Young people in aged care and the NDIS
How the NDIS supports younger people to avoid or move out of residential aged care, and the housing pathways involved
Why does the NDIS focus on this?
What housing pathways are involved?
How do I get the process started?
Who counts as a younger person, and how do they end up there?
A typical pathway out, step by step
How MTA and STA bridge the gap while housing is arranged
Common mistakes that lead to the wrong placement
Frequently asked questions
Does the NDIS help young people leave aged care?
Yes. The NDIS has a strong focus on ensuring younger people don't live in residential aged care and on helping those who do move into age-appropriate housing with the right disability supports — usually through SDA, SIL or ILO, often with specialist support coordination.
Why shouldn't young people live in residential aged care?
Aged care is designed for older people and rarely suits a younger person's goals, social life or independence. The NDIS aims to prevent younger people entering aged care and to move those already there into age-appropriate housing.
What housing options replace aged care for young people?
The mainstream home-and-living supports: SDA for those who meet eligibility, SIL for daily support, and ILO for a tailored arrangement — matched to the person's needs and goals with the right evidence. Specialist support coordination often helps drive these complex moves.
How do I start a move out of aged care?
Flag it to the NDIA (and hospital team if relevant) early, get a support coordinator — ideally specialist — involved, arrange OT and clinical assessments, explore SDA/SIL/ILO options, and use MTA if needed to avoid a placement while housing is arranged.
How can an inappropriate aged-care placement be avoided at hospital discharge?
By acting early: involve a support coordinator and the NDIA before discharge, arrange the right assessments, and use Medium Term Accommodation to bridge the gap if the long-term home isn't ready, so the person isn't placed in aged care by default.
Can the NDIS fund my supports while I'm still in residential aged care?
In many cases yes — the NDIS can fund disability supports and the coordination needed to plan your move, even while you are still living in aged care. The aged care system and the NDIS cover different things, so a support coordinator can help sort out who funds what while you transition. The goal is to get you into…
Who pays for my accommodation while I wait for an SDA or SIL home?
Interim accommodation is usually funded through Medium Term Accommodation or Short Term Accommodation in your NDIS plan, which bridge the gap until your long-term home is ready. These depend on your eligibility and, for MTA, usually on showing a confirmed longer-term option is on the way. This avoids being placed in…
Is specialist support coordination funded for a move out of aged care?
It often is, because these moves are complex and involve housing, funding and clinical needs at once. Specialist support coordination is a higher level of coordination for participants facing complex situations, and leaving aged care is a common reason it is funded. Ask the NDIA for it as part of a home-and-living…