Delivering services under the Disability Support for Older Australians (DSOA) Program

Services delivered under the DSOA Program

Services available under the DSOA Program include:

• assistance in supported independent living
• assistance with self-care activities
• short-term accommodation and assistance, including respite
• specialist behavioural intervention support
• counselling
• community nursing care for continence aid
• psychosocial recovery coaching
• therapy assistant
• assessment recommendation therapy and/or training
• dietitian consultation and diet plan development
• exercise physiology
• audiologist hearing services
• health supports delivered by various nursing professionals
• case management.

Read more about:

• DSOA service coordinators responsibilities
• DSOA funded services in section 2.1 of the DSOA Program manual.

Services that are not delivered under the DSOA Program 

DSOA funding cannot be used towards the cost of:

• commonplace expenses (for example, daily living expenses, ingredients, food)
• garden maintenance, landscaping, domestic cleaning, house maintenance
• preparing a grant application or related documents
• payment to family members for client care or support
• retrospective costs
• home modification costs
• major or new construction or capital works
• purchase of assets, unless you have our prior written consent, and it meets the conditions of the DSOA grant agreement 
• purchase of land
• activities that are the responsibility of other Australian Government, state, territory or local government bodies 
• services that were previously funded by state and territory governments that are not direct care services for older people (state advocacy, or research and evaluation services)
• specialist disability services aimed at supporting people to gain employment or access early childhood services
• supported independent living accommodation vacancies 
• domestic travel and/or accommodation for clients or their support workers while on holidays (DSOA support services received can still be funded)
• overseas travel or accommodation
• activities that are not identified as supports and services provided by the DSOA Program.

Suspension of services

Where a client has not used DSOA services for up to 3 months (for example, due to a stay in hospital), you should: 

• review their support needs 
• update their Individual Support Package 
• report any changes in the annual performance report and financial acquittal.

If a client does not use DSOA services for more than 3 months for any reason, tell your Funding Arrangement Manager, who will advise whether any action is required.

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