Expert NDIS Hospital Discharge Services
Care Assure arranges NDIS hospital discharge support across South Australia and Tasmania, including Medium Term Accommodation, urgent SIL placement, in-home care and equipment. Supports in place before discharge day, not after. NDIS registered provider.
NDIS Hospital Discharge Support in South Australia and Tasmania
Care Assure supports NDIS participants leaving hospital across South Australia and Tasmania. Being clinically ready to leave and having somewhere safe to go are two different things, and the gap between them is where participants lose weeks in a bed they no longer need.
We work alongside hospital discharge planners, NDIA health liaison officers, support coordinators and allied health teams to get accommodation, equipment and daily supports confirmed before discharge day rather than scrambled together afterwards. Because we deliver SIL, SDA, in-home care and nurse-governed clinical support ourselves, there is no handover between a housing provider, a care provider and a clinical provider. It is one organisation, one care plan and one point of contact, which removes the coordination gap where discharges most often stall.
What We Arrange Before Discharge
Our team arranges the full set of support a participant needs to leave the hospital safely. What applies to you depends on your NDIS plan and your housing situation, and we will tell you plainly which parts we can and cannot solve.
Medium Term Accommodation
Bridging accommodation for up to 90 days while your long-term home is confirmed.
Urgent SIL Placement
Fast-tracked placement into a staffed supported home where one is available.
SDA Placement
Purpose-built accessible housing for participants assessed as eligible for SDA.
In-Home Care Setup
Personal care, household support and meals arranged to begin the day you get home.
Overnight Support
Sleepover, active overnight or on-call monitoring arranged from the first night home.
Complex Care Handover
Clinical supports continued at home under a registered nurse care plan.
Equipment and Assistive Technology
Coordinating delivery and setup of equipment before you leave the hospital.
Home Modification Liaison
Working with occupational therapists on access changes to your home.
Allied Health Coordination
Liaising with physiotherapy, OT and speech pathology on your discharge plan.
Evidence and Documentation
Clinical documentation to support an urgent plan review or funding request.
Support Coordinator Liaison
Working with your coordinator and the NDIA planner throughout the process.
How NDIS Hospital Discharge Actually Works
Hospital discharge under the NDIS is a process with defined timeframes, not a favour anyone grants you. Knowing the timeframes is what lets you tell whether things are moving or stalling.
Once the NDIA is notified that a participant is in hospital, it commits to making contact within 4 days and to approving a plan to support discharge within 30 days. Eligibility for people not yet in the scheme is assessed as a priority, usually within seven to ten days. Health liaison officers work within the health system to facilitate information flow between the hospital and the NDIA.
Responsibilities are split. The hospital provides health information to support discharge planning. The NDIA funds disability supports and any assessments needed once you are home. There is an optional Discharge Assessment template that hospital staff can request through their health liaison officer, which sets out what the NDIA needs to approve the right supports.
If discharge is being delayed and you do not know why, ask which of those steps has not happened yet. A provider who cannot tell you where the process is stuck is not managing it.
How Hospital Discharge Support Is Funded
Hospital discharge is not a single-funded support. It draws on several parts of your NDIS plan at once, which is why coordination matters more here than in almost any other service.
Medium Term Accommodation (MTA)
Funded for up to 90 days, and extendable in limited circumstances, for participants who are clinically ready to leave but whose long-term home is not ready. Since the guidelines were updated, participants discharging from the hospital can access MTA if they are eligible for NDIS home and living supports.
Core Supports
Pays for the daily supports that make going home viable: personal care, household tasks, meals and overnight assistance. Clinical supports are funded under High Intensity Daily Personal Activities and require a registered nurse care plan.
One point participants routinely get wrong: MTA covers accommodation only. Personal care and daily living supports are funded separately from your Core Supports budget. If someone quotes you an MTA figure as all-inclusive, ask what it excludes.
Where Care Assure Supports Discharge
We arrange discharge supports across two states, and we would rather be plain about that than imply coverage we do not have.
- Into supported housing: Where a vacancy exists in a Care Assure SIL home or in Care Casa SDA housing, a participant can move in with staff already rostered and a registered nurse already writing the care plans. Housing and support are arranged together rather than chased separately.
- Into your own home: Personal care, household support, overnight assistance and clinical supports set up in your existing home, so you go back to your own place rather than somewhere temporary.
- Into Medium Term Accommodation: Where neither is ready, MTA bridges the gap for up to 90 days while the long-term arrangement is confirmed and the paperwork catches up.
Our teams work across metropolitan Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Mount Barker, Port Augusta and Whyalla, and across Greater Hobart and Launceston, including the hospitals in each of those regions.
Who Needs Hospital Discharge Support?
Hospital discharge support applies to NDIS participants, and to people who may be eligible but are not yet in the scheme. You may need this support if:
- You are medically ready to leave but have nowhere safe to go
- Your home is no longer suitable and needs modification before you return
- Your support needs have increased beyond what your current arrangement covers
- Purpose-built accessible housing through our partner, Care Casa for participants assessed as eligible for SDA.
- You need clinical support at home, such as catheter or wound care
- Your NDIS plan does not yet fund what discharge requires
- You are not an NDIS participant yet but may be eligible
- You have been in hospital longer than your treating team says is needed
If your plan does not fund what discharge requires, that is a plan review rather than a dead end. Our registered nurse can provide clinical documentation supporting an urgent request.
How to Arrange Discharge Support
Call (08) 7071 9276. The earlier in the admission we are involved, the more of the process we can influence.
We review your plan, your support needs and your housing situation, then set out what is realistically available.
We work with the hospital, your coordinator and the NDIA to confirm accommodation, equipment and supports.
Staff are trained on your needs before you arrive home, and support runs from the day you get there.
What NDIS Participants Say About Care Assure
Care Assure’s Supported Independent Living program has given me a newfound sense of independence. Their team is so supportive and accommodating, ensuring my needs are met every step of the way. I finally feel empowered to lead my life on my terms!
Why Choose Care Assure for Hospital Discharge?
Care Assure helps make hospital discharge more coordinated by bringing accommodation, personal care and clinical support together through one organisation. We focus on practical planning, clear communication and getting the right supports in place before discharge.
- We Deliver the Supports Ourselves: Accommodation, personal care and clinical support come from one organisation. Most discharge coordinators are assembling three providers and hoping the dates line up.
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- Registered Nurse Governance: Where clinical supports continue at home, our registered nurse writes the care plan and assesses worker competency before discharge, not in the week after.
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- Real placements, not referrals: We operate SIL homes across both states and work directly with Care Casa on SDA vacancies, so a placement is a conversation between two partners rather than a referral into someone else's waiting list.
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- We Tell You Where It Is Stuck: Discharge delays usually trace to one missing step. We will tell you which one, even when it is not ours to fix.
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- Documentation Support: Our registered nurse can supply clinical documentation for an urgent plan review, which is often the real bottleneck.
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- Regional Coverage: We support discharges from regional hospitals in Mount Gambier, Port Augusta and Whyalla, not just the metropolitan ones.
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- NDIS Registered Since 2019: Champion Awards 2025 Winner, Citizen of the Year 2025 and Governor's Multicultural Awards 2022.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is NDIS hospital discharge support?
It is the coordination and delivery of everything a participant needs to leave the hospital safely: accommodation, personal care, equipment, home modifications and ongoing clinical supports. Responsibilities are split between two systems. The NDIA funds disability supports and any necessary assessments once you are home, while the hospital is responsible for providing the health information needed for discharge planning. Most delays happen at the join between the two.
- How long does NDIS hospital discharge take?
Once the NDIA is notified that a participant is in hospital, it commits to contacting them within four days and approving a plan supporting discharge within 30 days. People not yet in the scheme usually have their eligibility assessed within 7 to 10 days. Delays beyond that generally trace to a specific missing step.
- What is Medium Term Accommodation?
MTA is NDIS-funded bridging accommodation for participants who are clinically ready to leave the hospital but whose long-term home is not ready. It is funded for up to 90 days and can be extended in limited circumstances. Participants discharging from the hospital can access it if they are eligible for NDIS home and living supports.
- Does MTA cover personal care?
No, and this is the most common misunderstanding. MTA covers accommodation costs only. Personal care, household support and daily living assistance are funded separately from your Core Supports budget. Ask any provider quoting you an MTA figure what it excludes.
- What is the difference between MTA and SIL?
MTA is temporary accommodation for up to 90 days while a permanent arrangement is confirmed. SIL is the ongoing daily support delivered in a supported home. They are funded separately and often run together, with SIL support delivered inside an MTA placement.
- What is a health liaison officer?
A health liaison officer is an NDIA staff member who works directly with hospital staff to move information between the hospital and the NDIA. Hospital staff can request the NDIA's optional Discharge Assessment template through the HLO connected to their hospital.
- Can Care Assure help if I am not an NDIS participant yet?
Yes. If your situation suggests you may be eligible, we can point you to the right pathway, and our registered nurse can provide clinical documentation supporting an access request. Eligibility for people who are in hospital is assessed as a priority, usually within seven to ten days, so being in hospital does not mean waiting in the standard queue. Start the conversation early rather than close to discharge.
- What if my plan does not fund what I need to go home?
That is a plan review, not a dead end. Your support coordinator or the NDIA planner can request one, and Care Assure's registered nurse can provide clinical documentation supporting it. Start this before discharge is imminent, not after.
