Diabetes Management Supports and the NDIS: What You Need to Know

Managing diabetes can be complex, especially if you also live with a disability. While diabetes care is usually handled through Australia’s health system, the NDIS can fund some supports if your disability makes managing diabetes harder or unsafe.



This guide breaks down what the NDIS does (and doesn’t) cover, what evidence is needed, and how participants can access the right support.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a long-term health condition that affects how your body turns sugar (glucose) into energy. It happens when your body can’t make enough insulin or can’t use it properly.

There are two main types:

• Type 1 Diabetes – where the body produces little or no insulin, often diagnosed in childhood
  
• Type 2 Diabetes – the most common type, where the body becomes resistant to insulin, usually diagnosed later in life
  
  

Managing diabetes often includes:

• Monitoring blood glucose levels
  
• Taking insulin or medication
  
• Managing food, exercise, and stress
  
• Regular check-ins with doctors and diabetes educators
  
  

For many people, these tasks are manageable. But if you have a disability that impacts your ability to safely manage diabetes, the NDIS may help.



Diabetes and Disability: The Overlap

Diabetes is a common chronic health condition in Australia, and people with disability are more likely to be affected than the general population.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW):

• Around 1 in 4 people with disability are living with diabetes
  
• This is nearly double the rate compared to people without disability
  
• The risk is even higher among those with limited mobility or complex health needs
  
  

This higher rate is often due to factors like reduced physical activity, medication side effects, changes in metabolism, and challenges accessing routine healthcare.

That’s why having the right supports in place, whether through the health system or the NDIS, is so important for safe, effective diabetes management.

What the NDIS Can Fund

The NDIS doesn’t replace the healthcare system, but it can fund disability-related health supports to help with diabetes if your disability makes self-management difficult or unsafe.



Supports the NDIS may fund include:

A nurse to:

• Develop a disability-specific diabetes care plan
  
• Provide insulin injections (if your needs are complex or unstable)
  
• Monitor your condition and update your care plan
  
  

A support worker to:

• Prompt or assist with blood glucose testing
  
• Support food preparation or meal routines
  
• Help with insulin delivery (if trained and delegated by a nurse)
  
  

Training for your support workers

• Delivered by a nurse to safely assist with tasks like insulin or glucose monitoring
  
• Refresher training may also be funded annually
  
  

Assistive technology or equipment

• Some diabetes-related devices (e.g. safety aids, glucose monitors)
  
• Must be justified as disability-related and not already covered by NDSS, National Diabetes Services Scheme or Medicare through a chronic disease management plan.

What the NDIS Doesn’t Fund

The NDIS will not fund:

• Your regular diabetes medications or insulin (PBS covers this)
  
• Diabetes education, diagnosis, or treatment provided through the health system
  
• Devices already available under the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS)
  
• Everyday health supports not related to your disability

What Is Delegated Care?

Some diabetes tasks, like insulin injections or blood glucose testing, are healthcare tasks. In these cases, a registered nurse may create a care plan and train your support worker to perform these tasks safely. This is called delegated care.

The NDIS may fund both the nurse to provide the training and the support worker to deliver the care.

This option helps participants avoid relying only on expensive clinical care if the support can be delivered in-home safely.

What If I Need a Nurse?

If your diabetes is unstable or you can’t self-manage with a support worker, the NDIS may fund regular care from a registered nurse, especially when:

• You need help with insulin titration or blood glucose fluctuations
  
• You have additional disability-related health risks
  
• You require complex or high-risk diabetes care
  
  

You’ll need strong evidence from your medical team to request this.

What About Children?

For children with diabetes, the NDIS generally expects parents to manage care. However, if your child has a disability that makes this harder or requires extra support, the NDIS may fund:

• Support worker assistance for daily routines
  
• Disability-specific care plans
  
• Support for families experiencing fatigue or complexity

What About Diabetes Equipment for Home?

The NDIS may fund some diabetes-related assistive technology if:

• It’s not already funded through NDSS or Medicare
  
• It helps reduce your reliance on paid supports
  
• It is clinically recommended and linked to your NDIS goals
  
  

Examples could include:

• Modified glucose testing kits
  
• Alarms or timers for blood sugar checks
  
• Safety equipment for independent insulin delivery
  
• Communication tools to support non-verbal participants with diabetes
  
  

Always discuss your needs with an OT, diabetes educator or your Support Coordinator.

How to Request Diabetes Supports in Your Plan

To apply for diabetes-related supports, make sure to:

1. Speak with your GP or specialist about your Diabetes Care Plan
   
2. Collect clinical evidence showing how your disability affects your ability to manage diabetes
   
3. Include goals in your plan related to health, independence, or self-management
   
4. Ask your Support Coordinator to help present a clear, NDIS-aligned case

Final Thoughts

The NDIS won’t replace your doctor or diabetes team, but it can fund additional supports if your disability makes managing diabetes harder or unsafe.

These supports are about making daily health tasks easier, not replacing healthcare, but enhancing independence.

Based in Port Lincoln, Supporting the Eyre Peninsula and Beyond

At Empowrd, we support participants with:

• Local NDIS Support Coordination across the Eyre Peninsula — from Ceduna and Whyalla to Kimba, Streaky Bay, Tumby Bay, and beyond.
• Plan Management (Available Australia-wide)
  
• Help prepare funding requests and plan reviews
  
  

Call or send an enquiry. We’re here to help you feel confident, connected, and in control.