Personal care and safety equipment
Assistive technology
Equipment that supports personal care and safety, such as shower chairs, bed rails, toilet aids and personal alarms.
The short answer
Personal care and safety equipment includes shower chairs, bed rails, toilet aids and personal alarms. It helps you wash, dress, use the toilet and stay safe at home.
About Personal care and safety equipment
The bathroom and bedroom are where many accidents happen, and where independence matters most. Equipment such as shower chairs and stools, bath boards, toilet frames and raised seats, bed rails, hoists and personal alarms can make daily routines safer and more comfortable.
Choosing the right item depends on your body, your home and your routine. An occupational therapist can assess how you manage and recommend equipment, including where to place it and how to use it. Poorly chosen or installed equipment can create new risks.
Once equipment is in place, check it regularly. Parts wear, fixings loosen and needs change. Ask the supplier about maintenance, and make sure you and anyone who helps you know how to use it correctly.
Who is this service for?
People who need equipment to wash, dress, use the toilet or stay safe at home, such as shower chairs, bed rails or personal alarms.
What a typical session looks like
Personal care and safety equipment includes items such as shower chairs, commodes, bath boards, grab rails, hoists, slings, bed rails, pressure-relieving cushions and alarms. The right choice depends on your body, your home and the tasks you need to do. A therapist usually assesses you and recommends equipment, and a supplier delivers and sets it up.
After installation, the therapist or supplier shows you and your support workers how to use it safely. This is especially important for equipment used to move or lift people. Regular checks and servicing keep it in good condition, and reviews confirm it still suits you.
Who delivers this support
Occupational therapists and physiotherapists assess and prescribe personal care and safety equipment, and specialist suppliers provide and maintain it. Ask about the therapist's experience with your needs and whether the supplier offers servicing and repairs. Anyone who helps you use the equipment should be trained in it.
How to choose a provider
- Ask an occupational therapist to assess your needs before buying.
- Check that equipment is installed by someone qualified.
- Ask about weight limits and safety standards.
- Find out about warranty and servicing.
- Make sure you and your carers are shown how to use it.
Questions to ask a provider
- Which items would make my routines safer and easier?
- Can the equipment be tried before I commit?
- Who will teach me and my workers how to use it safely?
- How is the equipment serviced and repaired?
- Does my home need any changes to make the equipment work?
- How will we review whether it still suits me?
Common mistakes to avoid
- Buying equipment without an assessment, and finding it does not fit the bathroom or bedroom.
- Not training workers on the equipment.
- Skipping regular checks of lifting and moving equipment.
- Using equipment in ways it was not designed for.
- Not replacing worn parts such as slings.
Getting started
- Identify where you have difficulty or feel unsafe.
- Speak to a therapist about suitable equipment.
- Arrange installation and training.
- Check and review equipment regularly.
How it fits with the rest of your plan
This equipment works closely with personal care and home modifications. A good match between equipment, home and the way workers help you makes daily routines safer for everyone. It is worth considering how the equipment fits in the space, and whether modifications such as a wider doorway or a roll-in shower would help.
Eligibility
You can use NDIS funding for Personal care and safety equipment if it is included in your NDIS plan. The NDIS funds supports that are reasonable and necessary: they relate to your disability, help you pursue your goals and represent value for money. Not sure whether it is in your plan? Check your plan, or ask your planner, Local Area Coordinator or support coordinator. You can also arrange it privately.
Funding
Assistive technology is funded according to its cost and complexity: lower-cost items are usually paid from a Core budget, and higher-cost or more complex items from a Capital budget, sometimes needing an assessment or quote. Your planner or an assistive technology advisor can explain how this applies to Personal care and safety equipment. Whether your plan is managed by the NDIA, by a plan manager or by you, ask for a written quote and a service agreement before you start. If your plan is plan-managed or self-managed you can use providers who are not registered with the NDIS. If it is NDIA-managed you generally need a registered provider.
What it costs
Equipment prices vary widely with the type of item and how it is set up for you. Ask for a written quote that separates the item, fitting and training, and for information about warranty and servicing for Personal care and safety equipment. Before you start, ask for a written quote that lists each support, the hours and the price, and check it against the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits on the NDIS website. A provider may charge less than a limit. If you pay privately, the provider sets its own fees. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can also use providers who are not registered, and those providers set their own prices.
Assistive technology & equipment providers on the NDIS register
4,258 NDIS providers list assistive technology & equipment supports on the NDIS Commission register of registered providers. A register listing shows what the register says, not who has capacity.
Providers listing assistive technology & equipment
- 1 Care Connect - NSW; includes Manly, NSW; Rooty Hill, NSW; Rosehill, NSW
- 1 NSW Building Solutions - NSW; includes Annandale, NSW
- 1 Roof Therapy and Assessment - NSW; includes Caringbah, NSW
- 1 Stop Paediatric Services - SA; includes Mount Gambier, SA
- 101 Physio - VIC; includes Melton West, VIC
- 1st Care Community - QLD; includes Acacia Ridge, QLD
- 2 Right Feet Podiatry - VIC; includes Kilsyth, VIC
- 2 Right Feet Podiatry - VIC; includes Kilsyth, VIC
- 24 Hour Positioning - NSW; includes Chatswood, NSW
- 24 Seven Plan Management - WA; includes Canning Vale, WA
- 24/7 Nursing + Medical Services - NSW; includes Edgecliff, NSW
- 247 Divine Healthcare - QLD; includes Middle Ridge, QLD
See all 4,258 assistive technology & equipment providers
Listings by state and territory
- New South Wales (1,754)
- Victoria (1,004)
- Queensland (851)
- South Australia (348)
- Western Australia (347)
- Tasmania (102)
- Australian Capital Territory (100)
- Northern Territory (62)
Suburbs with the most listings
- Brisbane, QLD (217)
- Sydney, NSW (139)
- Melbourne, VIC (134)
- Central Coast, NSW (110)
- Blacktown, NSW (79)
- Perth, WA (79)
- Parramatta, NSW (74)
- Liverpool, NSW (72)
- Bankstown, NSW (70)
- Canberra, ACT (63)
- Penrith, NSW (63)
- Adelaide, SA (58)
Listings covering the most areas
- Permalink Support Services - 503 areas
- Bayside Mobile Physio - 185 areas
- Nurse Next Door Townsville - 171 areas
- Allied Horizon Disability Services - 154 areas
- Just Better Care Adelaide - 130 areas
- Right at Home Perth Northern Suburbs & Perth West Coast - 108 areas
- United for Care - 103 areas
- Anne Care Facilities - 101 areas
Checking credentials
- Check registration Search the NDIS Commission's register of registered providers to see whether a provider is registered and for which types of support. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can also use unregistered providers.
- Ask about worker screening Ask whether workers hold a current NDIS Worker Screening Check where their role requires one, and how the provider checks its workers' identity and qualifications.
- Get it in writing Ask for a written quote and a service agreement that describes the support, the prices, how to change or end it and how to make a complaint.
Regulation and safeguards
NDIS providers and their workers must follow the NDIS Code of Conduct, and registered providers are regulated by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission Regulates NDIS providers and handles complaints about the quality and safety of NDIS supports. Phone: 1800 035 544.
- National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Runs the NDIS. Contact them about your plan, your funding and eligibility. Phone: 1800 800 110.
Related services
- Recreation equipment
- Vision equipment
- AT repairs, maintenance, rental and trial
- Assistive technology assessment and training
Frequently asked questions
What personal care equipment is available?
Examples include shower chairs and stools, commodes, toilet frames, bed rails, hoists and personal alarms. The right choice depends on your body, your home and your routine.
Who can help me choose?
An occupational therapist can assess how you manage at home and recommend equipment, including how to set it up safely.
How do I know it is safe?
Equipment should be installed and adjusted correctly, and used as designed. Ask the supplier for instructions, and have it reviewed if your needs change.
Do I need professional installation?
For fixed items such as rails, yes, so they are secure. Ask the supplier.
Can personal alarms call for help automatically?
Some do. Ask about features such as fall detection and how alerts are monitored.
How often should I check equipment?
Regularly, and whenever something feels loose or worn. Follow the maker's advice.
Why does lifting equipment need regular servicing?
It carries people's weight, so faults can cause serious injury. Regular checks by a qualified person keep it safe.
Can a support worker set up the equipment?
Simple items may be easy, but more complex equipment should be set up by the supplier or therapist, with training for anyone who will use it.
What if the equipment no longer suits me?
Contact your therapist for a review. Needs change, and there may be a better option.
Can I use my NDIS plan to pay for Personal care and safety equipment?
If Personal care and safety equipment is in your NDIS plan and is reasonable and necessary for you, then yes. Check with your planner, Local Area Coordinator or support coordinator. You can also arrange it privately.
How do I find a Personal care and safety equipment provider near me?
Browse providers on SolDirectory, or send a free enquiry with your location and what you need and suitable providers will review it. Then ask each one about availability, a quote and a service agreement before you decide. Details come from providers and registers, so confirm them directly.
Sources and further reading
- NDIS: how the NDIS works, plans and price limits
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission: find a registered provider, make a complaint
Browse the NDIS and aged care provider directory
Helpful reading
- How to choose an NDIS provider: 12 questions to ask before you commit: A practical checklist for comparing providers, from how a service fits your plan to what happens when something goes wrong.
- Registered or unregistered? What it means when you choose an NDIS provider: Registered and unregistered providers can both be legitimate, but the rules, checks and options for your plan are not the same. Here is how to think about the difference.
- How to change NDIS provider without losing support: You are allowed to change providers. A little planning means the new service is ready before the old one ends, and nothing falls through the gap.