If you or a family member has an NDIS program, you may have heard these two terms: SIL and SDA.
But what is the difference between them?
SIL stands for Supported Independent Living, and SDA stands for Specialist Disability Accommodation. Although the two terms sound similar, they are very different in usage. Continue reading to learn more about the important differences between these two funding options.
What is Support Independent Living (SIL)?
Some NDIS recipients may need the supervision or support of paid employees to help them live as independently as possible. SIL can help people who live alone or a group of people living in a shared home.
SIL can assist with:
● Personal care, i.e. bathing and dressing
● Household chores, namely, shopping, preparing meals, and cleaning
● Medical needs
● Ethics and social skills
● Clinical support, i.e. medication administration
● Medication management
● NDIS participants may achieve three levels of funding - ‘low demand’, ‘general needs’, and ‘high needs’. ‘Low needs’ include regular supervision, ‘normal needs’ include active day and night services, and ‘high needs’ include ongoing and complex assistance.
NDIS participants can access SIL funding as part of their NDIS program. The NDIS organizer will assist participants to determine if SIL is right for them.
What is the SDA in the NDIS?
SDA funding is available to NDIS participants with severe functional disabilities or more complex support needs. These participants are not able to live in ordinary houses and therefore need other special accommodation. Eligible participants will receive funding for their housing costs through SDA payments made to the SDA provider.
To qualify for SDA funding, participants must need support for day-to-day activities, including:
● Dress
● He gets in and out of bed
● Walking
● Food preparation
● Public access
Alternatively, their participants:
● Have informal support that does not meet their care needs, either
● He has spent a lot of time in nursing homes or in a group home, which contributes to their ability to live in other households, or
● Demonstrating risky behaviour of a participant or others close to him or her and the SDA may reduce these risks.
● The SIL and SDA exist independently. Some participants may only receive SIL funding, while others may receive both SIL and SDA.
NDIS Specialist Support and Support
NDIS systems are complex and difficult to understand. If you are unsure whether you or a family member will benefit from SIL, SDA, or both, contact an NDIS specialist.
