1. The Macquarie Dictionary (on-line) is in similar terms.
2. The Applicant has suffered from the impairment or impairments since about 1995. Life has been a continuing struggle for her.
3. It is apparent from the evidence of the Applicant and P that the Applicant's life has been transformed since they have been in a relationship, and particularly since they began living together. P now oversees in some way almost every aspect of the Applicant's life.
4. The Applicant struggled to manage her life and C's life for some years before she entered that relationship without that degree of oversight and support.
5. The OG clause 8.3 relevantly provides:

Self-care means activities related to personal care, hygiene, grooming and feeding oneself, including showering, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, grooming, caring for own health care needs.

... When considering whether a person requires assistance from others to participate or perform tasks associated with an activity, the NDIA will have regard to whether a person's need for assistance is consistent with normal expectations of a person of a similar age.

1. The Applicant's case in relation to self-care is that the Applicant requires constant reminders about personal care, taking medication, where food and her clothes are kept, is unable to go to a public toilet alone, hurts herself while grooming because of lack of concentration so that her partner undertakes those tasks, has difficulties with cooking and cleaning because of lack of concentration, and is unable to hang washing outside because of fear.
2. The Agency points to the years before the Applicant had the support of P when she managed her life and C's life, and argues that the assistance provided, in summary, is not usually required.
3. The Tribunal accepts the evidence of P and the Applicant about the assistance the Applicant requires. It is not consistent with normal expectations of a person of a similar age.
4. The evidence does not disclose how the Applicant managed before she received the current level of support and assistance she gets from P. That the Applicant struggled and survived before having the current level of assistance does not persuade the Tribunal that she does not require the assistance she is currently receiving.
5. The evidence of Ms T, Dr C and Dr W strongly supports a finding that the Applicant usually requires assistance from other people to participate in the activity or to perform tasks or actions required to undertake or participate in the activity of self-care. Ms T had a therapeutic relationship with the Applicant for more than four years. Dr C has been her general practitioner for more than two years. Dr C's clinical notes reflect that the Applicant had a very close therapeutic relationship with Ms T and that both Ms T and Dr C have a very good understanding of the impact the Applicant's impairments have on her functional capacity, including to undertake self-care. Dr W had been caring for her for a shorter period but has made the same assessment.
6. The Tribunal is persuaded on the evidence that the Applicant "usually requires assistance (including physical assistance, guidance, supervision or prompting) from other people to participate in the activity or to perform tasks or actions required to undertake or participate in" self-care as required by r 5.8(b).
7. The Applicant's impairment or impairments result in substantially reduced functional capacity to undertake self-care. She meets s 24(1)(c) of the Act. It is therefore unnecessary to consider the other activities in dispute, learning and self-management.
8. Having found that the Applicant's impairment or impairments are permanent and that they result in substantially reduced functioning to undertake self-care, the Tribunal finds that she is likely to require the support of the NDIS for her lifetime pursuant to s 24(1)(e) of the Act.
9. The Applicant meets the disability requirements of the Act (s 24).

1. For the above reasons, the reviewable decision dated 15 December 2017 is set aside. In substitution, the Tribunal decides that the Applicant meets the disability requirements of the Act (s 24).

I certify that the preceding 93 (ninety-three) paragraphs are a true copy of the reasons for the decision herein of Mrs J C Kelly, Senior Member.

..................................[SGD]......................................

Mr O Young, Legal Services National Disability Insurance Agency