How to Access Continence Aids Through the NDIS: A Step-by-Step Guide

How can I become eligible for NDIS?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been fully operational across all Australian states and territories since 2020, and as of December 31, 2025, over 761,000 participants are actively benefiting from its supports.

To be eligible, individuals must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or Protected Special Category Visa holder, aged between 7 and 65, and residing in Australia. Eligibility requires gathering evidence from treating health professionals, such as a GP, medical specialist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or occupational therapist, who can provide documentation regarding the primary diagnosis, the permanency of the condition, and how it affects daily life and functional capacity.

Permanent disabilities that are commonly recognised include intellectual, congenital, cognitive, neurological, physical, and psychosocial conditions. Once eligibility is confirmed, participants meet with an NDIS planner or Local Area Coordinator (LAC) to discuss their needs, goals, and aspirations, and to understand the supports they currently receive.

The NDIS is structured around key foundational elements and values that include;

• • • Choice and Control
    • Reasonable and Necessary
    • Independence and Participation
    • Early Intervention
    • Sustainability and Fairness
    • National Consistency across Australia

For the purposes of this article the focus will be on reasonable and necessary supports where funding is provided for supports that help participants to achieve their goals, increase their independence, and enable them to participate in the community, while accounting for informal supports

Typically an NDIS Plan has three funding components;

1. 1. Core Supports: Funding for daily activities, consumables, and transport.
   2. Capacity Building Supports: Funding to help build skills and independence, such as therapy, training, and education
   3. Capital Supports: Funding for assistive technology, equipment, home or vehicle modifications, and specialist disability accommodation. specialist disability accommodation.

Continence Assessments and Documentation

Prior to being eligible for the NDIS, a large number of participants would have been accessing continence services through public healthcare networks and partial funding for their continence containment products through state based and commonwealth financial subsidy schemes. Access to public health continence services and subsidy schemes cease once an individual has an NDIS plan, however, their continence issues are ongoing.

NDIS requires participants to seek out a continence service provider who is able to conduct holistic continence assessments, develop management plans, write in-depth continence reports and continence aids product script for all participants using continence products.

The continence report must provide clinical justification that align with the NDIS recommendations;

1. The participant is able to pursue their goals and aspirations,
2. The support represents value for money and is likely to be effective and beneficial for the participant having regard to current good practice
3. Considers what is reasonable to expect families, carers, informal networks and the community supports to provide.

Incontinence is an issue for many NDIS participants because it can be;

• • • A potential barrier in economic, educational and social participation
    • Increased cost associated with disability care support requirements
    • Increased health risks associated with skin breakdown such as pressure injuries and incontinence associated dermatitis (IAD).

Nurse Continence Specialists and the NDIS

The Continence Nurse Society of Australia (CoNSA) is the peak body for Nurse Continence Specialists (NCS) across Australia. Its members are registered nurses who have completed additional postgraduate education in continence assessment, diagnosis, and management, working across advanced practice in public, private, and community healthcare settings.

Many NCS in private practice specialise in holistic NDIS continence assessments, management programs and reports. They form therapeutic and professional relationships with participants and connect with wider healthcare networks as needed, ensuring continence management plans are safe, appropriate, responsive, and regularly evaluated for success.

Why Nurse Continence Specialists are essential for NDIS participants

• • • Taking a detailed history of bladder and bowel function
    • Identifying underlying causes—disability-related, behavioural and medical
    • Understanding the functional impact of incontinence on daily living activities
    • Considering environmental factors and previously trialled management strategies
    • Evaluating potential risk factors such as pressure injuries, incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD), poor nutrition and adverse toileting behaviours

This thorough approach ensures the most effective and beneficial continence management strategy is recommended for the participant moving forward.

The continence report

An appropriate NDIS continence report demonstrates that a comprehensive assessment has taken place, with careful data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Management plans are developed collaboratively with the participant’s extended care team where appropriate, ensuring the plan’s success.

Reports also advocate for participants by providing strong clinical justification for requested supports and funding, directly linking them to the participant’s goals and aspirations. The NCS demonstrates their understanding of NDIS guidelines, ensuring that reports meet all standards for reasonable and necessary supports.

Finally, NCS perform quality checks on reports to guarantee accuracy, completeness, and compliance before sharing them with participants and their support coordinators.

How to order Continence Products from Independence Australia

Often, inappropriate products are ordered by support coordinators, allied health professionals and well-meaning family members before a continence assessment has taken place, leading to oversupply of unnecessary items and leaving a shortfall of funds for products that actually meet the participant’s needs. NDIS typically allocates $500 to $1,500 per year for continence consumables, but many participants’ requirements exceed this limit making a continence assessment from a NCS essential to maintain a positive continence management program.

Independence Australia is a social enterprise offering the largest range of continence products in Australia at competitive prices, with nationwide delivery in discreet packaging. Setting up an account is simple: the organisation responsible for paying invoices completes the NDIS Funding Authorisation Form, emails it to [email protected], and an account is ready to use within 24 hours.

Participants can order online or call the customer service helpline. Selected products are available as samples, allowing participants to “try before they buy” and ensure the best fit, absorbency, and budget suitability.

What continence products will the NDIS fund?

1. Disposable continence containment products
2. Catheters and associated catheter care products
3. Reusable waterproof continence underwear, pads, mattress protection, bedlinen, doona, chair and floor pads
4. Transanal irrigation
5. Skin care products with appropriate clinical justification

The NDIS will not fund:

1. All bowel aperients
2. Disposable gloves