NDIS guide
NDIS and dementia: a complete guide
Who can get the NDIS, the evidence that helps, how to apply and what it can fund. Explained in plain language by people who work in dementia every day.
11 minute read · Last reviewed: October 2026
Clear answers when you need them most.
Can someone with dementia get the NDIS?
Often, yes. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) supports people with a permanent disability that has a big impact on everyday life. Dementia is permanent. Because it changes how a person thinks, remembers, communicates and manages each day, it can meet that test.
Age is the deciding rule. A person must be younger than 65 on the day they apply. That's why the NDIS matters most for people living with young onset dementia, which starts before 65.
A diagnosis on its own isn't enough. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which runs the NDIS, looks at how the condition affects the person's daily life. Good evidence makes the difference, and this guide explains what helps.
The NDIS is changing over the next few years, and we keep up with every change so we can tell you plainly what it means for your family.
The NDIS access checklist
To become an NDIS participant, a person needs to meet all of these.
- Younger than 65 on the day they apply
- Living in Australia, and making it their home
- An Australian citizen, a permanent resident or the holder of a Protected Special Category visa (a visa held by some New Zealand citizens)
- A disability caused by an impairment that is, or is likely to be, permanent
- The impairment substantially reduces their ability to do everyday things: communicating, socialising, learning, moving around, looking after themselves or managing daily life
- The disability affects their ability to work, study or take part in social life
- They are likely to need NDIS support for the rest of their life
This is a summary. The NDIA makes every access decision. Check the current rules at ndis.gov.au or call the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
Dementia before 65
Young onset dementia and the NDIS
Young onset dementia is dementia that starts before the age of 65. Many people are still working, raising children or paying off a home when the first changes appear. The NDIS is for people under 65, which is why it matters so much at this stage of life.
Getting a diagnosis can take time, because early signs are often put down to stress, depression or menopause. If the person is getting close to 65, start the application early. The age rule is based on the day the application is made, so it must go in before their 65th birthday.
What evidence helps
The NDIA needs to understand two things: what the condition is, and how it affects daily life. The strongest applications include several of these.
Diagnosis from a specialist.
A letter or report from a neurologist, geriatrician, psychogeriatrician or psychiatrist confirming the diagnosis and the type of dementia, and that it is permanent and progressive.
Functional reports.
Reports from the health professionals who know the person, describing what they can and can't do day to day, with real examples.
OT functional capacity assessment.
An occupational therapist's functional capacity assessment (FCA) looks at daily living in detail: personal care, meals, safety, getting around and managing money.
Neuropsychology report.
Testing of memory, thinking, language and planning that shows the size of the change in a way other reports can't.
GP letter.
A letter from the GP covering the person's history, the treatments tried and how things have changed over time.
Carer statements.
A written account from family of a typical day and week: what they now do for the person and what has changed. It sits alongside the health reports and helps the NDIA see the full picture.
Be specific and describe how things are now. "Needs reminders" says very little. "Needs prompting for every step of showering, and has left the stove on several times this month" shows the real level of support. The NDIA also has a supporting evidence form that a treating health professional can complete.
How to apply
Contact the NDIA or a partner.
Call the NDIA on 1800 800 110, or contact your local NDIS partner, also called a local area coordinator (LAC). They explain the process and the evidence needed.
Make an access request.
Complete the access request form. Family can help, and a representative can complete parts of it for the person.
Add supporting evidence.
Reports from the treating health professionals, plus any assessments you already have. Send everything together if you can.
Get the decision.
The NDIA writes to you. Its published timeframe is 90 days once it has the application and all the evidence.
Planning meeting.
If the person is eligible, an NDIA planner meets with you to talk through needs and goals and go over the first plan. The NDIA aims to approve a first plan within 56 days.
What the NDIS can fund for someone living with dementia
Every plan is different, and the NDIA decides what is reasonable and necessary for each person. Plans for people living with dementia often include supports like these. Each card links to how we provide it.
Specialist Support Coordination
A specialist coordinator who sets up the plan, connects the right providers and steps in when things change.
Dementia Home Care
Help at home with personal care, meals, the house, outings and overnight support, from a dementia trained worker.
Supported Independent Living
Support in the home, often 24 hours a day. Our homes are 1:1 and 2:1 only, in 10 regions.
Medium Term Accommodation
Somewhere to live for up to 90 days while a long term home is arranged, often after a hospital stay.
Short Term Accommodation and Respite
A break for families and a supported stay for the person, in a respite home or at home.
Community Nursing
Registered Nurse led care for health needs linked to disability, in Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and Toowoomba.
High Intensity and Complex Care
Support for complex health needs and changed behaviours, including 2:1 support.
Community Participation
Keeping up work, sport, hobbies, friendships and routines, with a dementia trained worker.
Other supports a plan can include
- Allied health, such as occupational therapy, speech pathology, physiotherapy and dietetics
- Assistive technology, such as reminder and safety devices, mobility aids and equipment for showering and toileting
- Home modifications, such as grab rails, ramps and safer bathrooms
- Behaviour support from a behaviour support practitioner
- Transport to get out and about
The NDIS doesn't fund everything. Medical treatment, medicines and hospital care come through the health system. Day to day living costs, such as rent, food and bills, are paid by the person.
How your plan can be managed
Every NDIS plan says how the funding is managed. There are three options, and one plan can mix them.
NDIA managed.
Also called agency managed. The NDIA pays providers directly. Only registered NDIS providers can be used.
Plan managed.
A plan manager pays providers and keeps the records. Registered and unregistered providers can be used.
Self managed.
The participant, or their nominee or representative, pays providers and keeps the records. Registered and unregistered providers can be used. This option comes with the most paperwork.
Dementia Care Queensland is a registered NDIS provider, so we work with all three. You can ask the NDIA to change how a plan is managed at any time.
Turning 65
What happens at 65
If a person becomes an NDIS participant before 65, they can stay in the NDIS after their birthday. Nothing changes just because of their age.
They can also choose to leave and move to the aged care system, but they can't use both at once. Moving permanently into residential aged care for the first time after 65, or being approved for aged care services at home after 65, means leaving the NDIS. Get advice before deciding.
People who are already 65 or older and aren't participants can't apply for the NDIS. They usually get support through the aged care system instead.
Hospital to Home
Already in hospital?
If your family member is in hospital and can't go home yet, the NDIS can fund medium term accommodation for up to 90 days while their long term home is arranged, when they're eligible for supports such as Supported Independent Living (SIL) or home modifications. Our Hospital to Home pathway takes it from there. We meet the person on the ward, attend discharge meetings at no charge and source a medium term home in 5 to 7 days.
How Dementia Care Queensland helps
A free first conversation.
Call any time, day or night. A dementia specialist listens, explains your options and tells you what we'd suggest. There's no cost and no obligation.
Help gathering evidence.
We explain which reports make the biggest difference and who can write them, and we help you pull together what you already have.
Coordination from day one.
Once the plan is in place, our services work as one team around the person, with one named contact for the family.
You don't need an NDIS plan, or even a diagnosis, to call us.
This guide is general information about the NDIS, current at the date shown above. It isn't legal or financial advice. For decisions about a person's access or plan, contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
Questions about the NDIS and dementia
Let's work it out together.
Call any time for a free conversation with a dementia specialist, or send an enquiry and we'll call you back the same business day.