NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)

Activities of daily living (ADLs) are essential and routine skills and tasks that go into day-to-day living. These are often broken into two categories: Basic and Instrumental ADLs.

Basic Activities of daily living (ADLs):

• Walking to get around the home or outside.
• Feeding and eating
• Dressing and grooming
• Going to and using the toilet
• Hygiene such as washing ones face and showering
• The ability to move from one body position to another as well as being able to move from a bed to a chair, or into a wheelchair.

Instrumental Activities of daily living (ADLs):

• Managing finances, such as bills
• Using transportation, such as driving or using other means of transport.
• Shopping and meal preparation.
• Housecleaning and home maintenance such as cleaning after eating, keeping living areas clean and tidy, and keeping up with home maintenance and gardening
• Using various communication methods, such as the phone and mail.
• Managing medications, including obtaining medications and taking them as needed

While both SIL and SDA are related to disability accommodation, they are distinct support services that are funded separately.

Specialist Disability Accommodation focuses on the housing aspect for individuals with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs to promote functional independence. SDA includes various types of accommodations such as shared supported housing, community residential units, or self-contained homes equipped with specialised solutions tailored to meet specific disability needs.

Supported Independent Living (SIL), on the other hand, refers to the on-site support services provided to help individuals live as independently as possible. SIL is designed to support individuals with tasks related to daily living, personal care, and community participation that may require more complex thinking skills such as shopping and meal preparation, housecleaning and home maintenance, managing medication, managing medication, cleaning oneself, maintaining living areas and more.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) determines who is eligible to live in SDA. It’s important to note that not all people with a disability qualify – you must have an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.

Extreme functional impairment – this means that even if your home has been set up to suit your requirements, you still need help with everyday activities such as getting out of bed, getting dressed, making meals or going out.

Very high support needs – this means that you need significant support every day. Perhaps your parents have been providing support but may not be able to keep it up, or you’ve been living in a group or nursing home. In some cases, you may qualify if the way you act is not safe for you or the people around you.

There are five types of Specialist Disability Accommodation: Basic, Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, High Physical Support and Robust. Each design varies based on the individual needs of the person.

Sapphire Support currently offers Fully Accessible SDA homes, which are wheelchair accessible, featuring wide doorways, ample visibility with appropriate lighting, accessible kitchen facilities, as well as accessible shower, restroom, and toilet areas.

Potential participants will need to apply to the NDIS for SDA funding. When you apply, it helps to have a good support coordinator. They will assist in showing the NDIS that you qualify – that is, you have an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.

In order to add SDA to your plan, the NDIS must be sure that the service is a reasonable and necessary way of supporting you to reach your goals. Because of this, it is important to ensure that one of your goals in the NDIS plan is to “live as independently as possible.”

It’s also worth considering reaching out to occupational therapists who will be able to provide you with a report that explains how living in SDA will maximise your quality of life.