NDIS currently covers Australians with disability until they turn 65. What happens after that, and how to navigate the transition from NDIS to aged care, is one of the more stressful things participants and their families face. Planning ahead makes it more manageable.

This article walks through what changes at 65, ageing-related changes during NDIS years, and how the transition to aged care actually works.

What happens at 65 under NDIS

The headline rule: if you're an NDIS participant before you turn 65, you can stay on NDIS for life. You don't get pushed off when you hit 65. You can choose to move to aged care if you want, but you don't have to.

The reasoning: forcing people off NDIS at 65 would mean disrupting supports they've built over years, often resulting in worse outcomes. So NDIS participants approaching 65 face a choice, not a forced transition.

What changes practically when an NDIS participant reaches 65:

You can apply to remain on NDIS — usually a straightforward declaration to your planner.

Your plan continues with the same general approach.

You're no longer eligible to apply for NDIS access (if you weren't already on it). Aged care becomes the only pathway.

Some specific NDIS supports that don't have aged care equivalents (e.g. SDA, specialised community participation) become more important to lock in before transition decisions.

For participants who haven't accessed NDIS before 65, the system is closed. Aged care via My Aged Care is the available pathway. Limited exceptions exist for cases where NDIA itself unreasonably delayed earlier applications, but these are hard to argue.

Even if you stay on NDIS, ageing changes things. Common patterns:

Disability stays similar but capacity for self-care declines. Independent activities become harder. More personal care support needed.

New conditions emerge. Arthritis, cardiovascular disease, dementia, age-related sensory decline. These layer on top of existing disability.

Energy levels reduce. Activities that were manageable take more out of you. Recovery from setbacks is slower.

Family carers age too. The 70-year-old parent caring for their 45-year-old disabled child can't sustain that level of caring at 80. Carer-related changes drive plan adjustments.

Cognitive changes. Some disabilities are associated with earlier cognitive decline. Plans need to accommodate this.

Social networks change. Friends and family die or move into aged care themselves. Community connections need active maintenance.

These changes mean NDIS plans for older participants often need to grow in some areas (personal care, support coordination, community participation) even as they may shrink in others (employment-related supports, intensive capacity building).

Planning ahead for changing needs

If you're an NDIS participant in your 50s or early 60s, some forward planning matters:

Document evidence of disability impact while ageing. As ageing affects function, get reports from health professionals documenting the change. This supports later plan reviews.

Build a coordination relationship. Long-term coordinators who know your situation are valuable as ageing complicates things.

Think about carer succession. If informal carers are also ageing, plan for their reduced capacity. Don't assume infinite family support.

Lock in NDIS-specific supports. SDA, SIL, and specific NDIS-funded items don't have aged care equivalents at the same level. If these are relevant, securing them before 65 matters.

Consider a longer-term plan structure. NDIS allows plans of up to three years for stable participants. Longer plans reduce review-related disruption.

Maintain provider relationships. Long-standing providers know your history. Building new provider relationships in your 70s is harder than maintaining existing ones.

What the transition to aged care looks like

For participants who choose to move from NDIS to aged care, or who didn't get on NDIS before 65 and need disability support:

Step 1: Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) assessment. Through My Aged Care, ACAT assesses your needs and recommends a care level — Home Care Package level 1-4, residential aged care, transition care, or other services.

Step 2: Service approval and waitlist. Home Care Packages have waitlists, sometimes long. Approval doesn't equal immediate service.

Step 3: Provider selection. You choose an aged care provider to deliver services within your assigned package.

Step 4: Service delivery. Services start within the package framework.

The differences from NDIS:

Aged care has lower funding caps. Level 4 Home Care Package is about $66,000/year — significantly less than typical NDIS plans for participants with significant disability.

Less participant control. Aged care providers play a larger role in choosing and delivering supports.

Different framework. Aged care is built around the assumption of decline; NDIS is built around capacity-building.

Different specific services. Aged care has things NDIS doesn't (residential care, certain medical-adjacent services). NDIS has things aged care doesn't (capacity building, SDA, support coordination at NDIS-funded levels).

For most NDIS participants approaching 65, staying on NDIS is the better option if your support needs are significant enough to justify it. The exceptions are participants whose needs are mostly age-related rather than disability-related, or who genuinely prefer the aged care service model.

Frequently asked questions

I'm 64 and have been on NDIS for years. Will I be moved to aged care at 65?

No. You can choose to stay on NDIS. Most participants in this position do.

I'm 67, have a disability my whole life, but never applied for NDIS. Can I now?

Generally no. NDIS access closes at 65. Aged care is the available pathway. Limited exceptions exist for cases where NDIA delayed earlier applications inappropriately, but these are hard to argue.

My parent is 70 and just had a stroke. NDIS or aged care?

Aged care. Disability acquired after 65 is supported through aged care, not NDIS, even if the resulting disability profile would have qualified for NDIS pre-65.

Can I use both NDIS and aged care?

Generally not for the same purposes. There's a small overlap window during transition, but the systems aren't designed to be used together long-term.

What about residential aged care for an NDIS participant who chooses aged care?

If you transition fully from NDIS to aged care, you can access residential aged care like any aged care recipient. NDIS-funded participants can't use residential aged care while staying on NDIS.

My disabled son is 50 and I'm 80 and I'm worried about what happens when I can't care for him anymore. What do I do?

Start planning now. Talk to a specialised support coordinator about long-term arrangements. Consider whether SIL or other accommodation arrangements need to be set up while you're still able to be involved in the transition. Your son's NDIS plan should be evolving toward greater independence from your direct caring.

If you're approaching 65 or thinking about the longer-term implications of ageing on disability support, contact Seareal. We work with NDIS participants across all ages and we can help you think through what the next chapter looks like.