Daily living support is the practical, everyday help that makes the rest of the week possible. It is not a package of everything you cannot do. It is the specific support that protects your independence and your safety.
The short version
- Daily living covers personal care, meals, cleaning, shopping, transport and gardening.
- Start with two or three friction points, not a full timetable.
- The same worker can often cover several tasks.
- Service records keep your plan review straightforward.
What counts as daily living
Personal care, dressing, meals, cleaning, laundry, shopping, transport and help to get out of the house. The common thread is daily life: the tasks that need to happen regularly for you to live safely and stay connected.
Gardening can sit here too when it keeps paths and outdoor areas safe. Social work is a separate, specialist service with its own rate.
Build the week around what you want to do
Start with the friction points. Which part of the week consistently goes wrong? The morning shower? The evening meal? The pile of laundry that makes the bedroom feel unusable? The trip to the GP that takes a whole day?
Choose two or three. Try them for a month. Then review what changed. A plan that looks good on paper but exhausts you is not a good plan.
Keeping independence
The goal is not to do everything for you. It is to do the parts that are unsafe or exhausting, so you keep the parts that matter. If you can still make your own breakfast, we should not take that away.
Tell us what you want to keep doing. A good support worker will step back, not take over.
Working with your support coordinator
Your support coordinator can help translate the plan into a weekly schedule. Share the plan with us, agree who is doing what, and ask for records you can use at review time. If you do not have a coordinator, we can still work from the plan with you.
A simple starting point
One personal care visit, one clean and one shopping trip is a common first month. It covers the basics without committing to a full week. You can add or remove support after you have lived with it.
Common questions
Can I use my NDIS funding for cleaning?
If domestic tasks are in your plan and relate to your disability, they may be covered. Ask your plan manager or support coordinator to confirm what your plan says.
Can I choose which tasks we do?
Yes. The plan is yours. We agree the task list with you and review it as things change.
Can the same worker do personal care and cleaning?
Where the worker is trained and the roster allows it, yes. Some people prefer separate workers for privacy. Both are fine.
Do you help with social activities?
We can help you get to places and take part, within the support we offer. We are not a social group program.
How do I start?
Call and describe the week you are trying to get through. We will suggest the smallest useful starting point.
Sources and further reading
This guide is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. If you are worried about your health, call your GP. In an emergency, call 000.