If you or someone you care for receives Support at Home services, you may be wondering how much choice you have over the health professionals involved in your care.
One question we are often asked is:
Can I choose my own dietitian under Support at Home?
For people who are self-managing some or all of their Support at Home services, there can be greater choice and involvement in selecting the people and organisations providing their care. Your registered Support at Home provider remains responsible for coordinating and overseeing your services, so your chosen dietitian will need to be discussed and agreed with your provider.
At Optimum Intake Dietitians, we work with older Australians, their families and Support at Home providers to make accessing dietetic care as straightforward as possible.
Here’s what you need to know.
Are Dietitian Services Available Under Support at Home?
Yes. Dietetics and nutrition support are included within the Clinical Supports category of the Australian Government’s Support at Home service list.
Whether dietitian services are available to you will depend on your individual circumstances, including your assessed needs, goals, approved services and available funding.
A dietitian can support a wide range of nutrition concerns that may affect health, independence and quality of life as we get older.
These can include:
- losing weight without trying
- poor appetite or eating less than usual
- malnutrition or risk of malnutrition
- frailty
- difficulty meeting nutrition needs
- diabetes
- heart and cardiovascular conditions
- gastrointestinal concerns
- nutrition following illness or a hospital stay
- changes in eating associated with health, mobility or function
- difficulty managing meals or nutrition at home.
If you are unsure whether seeing a dietitian would be helpful, you can speak with your Support at Home provider or contact our team to discuss your needs.
Can I Choose Which Dietitian I See?
If you are self-managing your Support at Home services, you can have greater involvement in choosing the workers and organisations that provide your care.
This may include asking to see a particular dietitian or dietitian service.
Your registered Support at Home provider continues to have responsibility for your care and services. This means you will need to discuss your preference with them so they can determine whether the service can be arranged within your Support at Home plan and funding.
If you would like to see an Optimum Intake Dietitian, you can let your care partner or Support at Home provider know.
You can also contact us directly. Our Client Care Team can explain our services and work with you and your provider to determine the next steps.
What Does Self-Managing Support at Home Mean?
Self-management gives you greater involvement in arranging and managing your Support at Home services.
For some people, having more choice over who provides their services is important. You may already know a health professional you trust, want to continue seeing someone who understands your health history, or prefer to choose a service with particular experience.
You may also be helping a parent or family member find the right health professionals for their needs.
If nutrition is one of the areas where support is needed, you can ask your Support at Home provider about using a dietitian of your choice.
Why Might I Want to Choose My Own Dietitian?
Dietitians can work across many different areas of health, so finding someone with experience relevant to your needs can be valuable.
Older adults can have complex nutrition needs. Health conditions, medications, appetite, mobility, cognition, swallowing, food access and the ability to shop, cook or prepare meals can all influence how well someone is eating.
The practical side matters too.
Advice needs to work with the foods you enjoy, your routines, cultural preferences, budget, living situation and the help you have available.
Our aged care dietitians take the time to understand the bigger picture and develop practical nutrition strategies around the individual.
What Can an Aged Care Dietitian Help With?
There is a common misconception that seeing a dietitian means being given a restrictive diet or being told what you can and cannot eat.
For many older adults, our priorities can be quite different.
Maintaining adequate nutrition, strength, independence and enjoyment of food may become increasingly important as we age.
For example, a dietitian may help someone who has gradually lost weight, is finding it difficult to eat enough, has experienced a decline in appetite after being unwell or needs practical strategies to meet their nutrition requirements.
We can also help people manage nutrition alongside chronic health conditions while considering their overall health, quality of life and individual goals.
Why Early Nutrition Support Can Matter
Changes in eating and nutrition can sometimes happen gradually.
Perhaps clothes are becoming looser. Meals are getting smaller. Shopping and cooking are becoming more difficult. Someone who previously enjoyed eating has lost interest in food. A recent illness or hospital admission may also have changed their appetite or ability to manage meals.
These changes are worth paying attention to.
Poor nutrition and unintentional weight loss in older adults can contribute to loss of muscle and strength, frailty and reduced ability to manage everyday activities.
Early dietetic assessment can help identify what may be contributing to the problem and provide practical strategies before nutrition concerns become more significant.
You don’t need to wait until someone is severely underweight or struggling considerably with their nutrition before asking whether a dietitian could help.
Can a Dietitian Visit Me at Home?
Yes. Optimum Intake Dietitians provides home visits for older Australians across the areas we service, subject to location and dietitian availability.
For many older adults, seeing a dietitian at home can be particularly useful.
It may be easier for someone who has difficulty with mobility or transport, and being in the person’s home can also help the dietitian understand the practical factors influencing their nutrition.
Depending on the person’s needs, this might include their usual foods, meal preparation, access to food, kitchen environment, nutrition supplements and the support they receive from family, carers or other services.
What Happens During an Aged Care Dietitian Appointment?
Your first appointment gives your dietitian an opportunity to understand you and your nutrition needs.
Depending on the reason for your referral, your dietitian may ask about your:
- usual food and fluid intake
- appetite
- recent changes in weight
- medical conditions and health history
- medications where relevant to nutrition
- ability to shop, prepare food and manage meals
- gastrointestinal symptoms
- mobility and function
- nutrition supplements
- food preferences and routines
- current supports
- health and nutrition goals.
From there, your dietitian can develop recommendations that are appropriate for your individual circumstances.
Where appropriate and with your consent, we can also communicate with your Support at Home provider and other members of your healthcare team.
How Do I Ask My Support at Home Provider to Use My Preferred Dietitian?
You can start by speaking with your care partner or the person who coordinates your Support at Home services.
You could simply say:
“I’d like to use my Support at Home services to see a dietitian, and I’d like to see Optimum Intake Dietitians. Can we discuss whether this can be arranged within my support plan?”
Your provider can then discuss your approved services, available funding and any processes that need to be completed before services begin.
If your provider needs information from us, our Client Care Team is happy to assist.
Can My Family Help Me Organise Dietitian Services?
Yes.
Family members often play an important role in helping older people coordinate healthcare and Support at Home services.
If you are helping a parent, partner or family member and have noticed changes in their weight, appetite, eating or ability to manage meals, you can raise these concerns with their Support at Home provider.
You can also contact Optimum Intake Dietitians to find out more about our aged care dietitian services and what may be required to arrange an appointment.
Choosing Nutrition Support That Works for You
Having choice in your care can help you find health professionals who understand your needs and work well with the people already supporting you.
At Optimum Intake Dietitians, we have a dedicated Aged Care Team providing nutrition support to older Australians.
Our dietitians work collaboratively with individuals, families, care partners, Support at Home providers and other health professionals to provide practical nutrition care tailored to the person.
If you would like to see one of our dietitians, or you are helping a family member find nutrition support, you are welcome to submit an aged care referral.
Our Client Care Team can talk you through our services and help you understand the next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dietitians and Support at Home
Can Support at Home pay for a dietitian?
Dietetics and nutrition support are included within the Clinical Supports category of the Support at Home service list.
Whether dietitian services can be funded in your individual circumstances will depend on factors including your assessed needs, approved services, goals and available funding. Your Support at Home provider can confirm what is available within your plan.
Can I choose my own dietitian under Support at Home?
If you self-manage your Support at Home services, you can have greater involvement in choosing your workers and service providers.
You can ask your registered provider about using a particular dietitian or dietitian service. Your provider will need to agree to the arrangement and remains responsible for ensuring your services meet Support at Home requirements.
Do I have to use a dietitian employed by my Support at Home provider?
Your provider may have its own dietitians or existing arrangements with external services. If you would prefer another dietitian, particularly if you self-manage your services, speak with your provider about your options.
You can tell them if you have a preferred dietitian and ask whether they can arrange for that service to be provided.
Can I contact a dietitian before speaking with my Support at Home provider?
Yes. You are welcome to contact Optimum Intake Dietitians to ask about our aged care services and whether we provide services in your area.
Before Support at Home funded services commence, the appropriate arrangements will need to be confirmed with your registered provider.
Can my daughter, son or another family member arrange a dietitian for me?
Family members can assist with finding and coordinating health services. The level of involvement they can have in decisions and communication will depend on your preferences, consent and any formal arrangements you have in place.
We regularly communicate with family members and carers where appropriate and with the older person’s consent.
What are the signs that an older person might need to see a dietitian?
Some signs worth discussing with a healthcare professional include:
- losing weight without trying
- eating less than usual
- reduced appetite
- clothes becoming noticeably looser
- difficulty preparing or managing meals
- increasing frailty or loss of strength
- difficulty meeting nutrition needs
- changes in eating following illness or hospitalisation
- ongoing gastrointestinal or nutrition concerns.
You can also seek dietetic advice before these concerns become severe.
Do you provide ongoing dietitian appointments?
Yes. Some people only require a small number of appointments, while others benefit from ongoing nutrition support.
Following assessment, your dietitian can recommend an appropriate review schedule based on your needs and goals. Any ongoing services funded through Support at Home will also need to fit within your approved services and funding arrangements.
Where does Optimum Intake Dietitians provide aged care services?
Our Aged Care Team provides dietetic services to older Australians, including home-based services across the areas we service. Availability varies depending on location and clinician capacity.
Contact our Client Care Team to find out whether we can provide a home visit in your area and discuss other appointment options that may be available.
Want to See an Optimum Intake Dietitian?
If you receive Support at Home services and would like to choose Optimum Intake Dietitians for your nutrition care, talk to your Support at Home provider or contact us directly through our aged care referral form.
We can explain our aged care dietitian services and work with you and your provider to determine the next steps.
