Wound and pressure care supports are what we call disability-related health supports. We can only fund these supports if they directly relate to your disability and help you undertake activities involved in day-to-day life.
Learn more about what we mean by disability-related health supports.
Wound and pressure care supports are supports to help prevent damage to your skin caused by pressure or swollen limbs, and to manage wounds.
Wounds are any damage to your skin including grazes, cuts or any breaks in the skin. If your skin wound doesn’t heal, heals slowly, or heals but comes back in the same location this is called a chronic wound.
Chronic skin wounds have many causes including trauma, for example, sustained pressure, burns, skin cancers, infection or underlying medical conditions such as diabetes.
Pressure care is support you may need if your disability means it’s hard for you to move or shift your position in bed or when seated to relieve pressure.
This may mean you have an increased risk of skin damage and pressure injuries.
Support to help you prevent or manage a pressure injury may include:
- products or equipment like pressure cushions
- help to monitor areas at risk of pressure wounds
- a person or equipment to help you move.
You may need a specialist medical, nursing, or allied health professional to help look after your wounds and pressure care.
If you need help with wounds you should talk to your doctor first. They can link you to health services that are paid for through Medicare. You can continue to access health services from Medicare, even when you are a NDIS participant.
Learn more about the help you can get through the health system or other services.
Wound and pressure care supports could also include support to manage lymphoedema.
Lymphoedema is the build-up of fluid, causing swelling in one or more parts of the body.
Learn more about Lymphoedema .