27 May 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Guidance from the Australian Government Department of Health

The Australian Government Department of Health has published resources to assist NDIS participants, their families, support workers and carers, health professionals, and home care providers who support people with disability.

Key points

• The Australian Government Department of Health has created a webpage with COVID-19 advice for people with disability.
• They have also developed ten new fact sheets to assist families of people with disability, support workers and carers, health professionals and home care providers.
• We encourage you to read and share the relevant resources with the NDIS participants you support, their families and your workers. 

Australian Government Department of Health resources

Information for people with disability

In our provider alert on 7 May 2020, we linked to the Australian Government Department of Health’s webpage called COVID-19 advice for people with disability. This webpage explains how people with disability can protect themselves from COVID-19, including through good hygiene, physical distancing, avoiding public gatherings, isolating if they are sick, and finding safe and alternative ways to get the services they need.

The Department of Health has now issued ten new fact sheets to assist families of people with disability, as well as support workers and carers, health professionals and home care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Families of a person with intellectual or developmental disability

• Information for families: information to support families of a person with intellectual or developmental disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support workers and carers

• Information for disability support providers and workers: guidance to assist people with intellectual or developmental disability to access health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Guide to personal protective equipment (PPE) for disability care providers: guidance on using PPE to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• Information for support workers and carers on coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for people with disability: covers who should be tested, where testing can be done, and how to explain the testing process to a person with disability.

Health professionals

• Information for health workers in emergency departments: for health workers in emergency departments who provide health care to people with intellectual or developmental disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Information for health workers in hospitals: for health workers in hospitals who provide health care to people with intellectual or developmental disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Information for health workers: for health workers providing care to people with intellectual or developmental disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Information for health and mental health workers: for health and mental health workers providing care to people with intellectual or developmental disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Information for primary health care staff: for primary health care staff and services, including general practitioners (GPs), providing care to people with intellectual or developmental disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Home care providers

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) guide for home care providers: guidance on staying safe from COVID-19 for providers of aged care and disability services who offer home care and support services to people living at home.

The fact sheets are available on the Department of Health’s COVID-19 advice for people with disability webpage.

We also link to them from our COVID-19 information webpage, and our COVID-19 information for people with disability webpage.

Contact Us

• Call: 1800 035 544 (free call from landlines). Our contact centre is open 9.00am to 4.30pm in the NT, 9.00am to 5.00pm in the ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, TAS and VIC Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
• Email: contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au
• Website: www.ndiscommission.gov.au

Links to previous COVID-19 provider alerts 

• 13 May 2020: Guidance on preventing, preparing for and dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak
• 7 May 2020: Advice for people with disability
• 30 April 2020: Changes to student visa work conditions for workers of registered NDIS providers
• 28 April 2020: FAQs for all stakeholders and information for NDIS participants
• 20 April 2020: Management and Operational Plan for People with Disability
• 9 April 2020: Further assistance for organisations, people and households
• 9 April 2020: April 2020 Provider Newsletter (COVID-19)
• 3 April 2020: Adjusting supports and reducing infection risk
• 2 April 2020:  Practice Alert: Influenza (flu) vaccine from mid-April 2020
• 31 March 2020: Supporting providers to respond
• 26 March 2020: Assistance for organisations
• 24 March 2020: Information for support workers and access to PPE
• 19 March 2020: Business continuity planning
• 17 March 2020: Online training module for support workers
• 9 March 2020: Provider obligations and COVID-19 health information
• 7 February 2020: Information about the novel coronavirus outbreak