Choosing an NDIS provider is about more than filling a roster. The people who come through your door will help with personal care, get you out into the community and notice when something isn’t right. In Townsville and across North Queensland there are plenty of providers to choose from, so it pays to ask the right questions before you sign a service agreement.

Here are 10 questions we’d encourage any participant, family member or support coordinator to ask.

1. Can you work with how my plan is managed?

Your plan can be self-managed, plan-managed or NDIA-managed, and this affects which providers you can use. Self-managed and plan-managed participants can choose registered or unregistered providers. NDIA-managed participants can only use registered providers. Ask the provider straight up whether they can work with your plan, and if not, whether they have a partner arrangement. Read our guide to plan management.

2. Who will actually be supporting me?

Some organisations employ their own staff. Others subcontract shifts to agencies or sole traders. Ask who will turn up, whether they’re employed by the provider, and how they were screened. Every worker in a risk-assessed role should hold a current NDIS Worker Screening Check.

3. Will I see the same faces?

Consistency matters. Seeing the same support workers builds trust, reduces anxiety and means you don’t have to explain your routines every week. Ask how the provider builds a small, consistent team around each person and what happens when a regular worker is on leave.

4. What happens if my health needs change?

Needs can change quickly after a hospital stay, an illness or a change in medication. Ask whether the provider has registered nurses in the organisation, how support workers escalate concerns, and whether they can deliver higher-intensity supports such as wound care, catheter care or PEG feeding if you need them later.

5. How quickly do you respond to referrals?

If you’re waiting on support, days matter. Ask how long it takes to acknowledge a referral and how long until the first assessment or meeting.

6. Do you service my area?

Many providers say they cover "North Queensland" but have few staff outside Townsville. If you live in the Burdekin, Charters Towers, Ingham, Bowen or on Magnetic Island, ask whether they have workers based nearby and how they manage travel.

7. How will you keep my support coordinator in the loop?

Good communication saves everyone time. Ask how often you, your family and your support coordinator will hear from the provider, and who your main contact will be.

8. What is your cancellation policy?

Cancellation rules affect your budget. Ask how much notice you need to give, what fees apply for short-notice cancellations, and what happens if the provider cancels on you.

9. How do I make a complaint?

Every provider should have a clear, simple complaints process and should tell you about your right to contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. A provider who welcomes feedback is usually one who takes quality seriously.

10. How will you help me work towards my goals?

Supports should be built around your goals, not just a list of tasks. Ask how the provider plans supports with you, how they track progress and how often they review your plan together.

How we answer these questions

At Transformative Nursing & Support Services we’re a local, family-owned, nurse-led team based in Townsville. We support self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants, and NDIA-managed participants through our partner. We employ our own support workers and never subcontract your care. Registered nurses lead every plan, and every referral is acknowledged within 24 hours.

If you’d like to talk through your options, contact our team or make a referral.

When you receive your NDIS plan, your funding will be managed in one of three ways, or a mix of them. The option you choose makes a real difference to how much paperwork you do, how your providers are paid and, importantly, which providers you can use.

Here’s a plain-English guide.

NDIA-managed (agency-managed)

The NDIA manages your funding and pays your providers directly.

• Paperwork: very little for you.
• Providers: you can only use registered NDIS providers.
• Best for: people who want the NDIA to handle payments and are happy to choose from registered providers only.

Plan-managed

A plan manager, funded through your plan, pays your providers’ invoices and helps you keep track of your budget.

• Paperwork: your plan manager handles invoices and claims.
• Providers: you can use registered and unregistered providers.
• Best for: people who want more choice of providers without doing the bookkeeping themselves.

If you’d like a plan manager, you can ask for plan management to be included in your plan. It doesn’t come out of your support budget.

Self-managed

You, or your nominee, manage the funding yourself. You pay providers and claim the money back from the NDIA through the myplace portal.

• Paperwork: the most, including keeping receipts and records.
• Providers: you can use registered and unregistered providers.
• Best for: people who want the most flexibility and are comfortable managing payments.

Registered vs unregistered providers: does it matter?

Registered providers have been through an NDIS registration and audit process. Unregistered providers haven’t, but they must still follow the NDIS Code of Conduct, and their workers in risk-assessed roles still need an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Participants also have the same right to complain to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission about any provider, registered or not.

What matters most is the quality and safety of the support you receive. Ask any provider about their staff screening, training, clinical oversight and complaints process, whatever their registration status.

Can I change how my plan is managed?

Yes. If your current arrangement isn’t working, talk to your support coordinator, LAC or the NDIA about changing it. Many people move from NDIA-managed to plan-managed to get more choice of providers.

How we work

Transformative Nursing & Support Services is a non-registered NDIS provider. We work directly with self-managed and plan-managed participants. If your plan is NDIA-managed, we can still support you through our partner, Boutique Caring. Our services follow the NDIS Code of Conduct, and we deliver supports at NDIS price guide rates.

Not sure which option suits you? Talk to our team and we’ll help you work it out.

This article is general information only. Check the NDIS website or speak with the NDIA for advice about your own plan.

The Australian Government’s Support at Home program helps older Australians stay safe and independent in their own homes. Before you can access it, you need an aged care assessment arranged through My Aged Care. That assessment shapes your classification level and the supports you can receive, so it’s worth being prepared.

Here’s a practical checklist to help you and your family get ready.

Step 1: Register with My Aged Care

You, a family member or your GP can start the process by calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or applying online. You’ll be asked some questions over the phone, and an assessor will then arrange a time to meet you, usually in your home.

Step 2: Gather your information

Have these ready before the assessment:

• Your Medicare card and any DVA or pension cards
• A list of your medications, including doses (or the medications themselves)
• Your GP’s name and contact details, and any specialists you see
• A list of your health conditions and any recent hospital stays
• Details of any current help you receive, from family, neighbours or services

Step 3: Think about what’s hard day to day

Assessors need to understand your real life, not just your best day. Think about:

• Personal care: showering, dressing, toileting
• Around the home: cleaning, laundry, cooking, gardening
• Getting out: shopping, appointments, social activities, driving
• Health: managing medications, wounds, continence, falls
• Memory and mood: forgetting things, feeling lonely or low

Write examples down. "I haven’t been able to get into the shower safely since my fall in March" is much more helpful than "I’m managing".

Step 4: Know your goals

What would make the biggest difference to your life? Staying in your home, getting back to the bowls club, feeling confident in the shower again? Telling the assessor what matters to you helps them recommend the right supports.

Step 5: Have someone with you

It helps to have a family member, friend or advocate at the assessment. They can remember details, take notes and speak up if you tend to downplay things. Free, independent advocacy is available through the Older Persons Advocacy Network on 1800 700 600.

After the assessment

Once you’re approved and assigned a classification level, you can choose your provider. Services Australia will work out any contribution you need to make based on your income and assets. Clinical supports, such as nursing care, do not attract a contribution.

Some short-term pathways are also available, such as the Restorative Care Pathway to help you regain function after illness or decline.

How we can help

Transformative Nursing & Support Services is a local, family-owned, nurse-led Support at Home provider in Townsville and a Co-Care Partner with PlanCare. We never subcontract, so the person you meet is the person who supports you. Registered nurses are part of the same team if your needs change.

Already assessed? Explore Support at Home or contact our team. We acknowledge every referral within 24 hours.

Summer in Townsville and North Queensland means long stretches of heat and high humidity. For most of us it’s uncomfortable. For older people, people living with disability and anyone with a chronic health condition, it can be dangerous.

Our nurses see the effects of heat every summer. Here’s how to stay safe, and how to look out for the people you care about.

Who is most at risk?

• People over 65
• People living with disability, particularly those who can’t easily regulate their body temperature or communicate that they’re unwell
• People with heart, kidney or lung conditions, diabetes or dementia
• People taking certain medications, such as some blood pressure tablets, diuretics ("fluid tablets") and some mental health medications
• People who live alone

Before the hot weather arrives

• Talk to your GP or pharmacist about whether any of your medications affect how your body copes with heat, and how much fluid you should be drinking, especially if you’re on a fluid restriction.
• Check your fans and air conditioner are working, and clean the filters.
• Plan a cool place to go on very hot days, such as a library or shopping centre, if your home gets too hot.
• Organise a buddy who will check on you, or check on someone else, during hot spells.

On hot days

• Drink water regularly, even if you don’t feel thirsty, unless your doctor has told you otherwise. Limit alcohol and sugary drinks.
• Stay indoors during the hottest part of the day, and keep blinds and curtains closed against the sun.
• Use fans and air conditioning. A cool shower or a damp cloth on the back of your neck can help.
• Wear light, loose clothing and a broad-brimmed hat if you have to go out.
• Eat light meals and keep food stored safely in the fridge.

Know the warning signs

Heat exhaustion can include heavy sweating, pale and clammy skin, dizziness, headache, nausea, muscle cramps and tiredness. Move to a cool place, lie down, sip water and use cool, wet cloths. If symptoms don’t improve, get medical help.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Signs include confusion, slurred speech, hot and dry skin, fainting or seizures. Call 000 immediately and start cooling the person while you wait.

How support workers and nurses can help

During hot spells our team keeps an extra eye on the people we support. That includes checking fluid intake, looking for early signs of heat stress, making sure homes are cool and medications are stored correctly, and escalating to a registered nurse when something isn’t right.

If you’re worried about a family member coping at home this summer, talk to our team about how we can help.

This article is general information only and isn’t a substitute for advice from your own doctor. In an emergency, call 000.

Falls are one of the most common reasons older Australians end up in hospital, and a fall can knock someone’s confidence long after any injury has healed. The good news is that many falls can be prevented with a few practical changes.

Here’s what our registered nurses look for when they visit someone at home.

Make the home safer

• Clear the floors. Remove clutter, loose cords and rugs that slide or curl at the edges.
• Light the way. Use bright globes, keep a lamp within reach of the bed, and add night lights between the bedroom and the bathroom.
• Grab rails and non-slip mats. Rails beside the toilet and in the shower, and non-slip mats in wet areas, make a big difference.
• Keep everyday items within reach so you’re not climbing on chairs or step ladders.
• Check steps and paths outside for uneven surfaces, moss or poor lighting.

Look after your body

• Stay active. Strength and balance exercises are one of the most effective ways to prevent falls. A physiotherapist can recommend exercises that suit you.
• Stand up slowly, especially after lying down or sitting for a while, to avoid feeling dizzy.
• Wear safe footwear: well-fitting shoes with a firm sole. Avoid walking in socks or loose slippers.
• Get your eyes checked regularly and keep your glasses clean.
• Look after your feet. Painful feet affect balance. A podiatrist can help.

Review your medications

Some medications can cause dizziness, drowsiness or low blood pressure, especially when several are taken together. Ask your GP or pharmacist for a medication review, particularly if you’re taking four or more medicines or have recently started something new.

Plan for what to do if you fall

• Consider a personal alarm or keep your phone with you, especially if you live alone.
• If you do fall, don’t rush to get up. Check yourself for injury, then roll onto your side and use a sturdy piece of furniture to help you up slowly. If you’re hurt or can’t get up, call for help.
• Tell your GP about any fall, even if you weren’t injured. A fall can be an early sign of another health problem.

How nurse-led support helps

Our registered nurses can complete a falls risk check during a home visit, help with medication management, manage wounds after a fall, and work with your GP and physiotherapist on a plan to keep you safe. Our support workers help with everyday tasks so you’re not over-reaching or rushing.

If you or a family member has had a fall, or is worried about having one, talk to our team or request a call back.

This article is general information only and isn’t a substitute for advice from your own doctor.

We often say we’re "nurse-led" — but what does that actually look like day to day?

Clinical leadership at the centre

Our founder and Managing Director, Sean Burnett, is a Clinical Nurse Consultant and Nurse Practitioner Candidate with a background across Intensive Care, Emergency and Neurosurgery. That clinical foundation shapes how we support clients with complex health needs at home — safely, responsively and with genuine clinical judgement.

Our Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) and DVA Coordinator, Nicola Peirce, brings advanced wound-care and rehabilitation expertise, with a passion for supporting older adults and veterans through calm, knowledgeable clinical planning.

Care is more than clinical

Great care isn’t only clinical. Melissa Bullen, our Support at Home Coordinator, guides families through onboarding and service coordination — keeping everything organised, clear and compliant so the clinical team can focus on care.

Caitlan Burnett, our NDIS Coordinator, brings experience and enthusiasm to the team, with a wealth of knowledge from two years working in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and allied health.

What this means for you

When you choose a nurse-led provider, you’re choosing:

• Clinical oversight on every plan
• Consistent, familiar faces — we employ our own team
• A local team that knows Townsville and North Queensland
• Clear communication with your wider healthcare team

We’re proud to be a local, family-owned team delivering genuinely nurse-led community care across the region.

Most NDIS participants receive supports from support workers — and that’s exactly right for many people. But for participants with complex medical needs, high-intensity nursing supports are essential, and not every provider is equipped to deliver them safely.

What are high-intensity NDIS supports?

High-intensity supports are clinical tasks that require nursing skills and clinical judgement, including:

• Complex wound and dressing management
• Medication administration and management
• PEG feeding and stoma care
• Catheter and continence care
• Ventilation and airway support
• Seizure management and clinical monitoring
• Behavioural support integrated with clinical care

These supports are funded under specific NDIS line items and require workers with additional training — or, ideally, registered nurses.

Why nurse-led matters here

When a participant needs high-intensity supports, the difference between a provider that can and one that does it well is clinical leadership. A nurse-led provider means:

• Registered nurses are involved in assessment and oversight
• Clinical judgement is available when a participant’s condition changes
• Care plans are clinically sound, not just task-based
• Families have a clinical point of contact for questions and concerns

Questions to ask a provider

• Do you employ registered nurses, or only support workers?
• Who provides clinical oversight of high-intensity supports?
• What happens if a participant’s condition changes between visits?
• How do you communicate with our GP and specialists?

At Transformative Nursing & Support Services, high-intensity supports are delivered with nurse-led oversight — so participants with complex needs get clinical depth, not just a roster fill.

Most older Australians want to keep living in their own home, in their own community, for as long as it’s safe to do so. The Australian Government’s Support at Home program is designed to make that possible.

What is Support at Home?

Support at Home is the aged care program that funds in-home support for eligible older Australians. It can include:

• Personal care — showering, dressing, grooming
• Domestic assistance — cleaning, laundry, meal preparation
• Clinical nursing — wound care, medication support, chronic disease monitoring
• Allied health — physiotherapy and other allied health input
• Social support — staying connected to community and activities

How access works

Entry to government-funded aged care starts with an assessment through the My Aged Care gateway. An assessor works with the older person (and their family) to understand their needs and goals, and a support plan is built around them.

Important: Transformative Nursing & Support Services is a community nursing and support provider. We don’t operate or administer the Support at Home program. We deliver the supports that are commissioned or referred to us under it.

Choosing a provider

Once a support plan is approved, families can choose who delivers the care. Things worth asking about:

• Is the provider nurse-led? (clinical oversight matters as health needs change)
• Do they subcontract, or employ their own workers? (continuity matters)
• Are they local? (local providers know the community and can respond quickly)
• How quickly do they acknowledge new referrals?

If you’re supporting an older family member in Townsville or North Queensland and want to understand your options, our team is happy to talk it through — with no obligation.

Australian veterans have earned care that is respectful, clinically sound and delivered with dignity. Through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Home Care Program, eligible veterans, war widows and widowers, and dependants can access community nursing and support services at home — often at no cost to the card holder.

Who is eligible?

DVA-funded services are generally available to holders of a:

• Gold Card — covering most health and community care needs
• White Card — covering accepted conditions

If you’re unsure about eligibility or which card covers a particular need, our intake team can help guide you through the process.

What DVA community nursing can include

• Wound care and dressing management
• Medication management and administration
• Catheter and continence care
• Post-surgical and hospital discharge support
• Chronic disease monitoring and management
• Palliative and end-of-life care support
• Health education and self-management support

Why nurse-led matters for veterans

Many veterans live with complex, long-term health needs. Having registered nurses involved — not just support workers — means clinical oversight is part of every care plan. It also means documentation meets DVA reporting expectations, and communication with DVA case managers is clear and timely.

We’re proud to support those who served, across Townsville, Magnetic Island, the Burdekin, Charters Towers, Ingham and surrounding communities.

For many NDIS participants, the single most important factor in quality support isn’t a roster line or a funding category — it’s who walks through the door.

The problem with subcontracting

When supports are subcontracted, participants often meet a different worker each week. Each new face means:

• Re-explaining routines, preferences and triggers
• Rebuilding trust from scratch
• Higher anxiety, especially for participants with psychosocial or behavioural supports
• A higher risk of missed clinical cues

Continuity is a clinical choice

Continuity of carers isn’t just a comfort — it’s a clinical safeguard. Familiar workers notice small changes in a participant’s condition earlier. They know the routines that de-escalate distress. They understand the goals that matter to the person, not just the tasks on a service agreement.

That’s why at Transformative Nursing & Support Services we employ our own nurses and support workers and don’t subcontract our care. The person you meet is the person who supports you — consistently.

What this means for participants and families

• Predictable faces — the same workers, every visit
• Better communication — workers who know your story
• Safer care — clinical changes spotted early
• Stronger relationships — trust built over time, not re-earned weekly

If consistency of supports matters to you or the person you support, ask any provider one simple question: do you subcontract? The answer tells you a lot about the experience you can expect.

Leaving hospital is an important milestone — but going home doesn’t always mean recovery is complete. For many older Australians, NDIS participants and people managing complex health needs, the first few weeks after discharge are when the right support matters most.

What is hospital-to-home care?

Hospital-to-home care (sometimes called transition care or complex discharge support) is the bridge between an inpatient stay and safe, supported living at home. It can include:

• Clinical nursing — wound care, medication management, catheter and continence care
• Personal supports — help with showering, dressing and mobility
• Monitoring for deterioration — catching warning signs early to prevent readmission
• Coordination with your healthcare team — GP, specialists, allied health and family

Why it matters in North Queensland

Across Townsville, the Burdekin, Charters Towers and surrounding communities, discharge planning can move quickly. Having a local, clinically capable provider already in place before a patient leaves hospital reduces bed-block, eases pressure on families and supports a smoother recovery.

A nurse-led model means registered nurses are involved from the first assessment through ongoing care — so clinical judgement is woven through every visit, not bolted on as an afterthought.

When to ask for help

If you or a loved one is facing a hospital discharge with new medications, wounds, mobility changes or increased personal care needs, ask the discharge team about community supports — ideally before the discharge date. The earlier a plan is in place, the safer the transition home.

We acknowledge all new referrals within 24 hours and can work with hospital teams to arrange services on or before discharge.