Personal care support
Personal care is help with the everyday things a body needs doing: showering, dressing, toileting, grooming, eating, moving about safely and managing medication. Under the NDIS it is funded from core supports, and in 2026-27 the price limit for a weekday daytime hour is $73.58.
It is the most personal support there is, which makes the fit between the person and the worker matter more here than anywhere else.
What personal care usually includes
It is defined by what the person needs, not by a fixed list.
- Showering, bathing and drying
- Dressing and undressing
- Toileting and continence support
- Grooming, shaving, hair and nails
- Help with eating and drinking
- Transferring, repositioning and safe moving
- Prompting or assisting with medication
Getting the fit right
Most providers will introduce a worker before regular support starts. Use it. Ask how long they have done this work, whether they have supported someone with the same needs, and what happens when they are sick or on leave.
You can ask for a worker of a particular gender, or someone who speaks the language spoken at home. Providers cannot always match it, but many will try, and it is a reasonable thing to ask for.
If it is not working, say so. Changing worker is normal and a good provider will not make it awkward.
Need a support worker?
We'll connect you with a registered provider near you who has space.
High intensity supports
Some personal care needs a worker with extra training and carries a higher price limit.
Support involving complex bowel care, enteral feeding, tracheostomy, ventilation, severe dysphagia, subcutaneous injections, urinary catheters or complex wound care is classed as high intensity. The worker needs specific skills signed off, and the price limit is higher than standard personal care.
If any of that applies, say so early. It narrows the list of providers who can genuinely help and saves everyone a wasted conversation.
Questions people ask
Can a support worker give medication?
Workers can prompt or assist with medication within the provider's policy and the person's plan. Anything clinical needs the right training and sign off, and some of it needs a nurse.
How many hours can we get?
That comes from the plan, not from us. Core supports funding is flexible, so the same money can be spread differently depending on what matters most.
Do we get the same worker every time?
Usually, and continuity is worth asking about. Providers do need cover for sickness and leave, so ask how that is handled before you start.
Keep reading
- What it costsNDIS price limits for a support worker in 2026-27, hour by hour: weekday, evening, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday.
- Help at homeSupport with cooking, cleaning, laundry and shopping under the NDIS.
- Getting out and aboutSupport to get to appointments, activities and social things under the NDIS.
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