Physiotherapy, the NDIS, and you.

Many people who have previously accessed Physiotherapy through their NDIS plan are finding that their therapy hours have been drastically cut. Whilst this will understandably make you sad, maybe even angry (after all, Physio's are amazing people and you won't want to see less of yours!!), the changes are in line with the original vision for the NDIS and may represent an opportunity for you.

There are circumstances in which it makes sense to see a Physiotherapist frequently. For example, soon after Physical or Neurological injury when consistent and progressive therapy will likely improve your outcome, or if you are learning a new skill in adaptation to a progressive illness. However, for many adults with a long-term disability, response to Physiotherapy is either slow improvements, or maintenance of function. In these cases, intermittent review of your exercise programme and daily activity, by an experienced Physiotherapist, with a focus on giving you and your support people the skills you need to do the best things on a daily basis, may be better than weekly therapy. Instead of you exercising only when your Physio comes (once per week, for example), it may be that having less regular visits forces you, your therapist, and your support people, to look for creative ways to facilitate increased good activity on a daily basis. You might even find this leads to more rapid improvements!!!!

Below is an example of how we might best utilise your Capacity Building funds if you have found them stripped down to 15 'hours' across the year. (15 hours at the cap Physiotherapy rate of $183.99 = $2759.85, and many providers will use some of this allocation for travel and non-face-to-face time. In contrast, our fees are inclusive of travel and non-face-to-face activities.)