Independent Nursing Assessments
Kids Collaborative offers Independent Nursing Assessments for children and adults with complex care needs who receive funding support from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) or require these for Medicolegal purposes.
These are specifically designed for Participants who require a detailed assessment and documentation of these care needs, that then informs the NDIS or other professionals of the hours of support required, and the most suitable level of Support Staff to deliver the care which may include Registered Nurses as part of their care team.
These assessments are conducted by Jodie Thompson, a Clinical Nurse Consultant with over 30 years experience working with people across the lifespan with a range of disabilities such as Spinal Cord Injury, Spina Bifida, Acquired Brain Injuries, Cerebral Palsy, Musculoskeletal conditions, Rare Genetic Conditions as well as developmental conditions and Intellectual Disability.
Participants who have had these Independent Nursing Assessments may be living at home with family, living independently with support (Supported Independent Living) or in a Group Home setting (Specialist Disability Accommodation).
It is often a Support Coordinator or Solicitor who may be requesting this type of service from Kids Collaborative. A Service Agreement is formed between the participant and/or their representative and Kids Collaborative that outlines their particular service need.
What is involved with an Independent Nursing Assessment?
Jodie completes these assessments either in person or via telehealth, depending on the location of where the participant lives.
The initial meeting usually takes approximately three hours to complete, with an extensive interview with either a family member of the participant or a representative or Support Staff who knows the participant's needs very well.
A head-to-toe style assessment with additional care domains also explored is conducted, and this is then documented in a very detailed report which is usually 45 - 50 pages long. Photographs to demonstrate particular care needs or levels of function are also included in the report.
Recommendations are then made as part of the report about the number of hours and the level of Support Staff that are suitable to provide the support for the participant. In some cases, Registered Nursing or Clinical Nurse/Clinical Nurse Consultant support may be warranted as part of the care team due to the high intensity support needs to keep the Participant safe and well who are able to appropriately delegate care responsibilities and provide ongoing education and supervision of Support Staff as per a delegation model of care adopted by the NDIS.
Prices
Prices for Independent Nursing Assessments for NDIS Participants follow the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements for a Clinical Nurse Consultant weekday rate of $163.91/hr and these assessments can take approximately 30 hours to complete depending on the level of complexity. The Participant is only ever charged for the number of hours required for this assessment which will not exceed the 30 hours.
Kids Collaborative is NOT a registered NDIS provider however offers services to children who are Plan-Managed or Self-Managed.
Pricing for Medico-legal Nursing Assessments will be provided on enquiry and is dependent on the need, however they start at $275/hr (GST inclusive). These assessments also estimate future care needs for the Participant over the course of their lifetime.
Areas Covered
Kids Collaborative is committed to providing an accessible service for all NDIS Participants - irrespective of where you live in Australia. In-person visits for all Independent Nursing Assessment services are currently only available for the Sydney Metro area in NSW unless otherwise discussed with Jodie. Participants who live in regional, rural areas or interstate will be offered this service via telehealth unless their particular circumstances determine otherwise.
Appointments
I use a scheduling app that makes booking appointments easy for you to choose from at a time convenient for you. You will be sent the link to this app upon enquiry and if for any reason you need to change this appointment time you can do so via a confirmation link that is sent to you.
Interested?
If you would like to know more about my Independent Nursing Assessments, then please enquire via the 'Contact Us' link. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Kindest Regards,
Jodie