What are complex care supports?

Complex care is provided to people who may require a high level of support due to health conditions or the complexity of their personal situation.

You may need complex care supports due to disability or chronic conditions, or due to a change in your life, such as returning home after a long hospitalisation or after living in residential aged care.

In 2018, when the Australian government rolled out the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Complex Support Needs Pathway, the government also identified factors including involuntary or voluntary involvement with particular government systems, such as justice or mental health. This would include individuals with mental health challenges and those experiencing homelessness.

The word enteral means passing through the intestine. Enteral feeding supports are specialised feeding requirements. This includes percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy or PEG feeding, wherein the feeding tube goes through your skin straight into your stomach. You may need PEG if you have dysphagia, a condition that causes difficulty in chewing or swallowing.

A feeding tube can also go through your nose into your stomach. This tube is called a nasogastric tube or NGT.

A qualified healthcare professional must train your support workers on the proper use of feeding equipment and delivery. This is to ensure the participant has a safe and comfortable mealtime experience.

If you have limited mobility, you may need someone to transfer you from the bed to the wheelchair. You may also need support while you shower or use the toilet. Two support workers may be required to assist with transfers.  

A scene from a free manual handling training session at the Leora headquarters.

While bowel care is a routine part of support work, you may require a specialist level of support in certain cases. Participants who are at risk of severe constipation or faecal incontinence would need complex bowel care. This may apply to participants with conditions causing muscle or nerve damage such as spinal injury, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, stroke or autism.

You may need someone to regularly observe your bowel habits and administer laxatives, enemas or suppositories when required.

Ventilator management is a critical aspect of complex care. It provides high-intensity support for individuals who require mechanical ventilation due to chronic respiratory conditions, neuromuscular disorders or post-surgical recovery. Managing a ventilator involves continuous monitoring, airway management and emergency response preparedness to ensure safe and effective breathing support.

As part of complex care, ventilator management requires skilled professionals who can adjust ventilator settings, prevent complications and respond quickly to changes in a patient’s condition.

If you have multiple sclerosis or spinal injury, you may need to wear a catheter. You need someone to insert the catheter and remove and replace the collection bags. A qualified health professional will provide training and oversight to minimise discomfort and risk of infection.

Subcutaneous injections often required for individuals receiving ongoing medication, pain management or insulin therapy. These injections must be administered with precision to ensure proper absorption and minimise discomfort.

In a complex care setting, qualified health professionals manage dosing schedules, monitor for adverse reactions and educate individuals and carers on safe self-administration where possible.

If you have a tracheostomy, you’ll have a support plan for ventilator management developed and managed by a qualified healthcare professional. Your support workers should also have knowledge of ventilation, first aid and CPR. Replacing the tracheostomy dressing is a complex procedure, which usually requires two workers to be present to ensure your safety.

Severe dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, requires specialist intervention as part of complex care to prevent aspiration, malnutrition and respiratory complications. Complex care teams work with speech pathologists, dietitians and healthcare providers to develop safe eating and drinking strategies, texture-modified diets and feeding tube support when necessary.

Given its high-intensity support requirements, dysphagia management also involves regular assessments, personalised therapy and ongoing monitoring to ensure safety and quality of life.

You may need help dressing your wounds or your support workers may need to regularly move you to avoid developing pressure sores. A qualified health professional should train your support workers about various aspects of your wound care. This includes teaching them the types of wounds, the risk factors for pressure injuries and the common consumables (e.g. dressings) used in complex wound management.

Leora is experienced in providing high intensity supports for NDIS participants or icare clients with complex care needs. 

Reach out to us for a chat by calling 1300 65 11 33 or by filling out our form.