NDIS can help you smash your health and fitness goals

We all know that health and fitness is important for us to live happy and healthy lives, but how does all that work if it’s one of your NDIS goals?

This month we’re looking at how our two participants, Milly and Bob, used their NDIS funding to ace their health and fitness goals.

Remember, your goals and funding might be very different to Bob and Milly’s, because your NDIS goals and plan will be based on what is important to YOU.

But, have a read, and you might get some ideas!

Meet Milly – at the beginning of her plan

HI, I’m Milly and I’m 19. I live at home with my Mum Rose and my two younger brothers Jake and Scott, but I’ll be moving out this year. I like being active but I don’t do much at the moment and I’m not so keen on gyms. I love animals and I like to make up dance routines with my friends!!

Milly’s goal was: “I’d like improve my health and fitness in ways that are enjoyable to me.”

These are the steps Milly took to achieve her goal:

• Milly knew she wanted to try some new health and fitness activities but wasn’t sure what. She spoke with her support coordinator to discuss the options. She’s not a big fan of gyms much as she finds them boring. Her support coordinator asked her whether she had thought about swimming as an option. Milly liked the idea.
  What you could use from your plan:Support category > Coordination of supports, Support item > Coordination of supports
• Milly lives quite close to the pool and she can already swim, so she was able to go with her favourite support worker, Jodie. Milly and Jodie challenged each other in the pool to see who was the fastest. Milly enjoyed beating Jodie!
  What you could use from your plan: Support Category > Assistance with social and community participation, Support Item > Access Community, Social And Rec Activities-Ratio 1:1- Standard- Weekday Daytime
• While they were at the pool, Milly noticed a group in the smaller pool doing an exercise class. Milly thought it looked fun. A bit like dancing in the water! On their way out, Jodie and Milly asked about the class called aquarobics, and they decided they would try it together next weekend. (Usually the NDIS will usually fund a support worker, but not the cost of the class or swim).
  What you could use from your plan:Support Category > Assistance with social and community participation, Support Item > Access Community, Social And Rec Activities-Ratio 1:1- Standard- Weekends Daytime
• Milly has been seeing a psychologist to help her with her anxiety with managing change. Milly’s psychologist knows Milly loves animals and has always wanted to work with them eventually. She suggests Milly gives equine therapy (with horses) a go to help with her anxiety. This also has the added bonus of getting some exercise while riding the horses. Milly is really excited (and a bit scared!!) to give it a try.
  What you could use from your plan:Support category > Improved daily living skils, Support item > Individual counselling.
• Milly’s support coordinator finds her a place at a riding centre for people with a disability one night during the week. Milly asks her Mum whether she’ll go along with her as she’s feeling a bit nervous. When Milly gets there she meets her therapist who will be working with her, Steve and her horse, Boo, who is so cute! Milly feels at ease super quickly and soon forgets her nerves.
  What you could use from your plan:Support Category > Improved Daily Living Skills, Support Item > Individual Assessment, Therapy And/Or Training (Includes Assistive Technology)
• Milly attends a Learning and Lifestyle hub two days a week. The manager of the hub knows of Milly’s goals and talks to Milly about how they can support her to achieve them. They agree that they will hold some healthy eating sessions at the L&L to talk about what types are best for health and how to prepare some of them. This will help Milly to keep up the good work on the home front too.
  What you could use from your plan:Support category > Assistance with community participation, Support item > Group Based Activities in a Centre – Ratio – Weekday Daytime
  You could also use:Support category > Improved health and wellbeing, Support item > Dietician Group Session – Group of 3. (note that you can only claim this category if a Dietician is providing the service.
• They also talk about dancing, another passion of Milly’s after animals! A few of Milly’s friends at the L&L are really into dancing too. They like the moves they see on Beyonce and Lady GaGa’s videos. The hub manager agrees it would be great idea to have a dance session every week at the L&L for anyone who wants to give it a go. Milly says she would be happy to help out with teaching others the dance moves.
  What you could use from your plan:Support category > Assistance with community participation, Support item > Group Based Activities in a Centre – Ratio – Weekday Daytime
• Six months into her plan, Milly is still going to aquarobics every second week. Milly has enjoyed helping to teach her friends at the L&L new dance routines and they now practice at her place every other weekend. She likes to make some of the healthy snacks she learnt at the L&L for her friends, so they’ve got bundles of energy for their moves! They’re hoping with enough practice they’ll soon be able to enter a local dance competition.
• The horse therapy has really helped Milly with her anxiety. Spending time with Boo every week makes Milly very happy and she only has to think about Boo to calm herself when she’s feeling stressed. She loves grooming Boo and brushing her coat. Riding Boo has also helped her fitness and made her even more determined to work with animals one day, hopefully horses!

Meet Bob – at the beginning of his plan

Hello, I’m Bob. I work at Endeavour Industries and I’m 45. I live with my Mum and Dad but I’m moving out this year. I don’t really do any exercise, and I could do with losing some weight – I like sweet things too much!

Bob’s goal was: “I’d like to lose weight and get fit so I can have more energy”.

These are the steps Bob took to achieve his goal:

• Bob has struggled with his weight for some time now. He knows he should eat more healthily but he loves sweets and junk food too much! Sometimes he finds it difficult to stop when he starts! He finds it a bit tricky to know which foods he should be eating to have a balanced diet. Bob speaks with his support coordinator about his options to improve his health and fitness.
  What you could use from your plan:Support category > Coordination of supports, Support item > Coordination of supports
• Firstly, the support coordinator connects Bob with a dietitian. They discuss what Bob’s current diet is like and what his goals are. Together they decide that it’s time to try a wider variety of foods so he can get all the good stuff his body needs. The dietitian works with Bob to prepare a realistic meal plan for him, so he can still have treats now and then.
  What you could use from your plan:Support category > Improved health and wellbeing, Support item > Dietician Consultation and Diet Plan Development
• Bob is be able to work with his support worker to learn to make some of the new recipes the dietitian has included in his meal plan. He’s learning how to make new things. His favourites are spaghetti Bolognese and Greek salad – and healthy treats like coconut protein balls.
  What you could use from your plan: Support category > Assistance with daily life (includes Supported Independent Living), Support item > Assistance with self-care activities
• Bob knows he needs to increase his exercise, but he has problems finding runners that fit him due to some ankle problems (ankle foot orthotics) and he needs special ones. His support coordinator books him in to see an orthotist who will assess his feet and find him a cool pair of runners to work out in!
  What you could use from your plan:For the orthotist: Support category > Improved daily living skills, Support item > Selection and/or manufacturing of customised or wearable technology.For the runners: Support category > Assistive technology, Support item > Ankle-Foot Orthoses Prefabricated – Regular, Large and Extra Large.
• Bob’s support coordinator has also connected him with an exercise physiologist who will talk to Bob about what he wants to achieve with his fitness and how this will fit in with his lifestyle. Bob is keen to join a gym as he wants to try weightlifting and get stronger muscles. Bob’s physiologist works out a plan with him as to the types of exercises he should do, the amount he should do and on which machines.
  What you could use from your plan:Support category > Improved health and wellbeing, Support item > Exercise physiology individual advice to a participant regarding exercise required due to the impact of their disability.
• Bob joins a local gym where he can go after work a few nights a week with his support worker. He needs a personal trainer to make sure he is doing the exercise plan his physiologist gave him right. Lifting weights can hurt your body if not done properly. Bob’s personal trainer helps him with his technique and gives him encouragement to keep going when it gets hard. (note: it’s often unlikely the NDIS will pay for gym membership though it may pay for a personal trainer).
  What you could use from your plan:For the support worker: Support category > Assistance with community participation, Support item > Group Based Activities In A Centre – Ratio – Weekday Daytime.For the personal trainer: Support category > Improved health and wellbeing, Support item > Personal training
• Six months later Bob’s health and fitness has improved and he’s managed to drop some weight. His diet is healthier and with a wider variety of foods, but he does still enjoy a few too many treats! He’s kept up his gym routine, going a few times a week and it’s been really helpful in managing stress. He’s pretty proud of his muscles these days too – and loves showing them to his mates at work!