NDIS participants are given choice and control on how they will use their funding to achieve the goals listed in their plan. When choosing to see a dietitian, participants can claim the cost of services from the following categories:
- Core Supports – Daily Activities
- Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living or Improved Health and Wellbeing.
The nature of dietitian supports provided will vary depending on the participants needs and goals and may involve one-off assessments, yearly reviews or regular ongoing supports. A plan of supports aimed at improving health, wellbeing and independence, and addressing communication, social interaction, self-care, self-management and mobility will be designed by the dietitian and participant following the first appointment.
How we can Optimise your Ability:
There can be a lot to consider when determining which dietitian service is best suited to a participants needs. At Optimum Intake Dietitians, our Participant Care Coordinator’s take the time to select the most suitable dietitian for each participant. The dietitian will then ensure that each participant’s individual goals, abilities, budget, preferences, and lifestyle are considered in the supports they provide, whilst ensuring they cater for any
cognitive, physical, sensory, neurological and intellectual needs. Support, information, training, and instructions can also be developed for family and carers as needed.
Optimum Intake’s trusted dietitians work with people of all ages living with differing levels of intellectual impairment, behavioural disturbances, mental health co-morbidities and complex nutrition requirements. Working in the NDIS for a number of years our dietitians have experience working with a wide range of disabilities and lifelong medical diagnosis including but not limited to: cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, autism, MND, huntington’s disease, down syndrome, and acquired disabilities or injuries.
Optimum Intake Dietitians assist a participant to realise their potential by improving their nutrition and functional capacity for daily life.
When living in a supported independent living setting, we can assist with:
- Support around meal preparation, meal structure and meal variety
- Guidance for support workers in cooking skills, nutritional knowledge
- Development of meal plans
- Facility menu reviews
- Recipe development and resources
- Working with care support staff
- Cultural mealtime requirements
- Promoting harmony between individual independence and a whole home approach to health and wellbeing
- Education for staff, carers and participants on how to manage health conditions such as diabetes and food intolerance
- Development and review of nutritional policy documents
- Consultations with staff / participants/ family members
When shopping & meal planning is challenging, we can assist with:
- Education on planning and preparing of meals, and shopping lists
- Assisted food shopping tours
- Internet shopping lessons
- Creating visual tools and educational materials to support meal planning
- Learning how to choose suitable foods when eating out, including eating at fast food outlets, and food courts
- Learning how to understand and order from menus
When cooking is difficult, we can assist with:
- Cooking and food safety education
- Cooking sessions with a participant
- Cooking skills development
- Creative strategies to increase food variety through cooking skills and utensils
- Enhanced recipe and meal development
- Assist with altering recipes to meet the participant’s literacy skills
- Portion control
When eating and feeding is challenging, we can assist with:
- Portion priorities
- Provide ideas to improve the nutritional qulaity of an indivudals diet
- Guidance on eating out and eating socially
- Texture progression in children and adults
- Fussy eating or resistant / picky eating
- Supporting diets for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties
- Managing stressful mealtimes
- Mealtime behaviours – food refusal, eating at the table, reducing distractions and avoidance at meal times
- Increasing the variety of foods eaten when intake is limited
- Increasing eating participation at meals
When supplements and tube feeding is required, we can assist with:
- Assistance with managing Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) and medical grade nutritional supplements
- Decelop and review enteral feeding regimes as per best practice guidelines
- Assistance with access to enteral feeding equipment and consumables
- Troubleshooting and education on caring for the PEG site and equipment
When physical or nutritional challenges arise as a result of a disability, we can assist with:
- Bowel issues such as chronic constipation, diarrhoea
- Education on specific diet types including Coeliac Disease, Diabetes, higher fibre diets
- Weight changes that impact on physical or social functioning
- Pressure injuries and nutrition for wound healing
- Nutritional deficiencies when eating is difficult
- Supporting optimal growth and development
When working within a support and/or allied health team, we can assist with:
- Collaborative teamwork with other health care professionals
- Customised approach
- Effective and efficient communication systems
- Advocating for the nutritional needs of the participant to the wider team
NDIS Dietitian Fees:
Optimum Intake Dietitians are familiar with the requirements and documentation needs of the NDIS and are able to communicate with support coordinators and planners as required. The total dietitian hours required will be estimated not only on face-to-face time but also support provided ‘behind the scenes’ such as the time we require for nutritional analysis, feeding calculations, establishing individual meal plans, travel requirements, reporting, resource development and liaising with other providers. All services and hours dedicated to the participant will be recorded and logged. Fees are charged in accordance with the most current NDIS Price Guide.
Optimum Intake connect with our participants via face-to-face sessions, in clinic or home, or telehealth sessions via video or phone. This flexibility enables us to provide a more tailored approach which suits the participants, while ensuring that access to our services is comfortable. We also offer services to those living in supported independent accommodation or larger facilities. Clinic visits are held in accessible buildings at Tuggerah, Cooks Hill or Wallsend.
If you would like to know more about Optimum Intake Dietitian’s NDIS Services please contact one of our experienced Participant Care Co-ordinators. on 0499 008 451 or visit the Contact Page.
Optimum Intake Dietitians NDIS team look forward to helping each participant fulfill their potential through optimised nutrition.
Should you wish to engage in our NDIS services please complete the interactive PDF referral form and return it to us via email to ndis[at]optimumintake.com.au. We will then be in contact with you.
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