If your disability means you can’t manage your epilepsy, we may fund epilepsy supports like:
- training for a support worker to help you follow your Epilepsy Management Plan (EMP)
- training for a support worker to follow your Emergency Medication Management Plan (EMMP) if you need medication when you have a seizure
- a support worker to monitor your seizures
- a nurse to monitor seizures if you have complex health and disability needs
- time for your support worker to go to training, for your specific support needs
- assistive technology for example, alarms or seizure monitors
- support coordination, if you don’t have a local area coordinator, family, or carers to link you with epilepsy support services.
What if you need someone to help monitor your seizures?
If you need to be monitored for seizures because of your disability we may fund a support worker or nurse to help you. We’ll only do this if your family or carers can’t help.
If you need someone to monitor your seizures, we’ll need evidence from your doctor or treating physician. The evidence will need to describe who can safely provide the support. It should say whether this can be a family member or carer, a support worker or a nurse.
We’ll then look at your current supports. For example, you might already have a support worker to help you with self-care or daily living activities. They may be able to be trained to provide your epilepsy supports and seizure monitoring. Or you might need additional hours of support.
If support workers will provide monitoring and support for seizures we can fund their training to meet your specific needs.
What is delegated care?
Delegated care means a registered nurse or health treatment team authorises a trained worker to provide support for more complex tasks such as help to complete your epilepsy management plan. This is called ‘delegation and supervision of care’. It allows a registered nurse to delegate nursing tasks to an appropriately trained person.
The support worker or enrolled nurse must have training from the registered nurse or health team before giving you this type of support.
We’ll look at whether you need a registered nurse to carry out your epilepsy care according to your Epilepsy Management Plan (EMP) and Emergency Medication Management Plan (EMMP). Or, whether a support worker or enrolled nurse can safely support you with direction and supervision by a registered nurse.
We’ll look at all the information you’ve given us to decide what level of support you need. This will include the number of hours we’ll fund.
What if you need support with your epilepsy management plans?
We don’t fund support to help you create your Epilepsy Management Plan (EMP) or Emergency Medication Management Plan (EMMP).
There are epilepsy support organisations that can help you do this.
Learn more about What services do epilepsy support organisations provide?
If you can’t link with an epilepsy support organisation because of your disability, we may fund a support coordinator to help you. We’ll only do this if you don’t have a local area coordinator, family or carer to help you.
If you need help to link with an epilepsy support organisation, talk to your my NDIS contact or support coordinator.
What if you need assistive technology?
Most people will be able to get what they need to manage their epilepsy through the health system or other services.
Learn more about What help can you get to manage your epilepsy through the health system or other services?
Assistive technology to help manage your epilepsy can include things like:
- a seizure monitor alarm system
- a seizure mat for a bed
- an oximeter.
We’ll only fund assistive technology if you can give us evidence that:
- having the assistive technology means it will reduce your need for other supports, for example, less need for a support worker or nurse
- you’ll be able to be more independent
- other mainstream health services don’t fund the assistive technology and you need the support because of your disability.
You’ll need to give us evidence to show the assistive technology meets all the NDIS funding criteria.
Learn more about Assistive technology.
What supports can you get for children?
Children with epilepsy need support from parents and carers, doctors, schools and communities. The Epilepsy Foundation has information about supports for children with epilepsy. This includes things like dietary management, support for families, education and schooling.
Generally, we expect families or carers to look after the daily support needs of children, including managing their health. We may fund your child’s epilepsy support if the support is more than you are able to provide as a parent or carer.
The support must relate specifically to your child’s disability. Like all supports we fund, supports for children need to meet the NDIS funding criteria.