At 11pm, a daughter sits at the kitchen table with six browser tabs open. Her mother's NDIS plan renewal is weeks away, and she cannot tell whether to call a nurse, a product supplier or a hospital clinic. The listings look alike. They do not do the same job.
Incontinence support in Australia arrives through different doors: an NDIS plan, a My Aged Care package, a GP or public referral, a private booking, or product supply with no assessment attached. That last route trips people up, because several well-ranked listings are suppliers, not clinical assessors. A supplier sells pads and aids. An assessor examines bladder and bowel patterns, mobility and daily routines, then writes the clinical reasoning that funding requests need. This roundup groups ten services by how you get in, so you can match the listing to the door you already have.
Before booking, confirm eligibility, location, fees and whether the service provides an assessment or only products. If you are unsure where to start, the National Continence Helpline can explain support options, and the NDIS publishes guidance on the evidence required for continence-related assistive technology.
Table of Contents
- 1. Nursing Assessment Australia
- 2. National Continence Helpline, Continence Health Australia
- 3. Continence Nurses Australia
- 4. Health N Home
- 5. Community Nurse Service
- 6. Quality Continence Management Professionals
- 7. Monash Health Community Continence Service
- 8. The Royal Melbourne Hospital Continence Service
- 9. Independence Australia
- 10. Aleva
- How the main incontinence support options differ
- Make the First Call Before Buying Another Pack
1. Nursing Assessment Australia
Access route: NDIS or aged-care assessment, booked directly by phone.
Nursing Assessment Australia is a clinical assessor, not a product supplier. It provides continence nursing assessments for NDIS participants and aged-care clients, along with fall risk assessments. The point of an assessment is not only to recommend a more absorbent pad. A nurse looks at bladder and bowel patterns, health history, medicines, mobility, daily routines and whether the person can reach and use the toilet safely. That broader view can clarify whether the main difficulty is leakage, access, transfers, prompting or a combination.
The distinction matters for funding requests. The NDIS continence-related assistive-technology assessment guidance calls for evidence about existing or trialled products, how often they're used, the participant's circumstances and clinical reasoning from a treating health professional. A clear report connects the functional impact and recommended support to the person's disability-related needs and regular daily life.
Severe incontinence often sits alongside wider limits on daily activity, which is why a quick product recommendation rarely covers what an assessor records.
Practical rule: Record what happens during daily care, not just the product someone uses. Note toileting assistance, night-time needs, skin concerns and what happens when support isn't available.
Nursing Assessment Australia's resource page on NDIS continence assessment funding can help families understand what documentation to prepare before the appointment. For enquiries, call 0428 936 632.
2. National Continence Helpline, Continence Health Australia
Access route: Free phone advice, no referral needed.
A family can ring three services in one afternoon and still not know who assesses the person. The National Continence Helpline exists for that problem. A nurse gives confidential advice about bladder and bowel management, products, treatment and funding pathways such as NDIS, CAPS and My Aged Care, and can point callers towards local services.
What the helpline will not do is replace a full individual clinical assessment or provide ongoing treatment. It sorts options. Phone support runs Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm AEST/AEDT, and the line closes on national public holidays. Interpreter access and the National Relay Service are available, and callers can arrange a call-back rather than waiting on hold.
The call earns its keep before a funding application or a product purchase, when the question is which kind of professional to approach. Many people living with incontinence never reach an assessment at all, and a free conversation lowers the first barrier. For participants already in the scheme, the NDIS continence provider list names providers the nurse may direct you towards. I usually suggest this call before paying privately for anything.
Call with a short description of the problem, the person's living arrangement and the support already in place. That gives the nurse a practical starting point for saying which service to approach next.
3. Continence Nurses Australia
Access route: Private booking, eligible NDIS support or some home-care arrangements.
Continence Nurses Australia offers home and telehealth appointments, with follow-through beyond product suggestions. Its work can include an individual bladder and bowel management plan, product trials, care-team coordination and catheter education or clinical catheter management. That makes it a stronger fit for someone who needs an assessment and an ongoing plan than for a family looking to order pads.
An initial assessment typically takes about two hours, and assessment, planning and treatment may take five to ten hours depending on complexity, according to the service's information. Ask how those stages are arranged and what the likely total cost will be if you're paying privately.
The main trade-off is location. In-person coverage is based around Doreen, Victoria, and travel costs may apply beyond 10 km. Telehealth can help people outside the local area, but it won't suit every assessment, especially where the nurse needs to understand the home environment or observe a care task.
If catheter support is part of the need, explain that when booking rather than assuming every continence appointment includes catheter management. Confirm funding eligibility, appointment format and any travel charges before you commit.
4. Health N Home
Access route: Community nursing appointment, telehealth or product supply.
Health N Home combines continence nursing with related community services. It offers assessment for urinary and bowel concerns, as well as catheter management, bowel care, wound care and care training. For families coordinating several needs, using one provider for related nursing support may be more practical than arranging each service separately.
In-person appointments are listed for Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, while telehealth is available across Australia. The provider also offers continence products and product quotes. Check whether the appointment will involve a clinical assessment, a product discussion or both, because product supply alone won't explain the cause of leakage or identify other care needs.
The Health N Home service doesn't state pricing or appointment availability in the information provided. Telehealth also needs a suitability check: a conversation may be enough for some concerns, while other situations call for an in-person view of mobility, toileting access or care routines.
When you contact the service, describe the person's location and whether catheter care, bowel care or wound support is also needed. Ask which parts can be handled in one appointment and what the fees cover.
5. Community Nurse Service
Access route: Home nursing in parts of Queensland, with telehealth potentially available elsewhere.
A home assessment can be useful when the practical barrier is visible only in the person's own bathroom or bedroom. Community Nurse Service lists in-home continence assessments in Wide Bay, the Fraser Coast, Brisbane's northern suburbs and parts of the Sunshine Coast. It may offer telehealth for people in outlying areas.
The service can assess, write reports and liaise with GPs, specialists and other providers. Its funding information describes pathways including NDIS, DVA, home-care funding, private health funds and private payment. A report can help a care team work from the same picture, but families should still confirm that the report is suitable for the specific plan review or funding request they're preparing.
Face-to-face coverage is geographically limited, and telehealth may not be appropriate for every person or assessment. The service doesn't specify fees or current appointment waits in the information provided, so ask directly before arranging a visit.
If a family member is helping with catheter routines, helping loved ones manage catheter care may also help them prepare practical questions for the nurse.
6. Quality Continence Management Professionals
Access route: Regional nursing service in South East Queensland, or telehealth.
Quality Continence Management Professionals, or QCMP, focuses on disability and aged-care needs in South East Queensland. Its assessment looks beyond symptoms to daily routines, medical history, medicines, diet and fluid intake, the home environment, existing supports and current products or equipment. That can help identify whether a product is poorly matched or whether the care setup itself is making toileting harder.
The service lists local coverage across the Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, Brisbane, Bayside and Logan, with telehealth offered outside its main area. QCMP describes itself as a registered NDIS provider. That status doesn't automatically mean a particular support will be funded; the participant still needs to meet NDIS requirements and have appropriate evidence.
The QCMP service information doesn't specify fees or appointment availability. Confirm both, along with how the assessment is delivered and whether the service can provide the report or recommendations needed for your purpose.
QCMP may suit someone whose continence support needs are tied to mobility, equipment or day-to-day care routines. It's less convenient for families outside the service region who need a face-to-face assessment.
7. Monash Health Community Continence Service
Access route: Public referral or self-referral, subject to eligibility and catchment.
For eligible adults aged 16 and over in the Monash Health catchment, this public service offers a multidisciplinary route into care. The team includes continence nurse consultants, geriatricians, physiotherapists and a dietitian. It supports bladder, bowel and pelvic-floor concerns, including incontinence, urgency, retention and constipation.
The service accepts self-referrals and professional referrals. Nursing appointments may take place in a clinic or, where appropriate, at home. No charge is listed for eligible clients, but confirm eligibility and any applicable details with the Monash Health Community Continence Service before booking.
The trade-off is access. The service is restricted to its catchment, and clients need to arrange their own transport to clinic appointments. Not every discipline offers home visits, so don't assume a home appointment is available just because nursing visits may be offered.
This option makes sense when the person lives within the service area and could benefit from input across more than one discipline. If the person is outside the catchment, ask their GP or the National Continence Helpline which local public services may be available.
8. The Royal Melbourne Hospital Continence Service
Access route: Public hospital referral, with clinic, telehealth and home options.
This hospital service assesses adults with bladder or bowel problems, including urinary or faecal incontinence, constipation and difficulty passing urine. The initial assessment may include a medical history, medication review, urine testing and bladder scanning. Those clinical steps make it a different option from a supplier that helps choose products but doesn't assess the underlying problem.
Appointments may be offered in a clinic, by telehealth or at home. The service also links with urology, aged care and a young-adult transition service. A GP or another health provider must refer the person, so the first step is to ask a treating clinician to discuss whether a referral is appropriate.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital Continence Service generally serves people in its local council areas. If the person lives elsewhere, contact the hospital to ask whether a referral can be considered. Confirm eligibility and any applicable charges, too.
A hospital pathway can suit people with complex symptoms or a need for specialist connections. It may be less direct for someone who mainly needs product advice or lives outside the service area.
9. Independence Australia
Access route: Product supply, including online ordering and delivery.
Independence Australia is a supplier, not a continence assessment clinic. Its online store lists disposable and washable pads and pants, bed and chair protection, catheter supplies and skin-care products. People can compare product types and brands in one place, which is useful when a nurse has already identified what kind of protection may suit.
The store provides product-order information for NDIS participants and describes itself as a registered NDIS provider. Registration doesn't guarantee that the NDIS will fund a particular item for an individual participant. Funding depends on the person's plan and applicable rules, so check before placing an order.
The Independence Australia store advertises free shipping on orders over $50; check the checkout details for the current terms and any other delivery charges. Product prices vary, and online product descriptions can't replace a clinical assessment when the person's needs or symptoms are changing.
A product shop can help you buy a chosen item. It can't determine why leakage is happening or write a clinical assessment.
10. Aleva
Access route: Product supply, with NDIS ordering options described by the supplier.
Aleva is an Australian continence-products supplier with Australia-wide delivery. Its range includes washable and disposable protection, bedding and chair protectors, continence swimwear, catheters, skin-care products and bedwetting alarms. It also offers guidance on products and sample options for some disposable items, which can help families compare choices before ordering more.
The Aleva website describes ordering options for agency-managed, plan-managed and self-managed NDIS participants. Those processes can differ, so check which applies to the participant and confirm product eligibility before paying. The site also lists flat-rate shipping and same-business-day dispatch for some orders placed before noon; check current stock, dispatch conditions and delivery charges before relying on a delivery date.
Aleva is a supplier, not a substitute for continence assessment or treatment. It can help with product selection and supply, but it can't assess toileting function, diagnose a health issue or provide a personalised clinical plan.
How the main incontinence support options differ
Use the table to separate three different jobs: clinical assessment and management, free advice and referral, and product supply. A supplier can deliver pads, bedding protection or catheters, but it cannot decide whether leakage is a health issue or write the evidence needed for a funding review.
| Item | Service type | Access route | Location coverage | Cost information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing Assessment Australia | Continence assessments for NDIS participants and aged-care clients | Website or phone: 0428 936 632 | Telehealth; confirm service area directly | Fees not listed; confirm directly |
| National Continence Helpline, Continence Health Australia | Free, confidential advice and referrals | Phone; interpreter, relay and call-back options | Australia-wide | Free |
| Continence Nurses Australia | Continence nursing assessments, management plans and catheter care | Home or telehealth appointments | In-person around Doreen, Victoria; telehealth availability to confirm | Private fees and possible travel costs apply; confirm directly |
| Health N Home | Continence assessments and community nursing; products also available | In-person or telehealth appointments | Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in person; telehealth Australia-wide | Pricing not stated |
| Community Nurse Service | Home continence assessments, reports and care-team liaison | Home visits; telehealth may be available | Parts of Queensland, including Wide Bay, Fraser Coast, northern Brisbane and parts of the Sunshine Coast | Fees not stated; funding pathways may include NDIS, DVA, home care, private health or private payment |
| Quality Continence Management Professionals (QCMP) | Continence assessments and advice for disability and aged care | In-person or telehealth | South East Queensland; telehealth for other areas | Fees and funding arrangements need confirmation |
| Monash Health Community Continence Service | Public multidisciplinary assessment and management | Self-referral or professional referral; clinic or eligible home appointments | Eligible clients in the Monash Health catchment, Victoria | No charge listed for eligible clients |
| The Royal Melbourne Hospital Continence Service | Public assessment and management for bladder and bowel concerns | GP or other health-provider referral; clinic, telehealth or home appointments | Primarily local council areas; discuss referrals from elsewhere | Eligibility and any charges should be confirmed |
| Independence Australia | Continence and related healthcare product supplier | Online store | Australia-wide delivery | Product prices vary; free shipping advertised on orders over $50 |
| Aleva | Continence and personal-care product supplier | Online store | Australia-wide delivery | Product prices and delivery charges vary; check before ordering |
The practical trade-off is access versus evidence. Public clinics can assess and manage bladder and bowel concerns, but catchment limits and referral rules decide who gets in. Private and community nursing services are usually more direct, while fees, travel costs and appointment format need confirmation before booking.
Treat the helpline as orientation, not diagnosis. Treat Independence Australia and Aleva as supply channels, not clinical assessors. For Nursing Assessment Australia, use the listed contact route to confirm whether telehealth suits the person's location and whether the assessment fits an NDIS or aged-care purpose.
Make the First Call Before Buying Another Pack
Three questions sort this out before you spend another dollar. Does the person need a clinical assessment, because leakage has changed, toileting is difficult or current products fail? Do they need product supply, meaning the right size, absorbency and delivery arrangement? Or do they need funding sorted under an NDIS plan, an aged-care pathway or another arrangement? Each answer points to a different first call.
If the route is unclear, call the National Continence Helpline for advice and referrals. For a public service, check the person's catchment and eligibility before arranging transport or asking a GP for a referral. For private or community nursing, ask about assessment fees, travel charges, appointment format and which funding arrangements the provider accepts. A written list of questions before you phone saves a second call.
Product suppliers solve a narrower problem. Confirm size, absorbency, fit, delivery cost and the funding process before ordering. A store can supply what an assessor recommends, but it cannot judge whether the person needs a clinical assessment or produce the evidence a plan review requires.
For NDIS requests, continence support needs a clear link to disability-related need, regular daily use and supporting evidence from a treating health professional. Before you apply, record how often the person needs help, what happens during transfers and toileting, whether someone must prompt them or provide night-time support, which products have been tried and what risks arise without support. Written notes carry more weight than a general recollection, and general guides to NDIS supports can show what categories exist without confirming that a particular request will be funded.
Families who need a documented continence assessment for an NDIS participant or aged-care client can contact Nursing Assessment Australia, which offers continence nursing assessments and guidance on NDIS continence assessment funding. Call 0428 936 632 with enquiries. Describe the day-to-day problem plainly, then choose the service built to address it rather than buying another pack and hoping it solves the cause.
Visit Nursing Assessment Australia to learn about continence nursing assessments for NDIS participants and aged-care clients. If you need help preparing an NDIS continence assessment funding request, start by gathering clear notes on the person's daily support needs and functional challenges.