circumstances have changed or you need to understand your NDIS funding, your first point of contact should be your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or the NDIA directly. If you have "Support Coordination" funded in your plan, your Support Coordinator is the best person to help you navigate plan changes and explain your budget.

If your NDIS plan is Plan-Managed, you should contact your chosen Plan Manager for all financial and invoice queries. If you are Self-Managed, you will handle the invoices yourself through the NDIS Myplace portal.

You should first contact your Care Manager at your Approved Provider. They can review your care plan and adjust your services within your current budget. If your needs have significantly increased and you require more funding, you can contact My Aged Care (1800 200 422) to request a reassessment for a higher-level package.

As a dedicated service provider, we specialize in delivering the actual clinical care and daily support services. While we do not manage your overall government funds (like a Plan Manager or an overarching Approved Provider does), we will happily work closely with your Support Coordinator or Care Manager to ensure our services align perfectly with your budget and goals.

If you need free, independent, and confidential advice regarding your rights or aged care services, you can reach out to the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) at 1800 700 600.

Contact the Happy in the Home team directly! We pride ourselves on open communication and clinical flexibility. You can call or email us to adjust your roster, discuss your ongoing care plan, or speak directly with our Registered Nursing team about your health needs.