Functional Capacity and Informal Supports
The Hidden Impact of Informal Care: Why Carer Capacity Matters in NDIS Assessments
Behind many people living with disability is a network of family members, partners, friends and other informal supporters who provide assistance every day.
Behind many people living with disability is a network of family members, partners, friends and other informal supporters who provide assistance every day.
This support can be essential to maintaining independence, safety and community participation.
However, informal assistance is not unlimited.
Understanding the capacity and sustainability of informal support arrangements is an important part of comprehensive disability assessment.
What Are Informal Supports?
Informal supports are unpaid forms of assistance provided by people within a participant’s personal network.
They may include help with:
In some circumstances, informal supporters provide assistance that would otherwise require substantial formal services.
- Showering, dressing and personal care.
- Preparing meals.
- Cleaning and household tasks.
- Transport and appointments.
- Communication and decision-making.
- Managing daily routines.
- Overnight assistance.
- Emotional and practical support.
Why Carer Capacity Matters
A participant may appear to be managing their daily activities successfully because another person is completing essential tasks on their behalf.
For example, a participant may attend appointments regularly because their partner organises bookings, manages transport and provides reminders.
Similarly, a participant may live in a clean and organised home because a family member completes the majority of domestic responsibilities.
Without examining who is providing this assistance, an assessment may underestimate the participant’s actual support needs.
The Impact of Carer Fatigue
Providing ongoing assistance can place considerable physical, emotional and practical demands on informal supporters.
Carers may experience fatigue, disrupted sleep, reduced employment opportunities, physical strain or difficulties maintaining their own health and wellbeing.
These pressures can become particularly significant where the participant requires frequent assistance, overnight support or complex physical care.
Carer fatigue does not mean a family member is unwilling to provide support.
It highlights the importance of ensuring that assistance arrangements remain safe and sustainable.
What Happens When Informal Supports Are No Longer Available?
Informal support arrangements may change unexpectedly.
A partner may become unwell, an ageing parent may experience reduced physical capacity, or family circumstances may alter the amount of assistance available.
When a participant depends heavily on one person, the absence of that support can create significant risks.
These may include missed personal care, reduced access to meals, difficulties attending appointments or an inability to maintain a safe living environment.
How Occupational Therapists Assess Informal Support Needs
An occupational therapist considers both the participant’s functional limitations and the assistance currently being provided.
This may involve examining:
Where relevant, assessment may also consider the perspectives of informal supporters, with appropriate consent.
- Which tasks require help.
- Who provides that assistance.
- How often support is required.
- The physical and cognitive demands involved.
- Whether the arrangement is sustainable.
- What would happen if the assistance became unavailable.
- Whether formal support could appropriately address identified needs.
Why Functional Capacity and Carer Capacity Must Be Considered Together
A participant’s level of independence should not be measured solely by whether a task is being completed.
It is equally important to understand how the task is being completed and whether another person is providing substantial assistance.
This distinction helps identify the participant’s actual disability-related needs.
It can also support recommendations that reduce inappropriate reliance on informal carers while maintaining the participant’s independence and choice.
Supporting Sustainable Care Arrangements
Today & Tomorrow Allied Health Services considers informal support arrangements as part of comprehensive occupational therapy Functional Capacity Assessments.
Our assessments examine the participant’s daily living needs, existing assistance, environmental circumstances and the sustainability of current arrangements.
Concerned that current informal support arrangements are no longer sustainable?
Contact Today & Tomorrow Allied Health Services to discuss an occupational therapy assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the NDIS consider help provided by family members?
Yes. The NDIA considers available informal supports and what assistance it is reasonable to expect from them when making relevant funding decisions.
Can carer fatigue be included in an FCA?
Yes. Relevant information about informal support capacity and sustainability can help explain the participant’s support arrangements.
Does carer burnout automatically result in more NDIS funding?
No. Funding decisions depend on the participant’s eligible disability-related support needs and the applicable criteria.
Official sources
This article provides general information only. NDIS rules and individual circumstances can change; check current official guidance or seek advice about your situation.