Continence Management and Advice Scheme

The Western Australian State Government has established a new continence management and support scheme that is being coordinated jointly by the Department of Health and the Disability Services Commission.

The Disability Services Commission advises that a "Continence Management and Advice Service (CMAS) has been established under this scheme to provide community-based management and advice and product subsidy to people with ongoing continence conditions who are financially disadvantaged and who are unable to access existing assistance schemes.

People who can access the CMAS will

• be 18 years of age or older
• have a defined chronic or intractable continence condition (lasting for six months or more)
• hold a Pensioner Concession Care or a Health Care Card
• be ineligible for the Continence Aids Assistance Scheme (CAAS) administered by the Australian Government, and
• be permanently resident in Western Australia.

A professional Continence Advisor will clinically assess each client who accesses the CMAS and will develop an individual Continence Management Plan around that person's needs. Through this Plan, a client may be prescribed continence products on the basis of clinical need and so may have access to a new continence product subsidy of up to $470 per year.

Silver Chain will provide the CMAS.

For further information, please contact Silver Chain 1300 787 055 or visit the Department of Health's Aged Care website.