Hello. My name is Kylie Wicks.
And I'm the clinical services manager for ParaQuad NSW.
The purpose of this video
is to provide information
to NDIS participants and their families and carers
to help in planning for incontinence management within an NDIS plan.
In this video, I'll talk about my experiences in continence selection,
also known as continence prescription,
for people with disabilities under the funding criteria of NDIS.
I'll also talk about the importance of a continence assessment.
I'd like to acknowledge that neither I
nor the Continence Foundation of Australia
represents the NDIS
and the information presented on the NDIS in this video
is publicly available information from their website.
Continence management within the community is changing
with the introduction of NDIS.
Australia is moving towards a disability services sector
where people with disabilities purchase their support individually,
replacing the existing block-funded state systems.
The NDIS is not means-tested, but there are eligibility criteria.
Under these criteria,
the participant must be under 65 when making the application,
be an Australian citizen or resident or a permanent visa holder,
and meet the disability or early intervention requirements.
More information about eligibility
can be found on the NDIS website, ndis.gov.au.
The biggest change for you, if you have a disability
or care for someone with a disability,
under the NDIS
is increased choice and control in how you manage your life,
including your continence management.
This does not mean it's an open market
where you can have anything you want,
but, rather, approval is based
on what is considered reasonable and necessary.
A definition of what is reasonable and necessary
can be found on the NDIS website.
There is no set list of continence products and aids you must use.
The NDIS pricing guide groups product types into pricing clusters
which give a guide of the product management styles,
rather than a list of specific products.
It's now very important
that you not only understand your continence management needs
but also the products and aids which will suit your individual needs.
Remember, being incontinent does not mean you cannot leave your home
or that you should limit the activities you engage in.
However, it does involve some careful planning.
Prior to attending a planning session,
you need to consider the following questions
in relation to your continence management.
Do you have a continence plan? If so, is it working?
Are you experiencing complications?
Will your lifestyle choices and goals
affect your continence management plan?
Does your continence management style need to be changed?
Do you need additional products
or different products
to manage your incontinence?
If the answer
to any of these questions is yes,
then you should have a continence assessment
or your continence management plan reviewed.
It is really important that the way you manage your incontinence
is appropriate to your life.
To help you develop an effective continence management plan,
it may be necessary to have a continence assessment,
especially if you've never had an assessment before.
A number of times, I have come across people
who feel the information they were given in the past
to manage their incontinence
has not met their needs.
It's important to remember that a continence assessment
by an appropriately qualified person
should ensure that your continence management plans
meet your current needs.
Information needs to be shared on the strategies to ensure
that your incontinence does not prevent or impede you
from achieving your chosen goals or participating in the community.
It is important to remember that everyone is different
and the impact of incontinence is not simply related to severity.
It depends on many personal characteristics,
such as age, gender and lifestyle choices.
When you have a continence assessment,
it is important that your lifestyle preferences and goals
are taken into account in the plan.
A continence management plan must be effective, reliable,
practical and sociably acceptable and be tailored to be effective.
A continence assessment is usually performed
by a continence nurse adviser or a disability-specific nurse consultant.
As part of a continence assessment,
the nurse will assess the type of management plan required,
the equipment needed, the projected cost and any training requirements
you or your carer may need if you are using continence products or aids.
The nurse who assesses the continence management plan
for a client with a disability
is required to have detailed knowledge
of the pathways involved in urination or defecation
and the effects of the disability type on those pathways.
A good continence management plan
takes into account your lifestyle choices and goals
and needs to be compatible to the environments you're in
and the activities you do.
A successful continence management program requires careful planning.
Many people may find developing an NDIS plan difficult
and may need some help.
Further information on the NDIS can be found at ndis.gov.au
or by calling 1800 800 110.
The National Continence Helpline can also help you with planning
for your continence management needs.
Phone the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66.
It's a free, confidential phone service
staffed by continence nurse advisers
providing information and advice on continence management,
continence services, continence products and resources.
The helpline operates Monday to Friday,
8am to 8pm, Australian Eastern Standard Time.
You can also visit the Continence Foundation of Australia website
at continence.org.au.
The Continence Foundation website
has a wide range of resources available for download,
including Easy English versions of some of the most popular fact sheets.
A wide range of educational videos with closed captions
are also available on the website.
Thank you for taking the time
to watch this video.