NDIS Continence and Toileting Support in Melbourne

Continence support is delivered discreetly, respectfully and on your terms. It is among the most personal supports there is, and the way it is provided matters as much as what is provided.

What the support covers

• Assistance with toileting during the day and overnight
• Establishing and maintaining a toileting routine
• Support with continence aids — pads, pull-ups, catheters and drainage systems
• Personal hygiene and thorough skin care after episodes
• Monitoring skin integrity and identifying early signs of breakdown
• Managing and discreetly disposing of used products
• Bowel care programs where these have been clinically prescribed
• Recording patterns where this is being investigated clinically

Start with a continence assessment

If continence has not been formally assessed, that is the first step and it changes outcomes more than any other single action. A continence assessment by a nurse continence specialist identifies the cause, which is often treatable or substantially improvable rather than simply something to be managed indefinitely. It also determines which products actually suit you — the wrong product is a very common and entirely fixable cause of leakage, skin damage and lost confidence.

An assessment produces a plan that everyone supporting you can follow consistently, which is what makes a routine work.

Dignity in practice

Dignity is not a value statement, it is a set of specific behaviours: consistent workers rather than a rotating roster of strangers, asking before acting, doors closed, discreet handling and disposal, no discussion of your care in front of other people, and taking your preferences about who supports you seriously — including preferences about the gender of your worker.

You are entitled to state those preferences and to have them met without having to justify them.

How it is funded

Toileting and continence assistance is funded from Core Supports under Assistance with Daily Life, usually as part of personal care. Continence products themselves are generally funded from the Consumables category of your Core budget. A continence assessment is typically funded from Capacity Building.

Where support involves clinical procedures such as catheter care or a prescribed bowel program, that falls under high intensity supports and requires appropriately trained staff — see our community nursing page.

Common questions

Can I request a worker of a specific gender?
Yes, and you should. It is a reasonable request for personal care and a provider should accommodate it as a matter of course.

Can the NDIS fund continence products?
Generally yes, through the Consumables category, where the need is disability-related. A continence assessment supports both the funding request and the choice of product.

Is overnight support available?
Yes. Overnight support is available subject to participant needs, staffing availability and an appropriate support plan. We discuss overnight requirements with the participant and their Support Coordinator to ensure the appropriate level of support is arranged.