NDIS Continence Assessment: What to Expect
By William Belmont
, BBiomedSc (Hons), La Trobe University
│ 01 July 2026
Last reviewed: 27 June 2026
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The word "assessment" makes a lot of people picture a formal exam they could somehow fail. A continence assessment is nothing like that. It is a conversation with a health professional who wants to understand your bladder and bowel, the products you use now, and what would make daily life easier. Most of the calls that come through to us about an NDIS continence assessment are from people who already qualify and just want to know what actually happens in the room. Our CF3 pillar covers how the funding fits together; this article covers the assessment that sits underneath it.
Here is the short version. A continence assessment is carried out by a qualified health professional, usually a continence nurse advisor or a continence physiotherapist, who reviews your needs and writes a report. That report describes the type and amount of product you need and supports the continence section of your NDIS plan. It is the evidence that connects your day-to-day reality to the supports in your plan.
Who carries out the assessment
A continence assessment is done by a health professional with continence training. That is most often a nurse continence advisor or a continence physiotherapist, and sometimes a GP or an occupational therapist who works in this area. They do not need to be employed by the NDIS. What matters is that they are qualified to assess continence and can write a report the NDIS will accept.
If you do not already have someone, the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 is a free Australian Government service that can point you to a continence professional in your area. Your GP is another good starting point and can refer you on. A support coordinator, if you have one in your plan, will often organise the whole thing for you.
What happens during the assessment
The assessor wants a clear picture of your bladder and bowel pattern and how it affects your day. Expect questions about how often you go, any leakage, what triggers it, your mobility, your skin, and how you manage at night. None of it is meant to embarrass you. The person across the table does this every day and has heard all of it before.
They may ask you to keep a bladder diary for a few days before or after the appointment. This is a simple record of when you drink, when you go, and when leakage happens. It sounds tedious, but it is one of the most useful things you can do. A few days of honest notes tells the assessor more than an hour of trying to remember.
What to bring
A little preparation makes the appointment go smoothly. Bring these along:
- A list of the continence products you use now, including sizes and how many you go through in a day or week
- A bladder diary if you have been asked to keep one, or a rough note of your usual pattern
- A list of your medications, since some affect the bladder and bowel
- Your NDIS plan or plan number, and your support coordinator's details if you have one
- Any questions you want answered, written down so you do not forget them in the moment
If you care for someone and attend on their behalf, bring your own notes on what you have observed. Carers often spot patterns the person themselves has stopped noticing.
How the assessment feeds your plan
The report the assessor writes is the link between the appointment and your funding. It sets out the type of incontinence, the products that suit it, and the quantity needed. Continence products are funded through the NDIS Core Supports budget, in the Consumables support category, and the report is the evidence that justifies that support.
This is also where getting the product right matters. The report should reflect a product that genuinely fits and performs, not just whatever you happened to be using. The most common problem we see is someone assessed in a size that no longer suits them, because their body changed and the product never did. If you are unsure what type of product matches your situation, it helps to understand the types of incontinence before the appointment so the conversation is more specific.
After the assessment
Once the report is written, it goes to whoever manages your plan. How you then get supplies depends on how your plan is managed, so your plan manager or support coordinator is the right person to ask about the next steps and timing. We do not give funding figures here, because they depend on your individual plan. The NDIS continence funding guide walks through how the supply side works, and your plan manager can confirm what applies to you.
From there, ordering is straightforward. Comfort First is a registered NDIS provider, and we work with participants, carers, and support coordinators to get the right products organised without the back and forth. If the report names a product and you want to check the fit before settling on a quantity, you can request a free trial pack and test it for yourself first. Getting the fit right at this stage saves a lot of frustration later.
If you have questions before or after your assessment, call us on 03 5443 2239 or email sales@comfortfirst.au. We will not rush you.