Improved Daily Living NDIS

Introduction

Living with a disability often means adapting to daily challenges that many people take for granted. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) aims to help people with disability live more independently, safely, and to their full potential. A critical component of NDIS plans that supports this goal is the category known as Improved Daily Living (sometimes called “daily living supports” or “assistance with daily living”). With the right supports, people can maintain dignity, enhance wellbeing, and participate more fully in their daily routines.

This guide will walk you through:

• What “Improved Daily Living” under the NDIS encompasses
• What supports are commonly included
• How to ensure your plan includes reasonable and necessary daily living supports
• How to choose providers and services that genuinely improve daily living
• Practical strategies to use your supports effectively

By the end, you should have a clear picture of how to make daily life easier, more comfortable, and more fulfilling under your NDIS plan.

What Is “Improved Daily Living” under the NDIS?

Under the NDIS, Improved Daily Living refers to supports that help participants with tasks of daily life, enhancing their independence, safety, health, and wellbeing. These supports are part of the Core Supports (and sometimes related to Capacity Building) in NDIS plans. They focus on what many might call “everyday living” — routines, hygiene, mobility, self-care, domestic tasks, communication, and more.

These supports are designed to bridge the gap between what an individual can do independently and what they need assistance with, so daily life becomes more manageable and dignified.

Key features:

• Assistance with personal activities (dressing, bathing, grooming)
• Support with domestic tasks (household chores, meal preparation, cleaning)
• Help with mobility and mobility aids, including transfers, moving around the home
• Ensuring safety and health through appropriate supervision or care
• Support in developing or maintaining skills related to everyday living

Which Supports are Typically Included

Here are some examples of what “Improved Daily Living” supports might look like in practice.

Area of Daily Life	What Support Could Include
Personal Self-Care	Bathing, showering, toileting, hygiene, dressing, grooming, oral care
Mobility & Movement	Assistance with transfers (bed to wheelchair, in/out of car), walking, using mobility aids, positioning
Domestic Tasks / Household Chores	Cleaning, laundry, washing dishes, vacuuming, organising living spaces
Meal Preparation / Nutrition	Cooking meals, food planning, shopping, ensuring nutritional needs are met
Medication Management	Reminders, administering medications, safe storage, liaising with health professionals
Supervision for Safety / Behaviour Support	Assisting when safety‐risks are present (e.g. falls, wandering), behaviours that need supervision, enabling safe environments
Communication & Participation	Supports for communication difficulties, helping to participate in social or community settings through daily routines

What Makes a Support “Reasonable and Necessary”

To be funded under NDIS, improved daily living supports must meet the “reasonable and necessary” criteria. Understanding this helps in planning and advocating for supports you need.

Here are the criteria:

1. Related to your disability – The need arises due to your disability, not just due to age or lifestyle.
2. Likely to be effective – The proposed support should help you achieve goals in your NDIS plan; it should produce real improvement or maintain existing functioning.
3. Value for money – The cost should be reasonable compared to alternatives. Supports should avoid duplication and be efficient.
4. Not better funded by other systems – If a support should be provided by health services, Medicare, schools etc., then NDIS may not fund it.
5. Consider your circumstances – Where you live, existing supports you have from family or other services, your age, your environment, etc., all factor in.

When speaking with your planner, support coordinator, or NDIS representative, it’s useful to present examples and evidence of how certain supports help you with daily living. This might include reports from health professionals, observations of daily difficulties, or past experience.

How Improved Daily Living Impacts Quality of Life

Having the right supports in place for daily living can lead to improvements in many areas of life:

• Greater independence – Being able to dress, eat, move, or complete personal tasks with less support increases self-confidence and autonomy.
• Improved health outcomes – Proper hygiene, nutrition, medication management prevent health issues. Reduced risk of infections, falls, malnutrition.
• Enhanced safety – Supports enabling safe bathing, transfers, managing mobility reduces risk.
• More comfort and dignity – Maintaining personal appearance, autonomy in personal routines, private and respectful care matter a great deal.
• Lower caregiver burden – When participants can do more, or receive better supports, family/carers also experience less stress.
• Better participation – Improved self-care frees up energy for social, community, leisure, or work activities.

How to Ensure Your NDIS Plan Covers Daily Living Supports

Getting the supports you need often requires proactive planning and good documentation. Here are detailed steps to ensure daily living supports are well included in your NDIS plan:

1. List all daily tasks that are challenging
   Be specific: if dressing takes 30 mins with assistance, if mobility is slow, if showers cause fatigue or risk of slipping, etc.
2. Gather evidence
   Reports from occupational therapists, physiotherapists, community nurses, speech therapists. Photographs or videos can help show environmental hazards or issues.
3. Define goals
   What do you aim to achieve? For example: “I want to be able to shower independently with minimal assistance by end of plan.” Goals help clarify which supports are necessary and how they will contribute.
4. Estimate frequency and intensity
   How often do you need help? Every day, few times a week? For how long? Being precise helps with budgeting in the Core Supports category.
5. Include safety supports
   Don’t forget supervision, risk mitigation, adaptive equipment or modifications that reduce hazardous situations.
6. Discuss with support coordination or plan manager
   If you have a support coordinator, they can help advocate or build a case for needed supports.
7. Review your existing supports
   Identify what is working, what’s not, what you can reduce or stop so you can reallocate funds to more essential supports.

Choosing Quality Providers for Daily Living Supports

Not all daily living supports are equal. The quality of delivery matters, as does how well the provider aligns with your preferences and needs. Consider:

• Qualification and training of staff – Look for experience with disability, training in relevant areas (mobility assistance, behaviour support, hygiene), background checks.
• Consistency and continuity – Having reliable staff who know you, your routines, preferences builds comfort and trust.
• Flexibility – Life changes; providers who can adjust schedules, adapt to emergencies, change routines help more.
• Cultural sensitivity and personalised care – Respect for your culture, personal preferences, communication style.
• Transparency in costs and services – Understand what is included, extra charges (if any), cancellation policies.
• Good communication and feedback – Providers who listen, solicit your feedback, and involve you in decision-making are more likely to deliver supportive, effective care.

Common Challenges & How to Overcome Them

While Improved Daily Living supports are invaluable, participants often face challenges in securing or maintaining them. Here are common problems and practical strategies to address them:

Challenge	Why It Happens	Strategies / Solutions
Under-funded plan segments	Plans may allocate insufficient funds for daily supports due to lack of evidence or vague goals.	Collect specific evidence, use assessments, show current difficulties, clearly defined goals.
Overlapping responsibilities	Family/carers often already provide support; NDIS wants to avoid duplication.	Clearly document what you cannot do yourself and what family support is already providing.
Provider shortages	In some areas there are few providers, or scheduling/transport is difficult.	Explore remote or mobile providers, telehealth, cluster services, plan for travel time.
Changing needs	Needs may worsen or change due to health decline, mobility changes, new diagnosis.	Request plan reviews, include flexibility in plan, allocate some margin for unexpected needs.
Quality inconsistency	Variation in staff skill, reliability, continuity.	Regularly assess provider performance, get multiple quotes, choose providers with good reputations.

Strategies to Maximise Use of Daily Living Supports

Getting the most out of your supports means being proactive and strategic. Here are practical tips:

• Build routines – Regular schedules help both you and your support staff; reduces time wasted and improves efficiency.
• Train staff in your preferences – From how you like to be supported, communication style, to environment preferences.
• Use assistive technology & home modifications – Small changes like grab rails, non-slip mats, adaptive utensils, shower chairs can reduce dependence.
• Prioritise tasks – Identify which daily tasks are most critical to your independence and wellbeing; focus your supports there first.
• Incremental independence – If possible, do part of the task yourself, with support—the goal being gradual independence.
• Monitor outcomes – Keep a journal or log: note when tasks are easier, when things are improving, or where more support is needed.

How Improved Daily Living Relates to Other NDIS Support Types

It doesn’t exist in a vacuum; supports for daily living interact with, and often depend on, other kinds of supports. Understanding the interplay helps you build a stronger, more holistic plan.

• Capacity Building Supports: Skills training, therapy, or coaching that improve your ability to do daily tasks more independently.
• Assistive Technology & Home Modifications: These supports often reduce the need for manual assistance and make daily tasks safer and easier.
• Support Coordination: Helps ensure all parts of your plan work together—daily supports, therapies, assistive tech, behaviours.
• Community Participation / Social Supports: As independence improves in the home, you can engage more outside — social inclusion boosts wellbeing, reduces isolation.

Real-Life Examples

Here are illustrative stories (anonymised) of how Improved Daily Living supports can look in practice:

Example 1: Jane’s Morning Routine

Jane has limited mobility and lives alone. With the right daily living supports, she receives help with getting in and out of bed, dressing, showering safely, and preparing a nutritious breakfast. Over six months, with occupational therapy (Capacity Building), she gains enough strength and skill to manage parts of her morning routine independently, reducing her daily care hours and increasing her confidence.

Example 2: Tom’s Home Environment

Tom uses a wheelchair and struggles to move safely in his bathroom; the floor is slippery and the doorway narrow. His plan includes assistive modifications: installing grab bars, widening doorways, non-slip flooring, and a shower chair. Also, with daily living assistance in meals and domestic tasks, he maintains his health and hygiene, avoids injuries, and can have visitors with dignity.

Example 3: Amy’s Social Participation Linked to Daily Living

Amy wants to attend a community choir group, but getting ready takes so long (grooming, dressing, transport) that she often skips it. Daily living supports help streamline this process — she gets assistance with grooming and dressing, uses adaptive clothing, and has transport arranged. She participates more frequently, improving her wellbeing, self-esteem, and social contact.

When and How to Ask for a Review or Adjustment of Your Supports

As life changes—whether health, circumstances, living arrangements, or goals—your supports should be able to change too. Here’s when you might ask for a review:

• Your health declines or improves significantly
• You are changing where you live or moving into a new home
• New goals arise (e.g. more independence, new hobbies, more community engagement)
• You notice daily tasks are getting harder or causing safety risks
• Feedback from staff or carers indicates things are no longer working

In a review, bring documentation, examples, updated assessments, and clearly express what daily living supports are not working, and what changes you’d like.

Why Choose a Trusted Provider Like One Vision Support Services

When it’s time to implement improved daily living supports, the provider you select can make a major difference. One Vision Support Services brings experience, person-centred care, and strong service offerings in daily living support. They provide services such as assistance with personal care, mobility, household tasks, travel/transport, participation in community activities, development of daily life skills, and more. Their approach ensures that supports are tailored, respectful, and goal-focused.

Choosing a partner who listens, adapts, and has the capacity to deliver reliable daily living support can improve your quality of life significantly. If you want support that respects your preferences and enhances daily functioning, then partnering with One Vision Support Services is a strong choice.

Conclusion

Improved Daily Living supports under the NDIS are more than just help with household chores or grooming—they are foundational to living a life of dignity, independence, and wellbeing. By understanding what supports are available, ensuring your plan includes what you need, choosing quality providers, and regularly reviewing your supports, you can make your daily life safer, more comfortable, and more fulfilling.

If you are ready to reshape your daily routines, reclaim independence, and live more fully, begin by mapping out what you need assistance with—then seek out supports that align. The path to improved daily living is not always easy, but with the right supports, it is absolutely possible.

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