If you need podiatry and foot care supports related to your disability, we may fund:
- a podiatrist to create a podiatry care plan, assess your foot care needs or provide foot care
- assistive technology such as orthoses or medical grade footwear
- a support worker to help you with your foot care if your family or friends can’t help.
Under NDIS laws, there are things we can’t fund or provide.
Learn more about Supports that are not NDIS supports.
Learn more about How we decide what disability-related health supports we fund.
What if you need a podiatrist to help with your foot care?
Sometimes you might need a podiatrist to help manage your foot care needs. Podiatrists can develop a podiatry care plan that will outline how you, or someone else, can help you manage your foot care.
The podiatry supports we can fund may include:
- an initial consultation and assessment by a podiatrist
- the development of a podiatry care plan
- foot care, such as toenail cutting or callus removal to prevent foot-related problems
- regular reassessment during your care plan
- a detailed assessment at the end of your care plan. This is to make sure your next plan includes the right amount of support.
What if you need assistive technology?
You may need equipment to help protect your feet so that you don’t need as much regular foot care. We call this assistive technology.
Assistive technology to help manage your foot care needs may include things like:
- orthoses, such as a brace or splint
- custom made orthoses
- medical grade footwear. These are shoes which have been modified to include special features. This includes heel lifts, rocker bottom soles, toe skates or flared soles to accommodate the wearing of braces and callipers.
- custom footwear. For example, to accommodate the wearing of splints or braces.
- maintenance and repair of your podiatry related assistive technology.
We may fund assistive technology if you can give us evidence that:
- the assistive technology will reduce your need for other supports. For example, less need for a support worker or podiatrist
- you’ll be able to do more things on your own. For example, using specialised shoes will help you go shopping, visit friends, or go to school or work
- it’s an NDIS support for you.
You’ll need to give us evidence from a podiatrist or other qualified professional that you need this disability-related health support. We’ll use the evidence to work out if the support meets the NDIS funding criteria.
Learn more about assistive technology.
What if you need help to manage your podiatry and foot care support needs?
You might be able to manage your podiatry and foot care needs by yourself. Or you may need help to manage your podiatry and foot care.
If you don’t have family or friends that can help, we may fund a support worker to help you. For example, to help you use your foot supports or to help you with foot exercises.
There are some tasks that a support worker can’t help you with. For example, cutting your toenails or removing calluses. We may include funding for a podiatrist to help you with these tasks.
We can only fund these NDIS supports if they relate to your disability.