Community nursing is one of the supports people are least sure about when they read their plan, because it can be funded in more than one place. Knowing which part applies to you makes the conversation with a provider much shorter.
Where the funding usually sits
For most participants, nursing supports are funded under Improved Daily Living in the Capacity Building budget when the focus is building a participant’s own skills or their support workers’ skills, or as a high-intensity daily activity support in the Core budget when the nurse is delivering direct, hands-on clinical care. Which one applies depends on the assessment, not on the provider you choose.
High-intensity supports include things like complex wound management, enteral feeding, tracheostomy care, ventilation and complex bowel care. Staff delivering them need training beyond a general support worker qualification, and providers should be able to tell you exactly who is delivering the support and what they are qualified in.
What a nurse can do in your home
- Wound assessment, dressing and ongoing review
- Medication administration, prompting and Webster pack management
- Catheter, stoma and continence care
- Diabetes support, including blood glucose monitoring and insulin
- Training and supervision for your support workers on a specific clinical task
What it does not replace
Community nursing is not a substitute for your GP, a hospital admission, or emergency care. It sits alongside them. A good provider keeps clinical notes current and shares them with your treating team so nobody is working from old information.
Questions worth asking a provider
- Are your nurses registered, and what is their experience with my specific need?
- Who covers when my regular nurse is unavailable?
- How do you communicate with my GP or specialist?
- What happens if my needs increase between plan reviews?
If a provider cannot answer those clearly, that itself is useful information.