'Emaciated' woman never accessed NDIS funding despite approval, inquest told

A woman with an intellectual disability who weighed just 40 kilograms at the time of her death never accessed the $75,000 in National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support she was entitled to, a coronial inquest has heard.

The South Australian inquest into the September 2022 death of Nancy White will explore how the NDIS can improve its systems to make it more accessible to those who have been granted funding.

Deputy State Coroner Emma Roper today opened the inquest into the death of the 50-year-old, who had been under the full-time care of her brother Norman White.

The inquest heard that Ms White had an intellectual disability, limited mobility and minimal verbal communication.

It also heard that Ms White was "emaciated" at the time of her death and weighed 40kg.

The post-mortem examination concluded the cause of death was acute peritonitis caused by a traumatic bowel perforation.

Counsel assisting Laura Crase told the court that Ms White had previously been hospitalised in 2021 with septic shock and intubated for two weeks in the intensive care unit.

She said that during the admission, a social worker at the hospital applied for NDIS funding on Ms White's behalf, which was approved shortly after.

"At the time of her death, Ms White was eligible to access $75,000 in NDIS funding to support her to live in the community. However, she never accessed any of that funding,"

Ms Crase said.

"Mr Norman White later explained that he did not take the steps necessary to access this funding for Nancy, he just 'took care of everything himself' and he was not very good at reading."

Giving evidence on Monday, Ms White's niece Rachel Dorsett said she had offered to help her uncle complete the NDIS paperwork.

"It just never eventuated," she said.

'Hypothermic' and in 'emaciated condition'

Ms Dorsett said she understood Mr White's reading and writing skills to be limited and felt "in her opinion" that he was reluctant to engage with the NDIS.

"I think it was all too much and too overwhelming,"

she said.

"[It could have been] because it is a lot of paperwork and it is a lot of reading, and it is a lot of engaging with people you don't know and telling them things … because that doesn't come naturally to everyone.

"It might've been a little bit of a pride thing."

Ms Dorsett added that Mr White and his sister were "pretty close".

"I used to hear him tell her stories … [and] he was always trying to keep her involved, I guess," she said.

"He always called her 'sweetheart' as well."

Ms Crase said the inquest would explore ways to safeguard people in Ms White's situation and ensure they, along with carers, got access to NDIS support they had been granted.

Ms Crase added that it would also investigate the circumstances of Ms White's death.

The court heard that paramedics had been called to a Reynella home on the morning of September 5, 2022, where they found Ms White "in an emaciated condition".

"She was hypothermic, had bruising to her face and abdomen,"

Ms Crase said.

"The paramedics were concerned that her room was cold and there were insufficient blankets on her bed to keep her warm.

"Her bed linen, pillows and jumper were heavily soiled with vomit."

Ms Crase told the court that Mr White told the paramedics that "he had tried to set up assistance with the NDIS" but that it was "difficult".