How do you get equipment and assistive technology assessed, prescribed and funded?

Bloom Healthcare is an allied health service, not an equipment retailer. There is no product catalogue on this page. What Bloom's clinicians do is the piece that comes before the equipment: assess what you actually need, trial the options, prescribe the right item, and write the evidence that a funder relies on to approve it. For the NDIS, equipment and modifications are funded from Capital Supports and need a clinician's recommendation. For older Australians, the pathway is the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme under Support at Home, reached through My Aged Care. To start, call 1300 771 465 or make a referral.

What counts as assistive technology

Assistive technology is any device, tool, piece of software or specialised equipment that helps you do something you would otherwise struggle to do. Under the NDIS it covers a wide range:

Mobility and movement

• wheelchairs, walkers and walking aids
• standing frames and modified tricycles
• ramps and lifts for access

Communication

• hearing aids and cochlear implants
• augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and apps, including touch access, switches, eye gaze and partner-assisted scanning

Daily living

• specialised beds and seating
• bathroom equipment and customised devices

Sensory and behavioural support

• noise-cancelling headphones
• fidget tools, visual schedules and timers

Therapeutic and specialised

• splints
• smart home technology and wearable devices that support independence or track progress
• workplace accommodations

Items are grouped into low, mid and high cost tiers, which affects how much evidence and approval is needed. The dollar thresholds for those tiers are set by the NDIA and change, so check the current position with the NDIA or your plan manager rather than relying on a figure you read somewhere.

Who assesses what

Which clinician you need depends on the problem, not the product. If you are unsure, describe the difficulty rather than the item you think you want, and Bloom can point you to the right discipline. Call 1300 771 465.

The assistive technology pathway, step by step

1. Assessment

The clinician builds a picture of your functional abilities and limitations across daily tasks, mobility and independence; the environments where the difficulty actually happens, whether that is home, school, work or the community; your goals and priorities; and what supports you already have and what is or is not working.

This usually involves watching you do the task, standardised testing where relevant, and talking with your family or support team.

2. Liaison and options

The clinician works with suppliers and the other people involved in your support to identify which options are realistically available and appropriate for you.

3. Trials

This is the step people most often want to skip, and it is the one that prevents expensive mistakes. Equipment is trialled in the settings where you will actually use it, and options are compared on the things that matter in practice: portability, how the vocabulary is organised on a communication device, ease of use, how it fits your doorways and your bathroom, whether you can operate it on a bad day.

4. Prescription

The clinician selects the item that is fit for purpose, safe and genuinely usable for you, matched to your goals, your home environment and your daily routine.

5. The report

A written assessment report is produced, setting out:

• a summary of findings across your functional capabilities and areas of need
• the specific support needs identified
• evidence-based recommendations for the device or equipment
• practical strategies for achieving your goals
• documentation of functional impact — why the recommended item is reasonable and necessary in your circumstances

That last point is the whole game. The report has to make the connection between what you cannot do, what the item does, and the goal in your plan. A recommendation without that chain of reasoning is the most common reason a funding request fails.

6. Funding decision

The report goes to the funder. For the NDIS, the NDIA assesses whether the item is reasonable and necessary, safe, legal and value for money.

7. Training

Prescribing an item is not the end of it. You, and the people who support you, are trained in using it effectively and safely, so it actually gets used rather than sitting in a corner.

Home modifications

Home modifications are physical changes to your living space to make it safer and more accessible. They are assessed by an occupational therapist and funded, like assistive technology, through Capital Supports.

Common recommendations:

• bathroom safety — grab rails, accessible shower setups, toilet safety equipment
• access — ramps over steps and level changes, doorway modifications, accessible entry and exit
• kitchen — reach and layout changes that make meal preparation safer and more independent
• falls and manual handling — environmental changes that reduce falls risk and reduce strain on carers

Modifications are broadly split into minor work, such as rails and simple ramps, and complex work involving structural change to bathrooms, kitchens or entries. Complex modifications need more assessment and more detailed evidence, and involve liaison with builders as well as with you.

The assessment covers your function, how your disability affects daily activities inside your home, the barriers in the current environment, and a clear link from each recommendation back to a functional need and a goal in your plan.

Communication devices and AAC

AAC assessment is a specialised piece of work done by a speech pathologist. It looks at:

• what you need to say day to day, and where and to whom — home, school, workplace, community
• your linguistic skills, and the operational skills needed to run a device
• conversational skills and repair strategies — how to fix a misunderstanding
• the access method — direct touch, switch access, eye gaze, or partner-assisted scanning

Devices are then trialled and compared on portability, vocabulary flexibility, how the vocabulary is organised and ease of use, tested in the settings you actually communicate in.

Once a device is chosen, training covers both you and your communication partners — family, carers, teachers, support workers. An AAC device that only the user understands does not work. The assessment report gives the NDIA the evidence of functional need, expected benefit, and baseline measures and targets so progress with the device can be tracked.

How equipment is funded

If you are an NDIS participant

Assistive technology, equipment and home modifications come from Capital Supports, which is a separate budget from Core and Capacity Building. Key points:

• Capital Supports is the most restricted of the three budgets. Money cannot be moved into it from Core or Capacity Building.
• Items generally need specific approval based on an allied health recommendation, most often from an occupational therapist or physiotherapist.
• Approval is judged against the reasonable and necessary test: related to your disability, likely to be effective, value for money, and taking account of other supports available to you.
• The assessment itself is normally funded from Capacity Building, not Capital. The assessment and the item come from different parts of your plan.

That last point catches people out. Read the NDIS page for how the three budgets work.

If you are an older Australian

Since 1 November 2025 the main in-home aged care programme is Support at Home. It includes an Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme, one of three short-term pathways under the programme, funding equipment and modifications such as grab rails, ramps, stairlifts, mobility aids, bathroom safety changes and smart home technology.

The route in is:

1. Apply for an aged care assessment through My Aged Care, the government's single entry point.
2. Once you are assessed and approved, you can access the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme.
3. An allied health professional — usually an occupational therapist, sometimes a physiotherapist — assesses your needs and recommends the equipment or modification.

See the Support at Home hub and the aged care services pages for more.

Why the assessment has to come first

People often arrive wanting to buy a specific item. Three reasons that is the wrong starting point:

1. The funder will not approve an item without clinical evidence. Capital Supports approvals rest on a clinician's documented recommendation.
2. The obvious item is often the wrong one. The right piece of equipment depends on your function, your environment and your routine. Doorway widths, bathroom layout, fatigue patterns and who is helping you all change the answer.
3. An unsuitable item is a wasted budget and a safety risk. Equipment that does not suit gets abandoned, and equipment that does not fit the space can make things less safe, not more.

An assessment is also the document that justifies the item at your plan reassessment. See functional assessments for how a broader functional capacity assessment fits alongside a specific equipment assessment.

How to start

• Call 1300 771 465 and describe the difficulty you are having, not the product you think you want.
• Make a referral or use the contact page. You can refer yourself, and so can a family member, support coordinator, GP or school.
• Check coverage on the location guide.

Assessments are done where the equipment will be used — usually your home, sometimes school, work or another community setting, because the environment is a large part of what determines the right item.

Have ready: which funding you are using (NDIS, Support at Home, private), and if NDIS, how your plan is managed and roughly what is left in the relevant categories.

Common questions about equipment and assistive technology

Does Bloom sell equipment?

No. Bloom is an allied health service. Its clinicians assess your needs, trial options, prescribe the right item, write the evidence for funding and train you to use it. The item itself is bought from a supplier.

Which part of my NDIS plan pays for equipment?

Capital Supports. It is a separate budget from Core and Capacity Building, and funding cannot be shifted into it from the others. The assessment that recommends the item is usually funded from Capacity Building instead, so two different parts of your plan are involved.

Can I just buy the item and claim it back?

Not generally. Assistive technology through Capital Supports usually needs specific approval based on an allied health recommendation, and the NDIA assesses it against the reasonable and necessary test before funding it. Buying first and asking later risks paying for it yourself. Check with your plan manager or support coordinator before you commit.

Who should assess me — an OT, a physio or a speech pathologist?

It depends on the problem. Occupational therapists cover most daily living equipment and home modifications. Physiotherapists cover mobility aids and equipment tied to movement, transfers and safety. Speech pathologists cover communication devices and AAC. Describe the difficulty when you call and Bloom will match you to the right clinician.

Can I try equipment before it is prescribed?

Yes, and you should. Trialling devices in the settings where you will actually use them is a standard part of the process, and it is how options get compared on the things that matter in practice rather than on a spec sheet.

What is in the assessment report?

A summary of findings on your functional capability, the specific support needs identified, evidence-based recommendations for equipment, practical strategies tied to your goals, and documentation of functional impact explaining why the item is reasonable and necessary for you.

How long does approval take?

That is the funder's timeframe, not Bloom's, and it varies with the complexity and cost of the item. Higher-cost and complex items need more evidence and take longer. Ask about expected timeframes when you book, and start the process well before you need the equipment.

What is the difference between an equipment assessment and a functional capacity assessment?

An equipment or assistive technology assessment recommends a specific item for a specific problem. A functional capacity assessment describes your overall function across all life domains and is used for access requests and plan reassessment. The broader assessment often provides the justification the equipment recommendation relies on.

Are home modifications funded the same way as equipment?

Yes, both come from Capital Supports under the NDIS, and both need an occupational therapist's assessment and evidence. Minor work such as rails and simple ramps is more straightforward than complex structural change to a bathroom or entry, which needs more detailed assessment and liaison with builders.

I am over 65. How do I get equipment?

Through the aged care system, not the NDIS. Apply for an assessment through My Aged Care, and once approved you can access the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme under Support at Home. An occupational therapist or physiotherapist then assesses and recommends.

Will training on the device be provided?

Yes. Training on safe and effective use is part of the prescription process. For communication devices, training extends to your communication partners — family, carers, teachers and support workers — because the device only works if the people around you can use it too.

What does an assessment cost?

Assessments are quoted within the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, and the fee and terms are set out in your service agreement before any work starts. See the pricing page, or call 1300 771 465 for a quote for your situation.