Important: This article provides general Australian health information. It does not diagnose a condition, replace an individual assessment or change instructions from your doctor or treating team.
Begin with the person, not the product list
Continence support is personal health care. A useful referral explains what the person wants to improve, how current issues affect daily life, how they communicate and what dignity or privacy arrangements matter at home.
Urinary, bowel, catheter and stoma concerns can have different causes and risks. A general web article cannot determine the cause. New, painful or rapidly changing symptoms should be assessed by an appropriate clinician.
Information that helps clinical intake
For an established catheter or stoma, the exact device and current instructions matter. A brand name alone is not enough. Intake needs the device type, size, insertion or change history, routine, products, known complications and the clinician responsible for the plan.
- Reason for referral, diagnosis where relevant and person-centred goals
- Current assessment, catheter or stoma orders and review date
- Device type and size, change schedule, appliance and consumable list
- History of infection, blockage, leakage, bleeding, pain or skin breakdown
- Mobility, manual handling, cognition, communication and behaviour needs
- GP, urology, continence or stomal therapy contacts and escalation instructions
Separate clinical work, daily support and product funding
The clinician who assesses or changes a device, the worker who assists with an established routine and the organisation that funds products may not be the same. A safe service agreement should state each responsibility clearly.
For NDIS participants, support and consumable funding depend on the participant’s approved plan and the relationship to disability needs. The health system may remain responsible for diagnosis or clinical treatment. Referrers should clarify rather than assume the payer.
Plan for change, not just the routine visit
The care plan should explain what to do if the device blocks or dislodges, urine output changes, skin deteriorates, supplies run out or the person becomes unwell. It should name the clinical contact and identify symptoms that require urgent care.
EmpowerLink assesses continence, catheter and established stoma referrals across Greater Brisbane. A nurse confirms scope, competency, products, funding and escalation arrangements before care starts.
Sources
- Continence information and support — Continence Health Australia
- Urinary incontinence — healthdirect Australia