FAQ

Do you do home visits?

We offer a home visit service for local Veterans (with an appropriate DVA referral from their doctor) who live within a reasonable distance of one of our consulting room locations. Relevant DVA conditions apply (ie. if a Veteran is physically able to attend a Dietitian consulting room, they should do this rather than requesting a home visit).

Home visits may also be available for non-DVA clients in exceptional circumstances (eg. house-bound client). Please contact us to discuss your needs and for a quote for this service.

We also do onsite visits to local disability group homes and Aged Care Facilities. We also offer off-site consultations for non-local residential care facilities.

How does an off-site ACF consultation work

How does an off-site aged care resident consultation work?

We provide you with a form to complete which includes a list of additional information also required. Once you have collated this information it can either be faxed or emailed to us. Once we have completed the off-site consultation, a report will be emailed / faxed back to the facility along with the invoice. Please contact us for a quote and/or copy of the off-site consultation request form.

Isn't a face-to-face consultation better than an off-site one for aged care residents?

A face-to-face consultation enables the Dietitian to personally see the physical condition of the resident, to talk to a variety of staff and to see aspects affecting resident intake such as meal plating, dining environment, etc. However, for facilities that have difficulties accessing local Dietitian services, these aspects can be worked around using a variety of techniques. Please contact us for more information about our off-site consultation service or to request this service.

Do the disability clients at the group home where I work need a referral from their doctor to be able to have a dietitian consultation?

If the client is a Veteran they will need an appropriate DVA referral from their doctor to enable the consultation to be bulk-billed. Medicare and some private health funds do require an appropriate Doctor's referral to enable you to claim back your rebate from them: check with your doctor, Medicare, and/or your health fund. Although we do NOT require the client to have a Doctor's referral to be able to see us, it is often very helpful if you ask their doctor for details of any of the following information that is not generally kept at the group home as the nutritional recommendations we make for you need to take these into account: medical history, results of blood tests, allergies and any medications or supplements that you may be taking.

What information is required by the dietitian for a consultation for a disability group home resident or aged care facility resident?

Please ensure the following information is accessible at the time of the consultation:

- past medical history and ongoing / current health problems
- medications
- details including quanitity and frequency of any nutritional supplements taken by the resident
- detailed food intake record or access to a staff member / carer who is able to describe resident's usual intake
- information about levels of physical activity / mobility where relevant
- details of enteral feeding regime, where relevant
- resident's ability to prepare own food, self-feed, etc
- details of Speech Pathologist's swallowing assessments and/or staff observations about swallowing
- details about the usual menu offered to residents
- details regarding which, if any, supplement / enteral feed companies your organisation has a contract with or which brands can be accessed

What is the process of paying for a consultation for a disability group home client or aged care facility resident?

For resident consultations (aged care and disability group home), an invoice will be emailed / posted / faxed after the consultation, usually when the consultation report is forwarded.

Do you see NDIS participants?

Our Dietitians are eligible to consult to NDIS participants who self-manage or who have a Plan Manager. Our Dietitians meet the same quality and safety requirements that are required as part of maintaining registration with NDIS. However, to maintain NDIS registration, Dietitians are now required to pay a fee for an auditor to re-check details that are already checked as part of:
- maintaining status as an eligible provider with Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and;
- maintaining status as an Accredited Practising Dietitian through our professional organisation (the Dietitians Association of Australia).
Our Dietitians were previously registered with NDIS but have chosen to de-register since the introduction of these costs associated with maintaining registration. This means that, while we currently can no longer consult to NDIA-managed participants, we continue to be eligible to consult to NDIS participants who self-manage or who have a Plan Manager.
We will continue to monitor the costs associated with maintaining registration with NDIS and may re-register at some point in the future.

What are the benefits of seeing a Dietitian?

Consulting a Dietitian about your health and well-being can help you / your clients to develop:

- Healthy, balanced eating patterns
- Improved energy levels, feelings of well-being, quality of life as a result of better eating habits
- Better understanding of the best way to eat for specific health problems
- Better tolerance to treatments you / your clients may be undergoing for specific health problems
- Better overall management of specific health problems as a result of eating appropriately to manage those problems

Why should I see an Accredited Practising Dietitian instead of another nutrition consultant?

There are no rules governing the use of the terms Dietitian and Nutritionist. That means that anyone can call themselves a Dietitian or a Nutritionist, even if they have very limited, or even nil nutrition qualifications. In contrast, the terms Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and Accredited Nutritionist (AN) are recognised trademarks of the Dietitians Association of Australia and are protected by law.

Accredited Nutritionists (ANs) are tertiary qualified nutrition professionals that have expertise in a range of nutrition services including public health nutrition, community health and tertiary education related to nutrition. ANs, however, are NOT qualified to provide individual dietary counselling, group therapy and medical nutrition therapy.

Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) are recognised professionals with the qualifications and skills to provide expert nutrition and dietary advice to individuals and groups. They also have clinical training to modify diets to treat health conditions. APDs have sound university qualifications accredited by DAA, undertake ongoing training and education and comply with the Association's guidelines for best practice. They are committed to the DAA Code of Professional Conduct and Statement of Ethical Practice, and to providing quality service. APD is the only national credential recognised by the Australian Government, Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs and most private health funds as the quality standard for nutrition and dietetics services in Australia.

Our Dietitians are all both ANs and APDs. Why risk your health by accepting individualised dietary advice from anyone less qualified than an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD)?

Where are you based?

We are based in Cardiff, NSW.

Are you registered with DVA and Medicare

Are you registered with Medicare and DVA?

Our Dietitians are registered as providers with Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Do you bulk bill?

Approved consultations for eliglible veterans are bulk billed through the Department of Veterans Affairs. If you have NDIS funding or a Medicare referral, you will be required to pay our invoice then claim a rebate through these departments afterwards.