A care needs assessment describes the support one particular person requires now and is likely to need in future. Professionals base it on direct observation and medical opinion, then cost each item. A diagnosis alone does not determine the result.
Understanding daily needs
Assessors look at what a person can and cannot do across an ordinary day, including feeding, toileting, mobility, sleep, communication, behaviour and supervision. They usually compare this with what is typical for a child of the same age, because younger children need care regardless of any injury.
Night-time care, two-person handling and supervision for safety are often underestimated by families, so describing them accurately matters.
Therapy, equipment and housing
Recommendations may cover physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, psychology, mobility aids, communication devices, adapted vehicles and home modifications. Each item usually needs a clinical reason, an expected replacement interval and a source for its cost.
Who carries out the assessments
Occupational therapists commonly prepare care reports, often drawing on treating therapists and medical experts. Other specialists may assess particular areas such as seating, housing or communication technology. Families contribute through interviews and observation sessions.
- Occupational therapist care and equipment report
- Treating therapy progress reports
- Specialist medical opinion on prognosis and life expectancy, where relevant
Planning for future changes
Needs shift over a lifetime: starting school, adolescence, leaving school, adult living arrangements and the time when parents can no longer provide care. Assessors often wait until a child's condition is clearer before finalising recommendations, which can affect when a claim is ready to resolve.
Evidence of costs
Costs are usually drawn from current provider rates, supplier quotes and actual expenses already incurred, not from generic averages for a diagnosis. Funding from schemes such as the NDIS, and compensation-related recovery rules, may interact with a damages award. These interactions need specific legal advice, and current official guidance should be checked.
For your next conversation
- Current NDIS plan and any reviews
- Treating therapist reports and goals
- Quotes for equipment, vehicles or home modifications
- A description of a typical day and night of care
- Your decisions or preferences about future living arrangements
Common questions
Why can't our lawyer use a standard cost figure for cerebral palsy?
Cerebral palsy and other birth-related conditions vary enormously from one person to the next. A claim must be based on the actual person's needs, abilities and circumstances, supported by individual assessment and current cost evidence, rather than on an average for a diagnosis.
How does NDIS funding affect a care claim?
Compensation and NDIS support can interact, and compensation may affect future NDIS funding. The NDIS publishes a calculator and guidance on this, but the rules are changing. Ask your lawyer to explain the current position before you consider any settlement.
Sources & further reading
- NDIS: compensation calculator (opens in a new tab)
- Services Australia: Medicare compensation recovery (opens in a new tab)
These references support the topic’s starting points. They do not determine the facts, standard of care or law applicable to an individual matter.