The NDIS uses the term “high intensity daily personal activities” to refer to the more complex support required by individuals to manage their daily lives. This includes assisting people with diabetes, epilepsy, and high-risk seizures in their homes or community health settings. The NDIS Practice Standards provide guidance for providers and auditors in this regard. Here are some examples of the skills descriptors outlined in the NDIS Practice Standards (November 2022, Version 3):

1. Complex Bowel Care: This descriptor applies when supporting a participant who is at risk of severe constipation or fecal incontinence and requires a support plan for management.

2. Enteral Feeding Support: This descriptor applies when supporting a participant who relies on enteral feeding tubes, such as Nasogastric tube feeding (NGT), Gastrostomy feeding (including percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy – PEG or jejunostomy).

3. Dysphagia Support: This descriptor applies when supporting a participant assessed with difficulties in swallowing, biting, or chewing, which can pose health risks like choking, aspiration, malnutrition, and dehydration.

4. Ventilator Support: This descriptor applies when supporting a participant who uses a ventilator, including additional equipment like Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines, humidifiers, airway clearance devices, suctioning, manual ventilation devices, and oxygen.

5. Tracheostomy Support: This descriptor applies when supporting a participant who requires assistance with fenestrated or non-fenestrated tracheostomy and related equipment and appliances, such as stoma appliances, heat moisture exchange machines, humidifiers, nebulizer devices, suctioning bags, and dressings.

6. Urinary Catheter Support: This descriptor applies when providing high intensity support to a participant with different types of urinary catheters, including in-dwelling urinary catheters, in-out catheters, and suprapubic catheters. Insertion and removal of intermittent catheters would require oversight by a health practitioner, while insertion of in-dwelling and suprapubic catheters should be performed by a health practitioner.

7. Subcutaneous Injections: This descriptor applies when supporting a participant who requires subcutaneous injections, which may include administering various medications. The skills descriptor provides additional guidance for workers supporting participants in managing diabetes.

8. Complex Wound Care Support: This descriptor applies when supporting a participant at high risk of pressure injuries, encompassing both prevention and management of wounds and pressure injuries. It includes skills and knowledge related to using equipment like lymphedema machines and assistive circulatory devices.

9. Epilepsy and Seizure Support: This descriptor applies when supporting a participant at high risk of seizures. It also covers skills and knowledge related to supporting participants in using seizure monitors and wearable technology, such as smartwatches, sleep activity monitors, and above-mattress sensors.