Karista frequently asked questions

Karista helps participants and families connect with health, disability, aged care and mental health services. This may include allied health, therapy supports, support coordination, daily living supports, home-based services and other provider services depending on your needs, goals, funding and location.

Karista reviews your needs, location, funding type, preferences and goals, then helps match you with suitable providers. The aim is to reduce the time and stress involved in finding support, especially when availability, waitlists and service suitability are hard to compare.

No. If you are unsure, Karista can help you understand what type of support may be suitable based on your goals, funding, current challenges and the information you provide.

Yes. Many participants need more than one type of support. Karista can help identify suitable service options and connect you with providers who may support different needs, such as therapy, daily living, behaviour support, mental health or aged care services.

Karista helps connect people with suitable providers. In many cases, the service itself is delivered by external providers in Karista's network or marketplace.

Where possible, Karista helps you understand available provider options so you can make an informed choice. Availability, location, funding type and service requirements may affect which providers are suitable.

Some providers offer home-based services, telehealth or online appointments depending on the service type, location and provider availability. Karista can help check which delivery options may suit your needs.

Yes. Karista can help NDIS participants find services that align with their plan, goals, funding categories and support needs.

NDIS funding may be self-managed, plan-managed or NDIA-managed, sometimes called agency-managed. Provider options may depend on how your NDIS plan is managed and which support budgets are included in your plan.

Self-managed means you manage your own NDIS funding and provider payments. Plan-managed means a registered plan manager helps manage invoices and payments. NDIA-managed means the NDIA pays and manages providers and financial records on your behalf.

Yes. Karista can help plan-managed and self-managed participants find providers that may be suitable for their needs, goals, funding and preferences.

Yes, but provider choice may depend on whether a provider can support NDIA-managed participants. Karista can help check this as part of the matching process.

Yes. If you provide your NDIS plan or relevant information from it, Karista can use those details to better understand your goals, funding and support needs.

No. Funding decisions depend on your NDIS plan, budget, support category, goals and NDIS rules. Karista can help you find suitable services, but funding use should be confirmed with your plan manager, support coordinator, LAC or the NDIA where needed.

Yes. Karista can help older people and families explore services that support independence, safety and wellbeing at home.

Support at Home is the Australian Government in-home aged care program that helps older people stay living at home for longer. It replaced the Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025.

Home Care Packages have transitioned into Support at Home. Some people may still use the term Home Care Package, but the current program is Support at Home.

Support at Home may help with services, equipment, products and home modifications that support independence at home. This may include help with everyday tasks, health and wellbeing supports, personal care, allied health, nursing, transport or home safety, depending on assessment and eligibility.

Yes. Karista can help connect older Australians and their families with suitable providers based on location, service needs, urgency and funding.

Government-funded aged care generally requires eligibility and assessment through My Aged Care. Karista can help you think through service needs, but assessment and funding approval are managed through the aged care system.

Yes. Karista can help people find suitable mental health support, including psychology or counselling services where available.

A Mental Health Treatment Plan is prepared by a GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician. It can allow eligible people to claim Medicare benefits for mental health services.

Yes. To access Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions under a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you generally need a referral from a GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician.

Yes. Karista can help you find suitable mental health providers based on your needs, location, availability, funding and preferences.

Sometimes a person may access different supports through different funding pathways. Medicare, NDIS and private funding each have different rules. Karista can help identify service options, but funding eligibility should be confirmed with the relevant funder or provider.

Karista can support people with disability, older Australians, people seeking mental health support, families, carers, support coordinators and referrers looking for suitable services.

Helpful information includes your location, service type, funding type, age, goals, urgency, preferred appointment style, and any documents such as an NDIS plan, referral, report or care plan.

Karista reviews the information you provide, identifies suitable service options, and may contact you or the provider to help progress the referral or enquiry.

Yes. A family member, carer, guardian, nominee, support coordinator, GP, school or allied health professional can help submit a request where appropriate consent and relevant information are provided.

Karista can help identify suitable options, but availability depends on provider capacity and service type. For emergencies or immediate risk, contact emergency services or crisis support.

Finding the right provider can depend on service type, funding, location, age requirements, goals and provider availability. Karista helps simplify the process by identifying suitable options based on your individual needs.

Karista considers factors such as service type, location, funding compatibility, age suitability, provider capacity, wait times and participant preferences to help identify suitable provider options.

Availability varies depending on service type and location, but Karista aims to help identify providers with current capacity or shorter wait times where possible.

Karista may help identify nearby providers, alternative service options or telehealth services where available.

Karista helps participants search for suitable providers based on location, funding type, service needs and provider availability.

When comparing providers, consider experience, service quality, wait times, funding compatibility, communication style, therapy approach and location. Karista helps simplify this by identifying providers that align with participant needs.

Where possible, Karista can help identify providers that align with language, cultural or communication preferences.

Karista may help participants connect with occupational therapists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, behaviour support practitioners and other allied health providers depending on availability.

Yes. Karista can help families explore therapy options for children depending on the participant's needs and available providers.

Yes. Adult participants may access a range of allied health and support services depending on their goals and funding.

Some providers may offer flexible service delivery options depending on the participant's needs and provider capabilities.

Yes. Providers can work with Karista to receive suitable referrals based on their services, locations, funding types, capacity and intake preferences.

Karista considers factors such as service type, location, funding compatibility, age suitability, provider availability, delivery mode and participant needs.

Provider availability is important for accurate matching. Providers should keep Karista informed about capacity, wait times, service changes, regions and referral preferences.

Yes. Providers can review referrals and determine whether they are suitable based on capacity, clinical fit, location, funding and service scope.

Yes. Karista can help providers reach participants who are actively looking for services, while also improving referral quality and operational efficiency.

Karista takes privacy and data security seriously. Information you provide is used to help understand your needs and connect you with suitable services. Sensitive information should only be shared where it is relevant to your request.

Yes. If you are submitting information on behalf of another person, you should have appropriate consent or authority to do so.

You may be able to provide documents such as a NDIS plan, referral, report, Mental Health Care Plan, aged care information or other relevant details that help explain your needs.

Karista can help you understand possible pathways, but eligibility and claiming rules are determined by the NDIS, aged care system, Medicare, insurers or providers.

Karista helps people find and connect with suitable health, disability, aged care and mental health services. Karista's role is to make the process easier, faster and more informed.

Finding services can be time-consuming, especially when providers have different waitlists, locations, funding rules and intake criteria. Karista helps simplify the process by matching your needs with suitable provider options.

Karista may use technology, structured information and AI-enabled tools to assist with understanding documents, service needs or potential service matches. The purpose is to support better matching and reduce manual effort, not to replace human decision-making where review is needed.

Yes. Karista is designed to help with a wide range of situations, including complex support needs, multiple services, different funding types or difficulty finding providers with availability.

Karista can help across Australia, depending on provider coverage and service availability. Availability may vary by region, but Karista can help explore local, nearby or telehealth options where suitable.

Rather than simply listing providers, Karista helps identify suitable matches based on funding, goals, availability and participant needs.