NDIS and aged care allied health in Brisbane and Queensland: coverage, children's supports, and when telehealth makes sense

Bloom Healthcare is a registered NDIS provider delivering mobile allied health across Greater Brisbane and up the Queensland coast. A clinician comes to you at home, school, work or in the community, with telehealth available where travel is the barrier. Queensland is a big state, so the two questions that matter most here are whether someone can reach your town and, if not, what can still be done online. This page also covers how children's supports work and how aged care access differs from the NDIS. To check your area, call 1300 771 465 or email hello@bloom-healthcare.com.au.

Where Bloom works in Queensland

Greater Brisbane and surrounds

• Brisbane
• Ipswich
• Logan
• North Lakes
• Redland Bay
• Springfield
• Caboolture

Coastal and regional Queensland

• Gold Coast, including Robina
• Sunshine Coast
• Bundaberg
• Townsville
• Cairns

Note that the coverage runs well past South East Queensland. Bundaberg, Townsville and Cairns are on the list, so if you are in regional or far north Queensland it is worth asking rather than assuming the service stops at the Sunshine Coast.

That said, these are the places named, not a guarantee for every town between them. Coverage is a travel radius around where clinicians are based. If your town is not listed, ring 1300 771 465 with your postcode and the discipline you need. Availability varies by discipline as well as by area, so a speech pathologist may be available where an exercise physiologist is not.

There are no clinic addresses on this page because the model is mobile and community-based. Clinic appointments are considered in select cases on request.

How sessions are delivered, and when telehealth is the right call

The primary method of delivery is in the community: homes, schools, workplaces and community settings. In practice most people end up with a mix.

In-person visits earn their keep when the physical setting is the point. That includes home safety assessments where the therapist needs to see the actual bathroom, doorways and steps; transfer and mobility assessments where falls risk is a concern or the home layout is limiting how you move; hands-on treatment where it is clinically appropriate; and community sessions built around real destinations, such as walking a route you actually use or building up endurance for getting to the shops.

Telehealth works well for the parts that are about coaching and consistency. Exercise programs, progressing a home program, regular check-ins, therapy planning, education for families and carers, and keeping a therapeutic relationship going between visits. For someone in Bundaberg, Townsville or Cairns, a hybrid arrangement of periodic in-person visits plus telehealth in between is often more practical than waiting for a clinician to be in town.

You will need a device with a camera, a workable internet connection and somewhere private for the session. Ask at booking whether the specific assessment you need can be done remotely, because some can and some cannot.

Children and young people in Queensland

The NDIS early childhood approach

The early childhood approach is for children younger than 9. The age was extended from under 7 to under 9 from 1 July 2023 and phased in progressively over the following two years, so families who were told their child had aged out under the old rule should check again.

• Children younger than 6 with developmental delay can access support without a formal diagnosis
• Children aged 6 to 9 with an identified disability are eligible
• Families with concerns can get early connections and support even where the child is not yet eligible for full NDIS funding

You can complete a referral form through your local NDIS early childhood partner. An Early Childhood Coordinator works with you on goals and connects you to supports without waiting for lengthy formal assessments.

Supports commonly used at this age are speech pathology for speech, language, understanding, social communication and feeding; occupational therapy for daily living skills, fine motor skills, sensory processing, play and routines; physiotherapy for gross motor development, coordination and balance; psychology or counselling for anxiety, emotional regulation, behaviour and family strategies; and positive behaviour support where behaviours of concern affect safety or participation.

The approach is family-centred. Sessions happen in the settings a child already uses, including home, childcare, playgroup, preschool and school, and the aim is to build the family's own capacity so strategies keep running through ordinary daily routines.

School-age children and teenagers

Paediatric therapy continues for school-aged children and through the 10 to 17 age range, focused on independence, confidence, emotional regulation and taking part at home, at school and in the community, and continues into young adulthood so support does not fall over at a birthday.

Signs worth raising with your GP

These are general prompts, not a diagnosis. Talk to your GP or child and family health nurse if you see:

• loss of skills the child previously had
• persistent parental concern, particularly when it shows up in more than one setting
• limited response to sound or visual cues, or worries about hearing or vision
• very limited social engagement, such as little eye contact or interaction
• a large gap between what the child can do and what daily life asks of them at mealtimes, toileting, dressing, school readiness or safety

By age band, the commonly cited flags are: no head control by around 3 to 4 months and no babbling by around 6 months; no gestures such as pointing or waving, and no clear words by around 18 months; not putting words together or not understanding short requests by 2 to 3 years; no pretend play, difficulty being understood, or educator concerns about school readiness at 3 to 5 years; and at 6 to 9 years, difficulty following instructions, trouble making friends, school avoidance from distress, or gross motor skills well behind peers.

A practical rule: seek support when the concern has lasted more than a few weeks without improving, shows up in more than one setting, affects daily routines or school, is escalating, or involves regression or a safety risk. Rule out hearing and vision early, because both can look like attention or behaviour problems. Take one page of notes to the GP covering what you are seeing, when it happens, what makes it better or worse, and what a hard day looks like.

Community participation and capacity building

Community participation support is about building the confidence and skills to take part in local life: community activities, sporting clubs, community hubs, using public transport and getting to services.

Under the NDIS this sits inside Capacity Building, the funding category aimed at skills and independence rather than only direct service. Its subcategories include Improved Daily Living and Improved Health and Wellbeing. Speech pathologists and psychologists work on communication and social skills; occupational therapists work on the practical skills for handling everyday situations; positive behaviour support builds coping strategies.

The useful test is a simple one: what would you like to be able to do that you cannot do easily now? Capacity building works best when therapy and daily life are joined up, for example running a physiotherapy walking program toward real destinations, or rehearsing how you will speak up for yourself at your next planning meeting.

Fees, travel and cancellations

Rates, hours allocated to therapy, reports and travel, invoicing, and cancellation and rescheduling terms are set out in the written service agreement you sign before services start, in line with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. Because Queensland coverage includes long distances, travel arrangements are worth asking about specifically for regional areas. Call 1300 771 465 for current terms before you sign.

Older Queenslanders: aged care is a separate system

If you are older and want help staying safe at home, the NDIS is not your pathway.

Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025. It uses eight ongoing funding classifications with quarterly budget adjustments, rather than the old four fixed package levels, and a single unified assessment instead of several.

The steps are: register with My Aged Care online or by phone, be referred for an assessment, receive a support plan setting out approved services and funding, then choose your providers.

Support at Home groups services into three categories: Clinical Supports, Independence Services and Everyday Living Services. Allied health sits in Clinical Supports, which are fully funded by the Australian Government. Participant contributions can apply to Independence Services and Everyday Living Services depending on your financial circumstances, so confirm your own arrangements through My Aged Care.

Two differences worth knowing:

• Support at Home is for older Australians aged 65 and over, or 50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The NDIS serves people under 65 with disability.
• Existing NDIS participants are not automatically moved to Support at Home. They keep receiving supports under their existing plan arrangements.

Start at aged care or call 1300 771 465.

Common questions about NDIS and allied health in Queensland

Do you actually service north Queensland, or just Brisbane?

The listed Queensland areas include Bundaberg, Townsville and Cairns alongside Greater Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Ring 1300 771 465 with your suburb to confirm current availability in your area and for the discipline you need.

My town is not on the list. What now?

Call and ask, giving your postcode and the service you want. Coverage is a travel radius around where clinicians are based, so nearby towns are often reachable. If nobody can travel to you, ask about telehealth or a hybrid arrangement.

Is there a clinic I can attend in Brisbane or the Gold Coast?

The primary method of delivery is mobile and community-based. Clinic appointments may be available in select cases on request, so raise it at enquiry.

Can everything be done by telehealth?

No. Telehealth suits exercise programs, coaching, check-ins, planning and family education. Home safety assessments, transfer and mobility assessments where falls risk or home layout is the issue, hands-on treatment, and community sessions in real settings generally need someone there in person. Ask about your specific assessment when you book.

My child is 7 and I was told they were too old for early childhood supports. Is that right?

The early childhood approach now covers children younger than 9, extended from under 7 from 1 July 2023 and phased in progressively over the following two years. Children aged 6 to 9 with an identified disability are eligible. It is worth checking again with an NDIS early childhood partner.

Does my young child need a diagnosis first?

Not necessarily. Children younger than 6 with developmental delay can access the early childhood approach without a formal diagnosis. Families with concerns can also get early connections before full NDIS eligibility is settled.

Can a therapist come to my child's school or daycare?

Sessions are delivered in the settings children already use, including home, childcare, playgroup, preschool and school. The service also needs the school or centre to agree, so raise it with them early.

Which part of my NDIS plan pays for this?

Capacity Building, which includes the Improved Daily Living and Improved Health and Wellbeing subcategories. Your own plan is the authority on what you have. Check with your plan manager, support coordinator or planner if you are unsure.

What does it cost, and how does travel work for regional areas?

Fees, allocated hours, travel and cancellation terms are set out in your service agreement in line with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. Because Queensland distances are long, ask specifically about travel arrangements for your location on 1300 771 465.

I am 68 and want help at home. Can I apply to the NDIS?

Support at Home is the aged care program for people aged 65 and over, or 50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Start with My Aged Care rather than the NDIS.

I already have an NDIS plan and I am turning 65. Do I get moved to aged care?

Existing NDIS participants are not automatically transferred to Support at Home. Supports continue under your existing plan arrangements. Talk to your planner or support coordinator about your own situation.

How do I start?

Call 1300 771 465, email hello@bloom-healthcare.com.au, or use the referral form or contact page. Service hours are Monday to Thursday 7:30am to 6:00pm, Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm, and Saturday by appointment.