I am a nurse. I used to work in a hospital. Now I go to peoples houses. I like it better.

When you are in a hospital you are a number. A chart. A set of problems to fix.. When I come to your home I see your life. Your dog. Your photos. Your favourite blanket. It is different. It is better.

So let me tell you about nursing care at home. What it is. Who needs it. How you get it. I will keep it simple.

What do home nurses do

People ask me this all the time. Do I just sit there? No. I do nursing work.

• I give medications. Pills. Injections. Through a tube.
• I change dressings. Big wounds. Small cuts. Pressure sores. Burns.
• I look after feeding tubes. Make sure they are not blocked.
• I do catheter care. Empty the bag. Check for infection.
• I help people who use ventilators. Suctioning. Checking the tube.
• I check blood pressure. Heart rate. Oxygen levels.
• I help with seizures. Give emergency medication if needed.
• I do care. Help someone who is dying. Manage their pain.

That is the stuff. Not just making tea and chatting. Though I do that too.

Who needs a nurse at home

You need a nurse if support workers cannot do what you need.

Support workers are great. They help with showering. Cooking. Cleaning.. They are not trained to do medical things. A nurse is.

• If you have a tracheostomy you need a nurse.
• If you have a feeding tube that blocks you need a nurse.
• If you have a wound that needs packing you need a nurse.

I have a client named Tom. He is thirty-five. Spinal cord injury. He needs catheter care twice a day. His mum lives with him. She is scared to do the catheter. So I go every morning and every night.

Another client is a girl named Mia. She has a condition. She uses a ventilator at night. Her parents were not sleeping. Now a nurse stays overnight. The parents sleep. Mia is safe.

How the NDIS pays for this

If you have an NDIS plan you can get nursing funded.. You have to ask for it.

The funding comes from your Core Supports budget. You need to write it in your plan for nursing.

• At your planning meeting tell them why you need a nurse.
• Bring a letter from your doctor. Bring a report from your hospital.

Once it is in your plan you can find a provider. Some nursing agencies are NDIS registered.

How to find a home nurse

This is important. A bad nurse can make your life worse.

• First check that they are registered with AHPRA.
• Second meet them before you agree to anything. See how they are. Do they listen?
• Third ask questions. How long have you done home care? What happens if you get sick?

If you do not like them ask for someone. You have that right.

What a normal visit looks like

Let me tell you about a morning with one of my clients. His name is John. He is in his fifties. He has MS.

• I get there at eight. I knock. He says come in. I wash my hands.
• I check his blood pressure and heart rate. All good.
• I help him sit up. I give him his morning pills.

That is it. Not dramatic. Steady.

Overnight nursing

Some people need a nurse at night.

• Maybe they have seizures. Maybe they need to be turned every two hours.
• Maybe they have breathing problems. Need someone to watch them.

Overnight nursing is expensive.. For some families it is worth every dollar.

Palliative care at home

This is the part of my job.. Also the most important.

When someone is dying most people want to be at home. Not in a hospital. Not in a hospice. Home.

• Palliative care nurses help with pain. With nausea. With breathing problems.
• We help with washing and changing. We talk to the family.

The NDIS funds care if the person is an NDIS participant.

Money

If you pay privately home nursing costs about sixty to one hundred and twenty dollars an hour.

If the NDIS pays they follow their price guide. For 2025 a registered nurse on a weekday is seventy to ninety dollars an hour.

Some private health insurance covers home nursing too.

How to start

First talk to your doctor. Tell them you want nursing at home. Ask for a letter.

Second call the NDIS if you have a plan. Tell them you need nursing funding.

Third look for providers. Search for home nursing agencies, near you. Call them. Ask if they have nurses

Fourth meet the nurse. See if you like them. If you do not ask for an one.

A story I think about a lot

I looked after a woman named Pat. She was eighty. She had a stroke. Could not move her side.

• We set up nursing. I went every morning to help Pat get washed and dressed.
• She lived six months. Then she got sick again. She died in that bed. At home.

Her daughter told me later that those six months were a gift.

One last thing

If you think you need nursing at home do not wait. Start now. Talk to your doctor. Call the NDIS.

It can take weeks to set up.. Once it is running it works. You can sleep. Your family can rest. You can stay home.

You deserve that. Everyone does.

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📍 Horizon Care Support — helping you access quality nursing care at home through the NDIS.