Bloom Healthcare articles, sorted by what you are trying to work out
This is the index to everything written here. It is grouped by the question you came with rather than by date, so you can go straight to the piece that answers it.
Most readers arrive with one of five questions: can I get NDIS funding and what does it pay for; how does aged care work now that Support at Home has replaced Home Care Packages; what does a particular therapy actually do; what is happening with children's supports and Thriving Kids; and what happens at an assessment. Each has its own section below.
If you would rather just talk to someone, call 1300 771 465, email hello@bloom-healthcare.com.au, or use the contact form.
Start here
Four articles that answer the most common questions:
- Comprehensive guide to NDIS covered services — what the scheme funds and what it does not
- Navigating the NDIS: a step-by-step guide for families — applying, evidence, planning
- Understanding functional capacity assessments — the report most NDIS funding decisions rest on
- Key questions to ask when choosing allied health services in Australia — how to compare providers
NDIS: access, plans and funding
Getting in and understanding the scheme
- Navigating the NDIS: a step-by-step guide for families
- Comprehensive guide to NDIS covered services
- How the NDIS is changing lives and where allied health fits in
- The role of allied health professionals in supporting NDIS participants
Making a plan work
- The role of personalised therapy in enhancing NDIS plan outcomes — goal setting, reassessment and the evidence that supports it
- What to look for in an NDIS plan manager
- Key workers in the NDIS: what they are and why they matter
The short version of NDIS funding: plans are split into three budgets. Core covers everyday assistance and community participation. Capacity Building funds allied health therapy, most often under the Improved Daily Living category, and is the most flexible of the three. Capital covers assistive technology and home modifications, needs an allied health recommendation, and is the most restricted. The funding hub at /ndis covers this in more detail, and /pricing and /payments deal with cost and billing.
Medicare, and where it differs from the NDIS
- NDIS psychology vs Medicare: which pathway fits your situation? — the clearest explanation of treatment versus function, and the one to read if you are trying to work out which system pays
Aged care and Support at Home
Support at Home is the Australian Government's in-home aged care program. It replaced Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care from 1 November 2025. The Commonwealth Home Support Programme is scheduled to transition no earlier than 1 July 2027.
- Support at Home vs Home Care Packages — what changed and what it means for people already receiving care
- How Support at Home helps older Australians stay independent
- Support at Home 2025: what it means for aged care services
- How to apply for aged care support
- Understanding aged care in Australia: what services are available and how to access them
- Choosing the right aged care services for your loved one
Allied health in aged care
- Physiotherapy in aged care: restoring strength and mobility
- Understanding mobility issues in the elderly: early symptoms and taking action
- Speech pathology for seniors: communication and swallowing health
- Speech pathology in the elderly: benefits and outcomes
- The importance of dietetics in aged care
- The essential role of allied health in dementia support
- The impact of personalised therapy on ageing populations with disabilities — including what happens at 65
Aged care service pages sit at /aged-care and /support-at-home.
Aged care is not the NDIS. They are separate systems with separate rules, separate assessments and separate funding. Support at Home groups services into clinical supports, independence services and everyday living services. NDIS plans use Core, Capacity Building and Capital budgets. If you are trying to work out which one applies to you, the age at which you first needed support is usually the deciding factor.
- Support at Home changes from 1 October 2026 — what moved category and what it means for contributions
- Home care services that support independence — matching a service to the thing that has become difficult
Children, early childhood and Thriving Kids
Thriving Kids is a national Australian Government initiative for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs. It sits outside the NDIS. State-based services are scheduled to start from 1 October 2026, reaching scale nationally from 1 January 2028. It has not started yet.
- What is Thriving Kids? A guide for Australian families
- Thriving Kids: eligibility, rollout and support overview
- Thriving Kids vs NDIS for children under 8 — what changes, what stays the same, and what to do now
- Thriving Kids: targeted allied health supports
Children with permanent and significant disability or high support needs remain with the NDIS. Thriving Kids is aimed at lower support needs, and access is intended to be based on functional need rather than a formal diagnosis.
The NDIS early childhood approach
The early childhood approach was extended from under 7 to under 9 from 1 July 2023, phased in progressively over the following two years.
- What is the early childhood approach? A parent's guide
- Developmental milestones and red flags, 0 to 9
- The importance of early intervention for developmental delays
- The power of early intervention for children with disabilities
Choosing and using paediatric therapy
- How to choose an NDIS paediatric therapy provider: a parent checklist
- Occupational therapy for kids: a guide for families
- Occupational therapy for teens
- Global developmental delay vs autism
Service pages: paediatrics, paediatrics 10 to 18 and Thriving Kids Australia.
Autism, ADHD and neurodivergence
- Autism: disability or difference?
- The role of psychologists in autism, ADHD and neurodivergence
- How occupational therapy helps individuals with autism thrive
- Physiotherapy for autism
- Recognising the signs of autism and the government support available
- Autism and work: adjustments, recruitment and the supports that help
- Occupational therapy for ADHD: building skills, confidence and independence
- Occupational therapy for ADHD: practical support for daily life
- NDIS support services for people with ADHD
The autism service page is at /autism.
The individual therapies
Occupational therapy
- What does an occupational therapist do?
- What does occupational therapy include under the NDIS?
- What NDIS occupational therapy can help with
- How occupational therapy helps you live more independently with a disability
- What to expect during an occupational therapy session
- Understanding OT driving assessments
Service page: occupational therapy.
Speech pathology
- What is speech pathology?
- What does a speech therapist do?
- NDIS speech pathology assessment: what they look at and why it matters
- Understanding communication disorders: types, causes and treatments
Service page: speech pathology.
Physiotherapy
- What is physiotherapy, and how does it differ from other therapies?
- NDIS physiotherapy explained
- Enhancing mobility and independence through physiotherapy
- Physiotherapy for spinal cord injury
- Physiotherapy for vertigo
Service page: physiotherapy.
Exercise physiology
- What is exercise physiology?
- Exercise physiology vs physiotherapy: understanding the difference — the comparison people ask for most
- What makes exercise physiology different from a gym program?
- NDIS exercise physiology: goals, outcomes and who it suits
Service page: exercise physiology.
Psychology and counselling
- The role of psychology in the NDIS
- NDIS psychology guide: what you can claim, appointment types and questions to ask
- NDIS psychology vs Medicare
- Supporting people with disabilities experiencing mental health challenges
- The importance of self-care for mental health
Service page: psychology and counselling.
Dietetics
- NDIS dietitian support: what it can help with
- How a dietitian can support you through the NDIS
- NDIS dietitian guide: what you can claim and what to ask a provider
Service page: dietitian.
Positive behaviour support
- What is positive behaviour support?
- Understanding positive behaviour support for adults and children
- Beyond the behaviour: understanding the why in positive behaviour support
- What is a functional behaviour assessment?
- PBS is not just for challenging behaviour
- How to tell if your child or client might benefit from PBS
- Psychology and behaviour support: what's the difference?
Service page: positive behaviour support. Bookings: PBS booking.
Exercise physiology
- What exercise physiology is and why it matters
- Who exercise physiologists are and how they help
- Exercise management for chronic disease
- Exercise physiology for people with disability
- How exercise supports a longer, healthier life with disability
Psychology and behaviour support
- How psychology supports NDIS participants
- The psychology behind alcohol misuse
- Becoming a behaviour support practitioner
Speech pathology
Assessments, reports and evidence
If you need to justify funding, this is the section that matters.
- Understanding functional capacity assessments: a comprehensive guide
- NDIS speech pathology assessment: what they look at and why it matters
- What is a functional behaviour assessment?
- Understanding OT driving assessments
- How assistive technologies change lives
The assessment service page is at /functional-assessment.
Rights, inclusion and choosing a provider
- Key questions to ask when choosing allied health services in Australia
- Deaf inclusion: communication access, Auslan and funded supports
Rights and policy pages: your rights, supported decision making, advocacy policy, feedback, incident management, accessibility statement, privacy policy.
- Five ways to promote disability inclusion
- Disability representation in popular culture
- The care economy and disability services in Australia
- Integrating allied health into mainstream care
- Innovation in disability services and how Bloom approaches it
Beyond the articles
- Services: all services, NDIS, Medicare, aged care, Support at Home
- Locations: all locations, and state pages for New South Wales, Victoria, South East Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania
- Getting started: referrals, contact us, FAQ, pricing, payments
- Working here: careers
Common questions about finding the right article
I am new to all of this. Where do I actually start?
If the person needing support is under 65, start with Navigating the NDIS. If they are 65 or over, start with How to apply for aged care support. Those two lead into different systems and it is worth getting the branch right before you read anything else.
Is Support at Home part of the NDIS?
No. Support at Home is aged care, run by the Australian Government's aged care system, and it replaced Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care from 1 November 2025. The NDIS is a separate scheme for people with disability who apply before turning 65. The rules, assessments, budgets and language are all different.
Has Thriving Kids started?
Not yet. State-based services are scheduled to begin from 1 October 2026, with national scale from 1 January 2028. Anything you read describing it as already running is out of date. Children currently on the NDIS stay there for now.
What is the difference between exercise physiology and physiotherapy?
That is the single most-asked comparison here, and there is an article for it: exercise physiology vs physiotherapy.
Should I use Medicare or the NDIS for psychology?
Broadly, Medicare's Better Access is for clinical treatment of a diagnosed mental health condition, and the NDIS is for disability-related supports that build or maintain functional capacity. Many people use both for different purposes, and a single session is funded by one system only. The full explanation is in NDIS psychology vs Medicare.
Which article explains what a functional capacity assessment is?
Understanding functional capacity assessments. It is worth reading before any plan reassessment, because that report is usually the evidence a funding decision rests on.
I turn 65 soon and I am already on the NDIS. What happens?
Turning 65 does not automatically move you out of the NDIS, and existing participants are not automatically transferred to Support at Home. The impact of personalised therapy on ageing populations with disabilities covers this. Speak to your planner or Local Area Coordinator about your own situation before making any change.
Do you have anything on choosing a provider?
Key questions to ask when choosing allied health services in Australia for adults, and How to choose an NDIS paediatric therapy provider for children.
How do I get in touch?
Phone 1300 771 465, email hello@bloom-healthcare.com.au, or use the contact form. For a formal referral, use the referrals page. Hours are Monday to Thursday 7:30am to 6:00pm, Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm, and Saturday by appointment.
Also on this site
What is the Bloom Healthcare blog about?
The Bloom Healthcare blog is an NDIS-focused blog offering insights and health resources on disability services, innovation, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Psychology, and Exercise Physiology.
How many posts does the Bloom Healthcare blog contain?
The Bloom Healthcare blog contains 96 educational and marketing posts organized by topic.
What topics are covered in Bloom Healthcare's blog posts?
The blog covers topics such as Thriving Kids and child disability policy, early childhood, paediatrics and early intervention, as well as various other service-specific and educational topics related to allied health and NDIS services.
What is the purpose of Bloom Healthcare's blog content?
The blog serves dual purposes: providing educational content with depth and detail about Bloom Healthcare's allied health services, and serving as marketing content that communicates Bloom's expertise and service offerings to prospective clients and families.
What is Bloom Healthcare's website URL for its blog?
The Bloom Healthcare blog is located at https://bloom-healthcare.com.au/blog/.
What is Bloom Healthcare as a company?
Bloom Healthcare is a boutique disability and aged care allied health provider that believes all people have the right to access quality healthcare, with a model focused on evidence-based practice and client centricity delivered by highly qualified health practitioners across Australia.
How can someone contact Bloom Healthcare?
Bloom Healthcare can be contacted by email at hello@bloom-healthcare.com.au or by phone at 1300 771 465.
What is the legal name and size of Bloom Healthcare?
Bloom Healthcare's legal name is Bloom Healthcare Pty Ltd, and it has between 51 and 200 employees.
I am new to all of this. Where do I actually start?
If the person needing support is under 65, start with Navigating the NDIS. If they are 65 or over, start with How to apply for aged care support. Those two lead into different systems and it is worth getting the branch right before you read anything else.
Is Support at Home part of the NDIS?
No. Support at Home is aged care, run by the Australian Government's aged care system, and it replaced Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care from 1 November 2025. The NDIS is a separate scheme for people with disability who apply before turning 65. The rules, assessments, budgets and language are all different.
Should I use Medicare or the NDIS for psychology?
Broadly, Medicare's Better Access is for clinical treatment of a diagnosed mental health condition, and the NDIS is for disability-related supports that build or maintain functional capacity. Many people use both for different purposes, and a single session is funded by one system only. The full explanation is in NDIS psychology vs Medicare.
Which article explains what a functional capacity assessment is?
Understanding functional capacity assessments. It is worth reading before any plan reassessment, because that report is usually the evidence a funding decision rests on.