NDIS Review Report Example for Complex Continence Needs
When a participant has catheter care, recurrent urinary tract infections, bowel routine concerns, skin breakdown or escalating incontinence, an NDIS review report example for complex continence needs should do more than list products or describe a diagnosis. It needs to show the participant’s day-to-day clinical risks, what is already being done, where care is breaking down, and why skilled nursing input and properly trained supports are required.
For Support Coordinators, families and providers, a clear nursing report can make plan review conversations far more practical. It translates complex health information into evidence about safety, dignity, routine care requirements and the consequences of unmet support needs.
What an NDIS continence review report needs to demonstrate
Continence-related needs are often underestimated because parts of the routine happen privately, quickly or outside standard appointment times. Yet the consequences can be significant: catheter blockage, urinary retention, leakage, constipation, faecal impaction, infection, moisture-associated skin damage, pressure injury risk, sleep disruption and avoidable hospital presentations.
A useful nurse-led report connects these risks to the participant’s functional capacity and living circumstances. It explains whether the participant can recognise the need for care, communicate symptoms, complete hygiene safely, manage equipment, follow a bowel plan, or respond to changes such as reduced catheter output or blood in urine.
The report should also identify the level of clinical judgement involved. Some tasks may be routine once a clinical plan and support worker training are in place. Others require a nurse to assess, review, escalate or provide direct clinical support. This distinction matters for safe, dignity-focused care and for documentation that accurately reflects the complexity of the person’s needs.
A report is not a guarantee of NDIS funding. Rather, it provides clear clinical evidence so decision-makers can understand the disability-related support needs, risks and reasonable supports being requested or reviewed.
NDIS review report example for complex continence needs
The following fictional example shows the level of practical detail a clinical report may include. Details must always be individualised following assessment.
Participant background and current circumstances
Participant: Adult NDIS participant living in shared supported accommodation.
Relevant clinical presentation: Acquired neurological disability with reduced mobility, impaired hand function, reduced sensation below the waist and difficulty communicating early signs of discomfort. The participant has a long-term suprapubic catheter and a prescribed bowel management routine. They require assistance with continence hygiene, catheter bag management, fluid monitoring and recognising changes that require escalation.
Reason for review: Over the previous six months, the participant experienced two emergency department presentations for catheter blockage and suspected urinary tract infection. Staff documentation identified inconsistent fluid records, delayed reporting of cloudy urine and leakage, and variable practice with catheter bag positioning. The participant also developed intermittent redness and excoriation to the groin and buttock area during periods of bowel leakage.
Nursing assessment findings
The participant is unable to independently complete catheter care tasks due to limited hand function and reduced trunk balance. They cannot safely empty or change drainage bags, maintain appropriate tubing position, undertake thorough hygiene following bowel episodes, or reliably observe the colour, volume and odour of urine.
Reduced sensation means the participant may not identify bladder discomfort, skin irritation or early pressure-related pain. Communication difficulties can further delay identification of symptoms. During assessment, the participant expressed embarrassment when leakage occurred and reported avoiding drinks at times due to concerns about needing assistance. This creates a further risk of dehydration and concentrated urine.
The current bowel routine is inconsistently followed when regular staff are unavailable. Bowel episodes have occasionally occurred outside planned care times, requiring prompt and respectful assistance. Delayed hygiene has contributed to skin moisture exposure and distress for the participant.
Clinical risks if supports are inconsistent
Without consistent implementation of the continence and catheter care plan, the participant remains at increased risk of catheter blockage, urinary retention, urinary tract infection, skin damage, constipation and unplanned hospital attendance. There is also a risk to the participant’s dignity, emotional wellbeing and ability to remain safely at home.
These risks are not addressed simply by allocating general assistance. The participant requires support workers who understand the individual care plan, infection prevention measures, documentation requirements, boundaries of their role and the specific signs that require prompt escalation to a nurse or medical practitioner.
Recommended clinical supports
The nursing assessment recommends ongoing clinical support in the home, including regular review of catheter and bowel management plans, skin integrity monitoring and reassessment following infections, hospital presentations or changes in function. A nurse should provide clear written care plans that outline daily routines, equipment requirements, hygiene procedures, fluid and output observations, bowel charting and escalation pathways.
Support worker training and clinical oversight are recommended to ensure the plan is implemented safely and consistently across the staff team. Training should be specific to the participant rather than a generic continence session. It should cover catheter bag positioning and emptying, maintaining closed drainage systems where applicable, hand hygiene, privacy, bowel documentation, recognising leakage patterns, skin protection, and when to contact a nurse.
The report may also recommend nursing review after any recurring infection, new wound or pressure area, repeated catheter blockage, unexplained change in urine output, blood in urine, escalating bowel symptoms or a decline in the participant’s ability to participate in their usual care routine.
Expected outcomes of the recommended supports
With consistent clinical planning, trained implementation and nursing oversight, the participant is expected to have safer catheter and bowel care routines, earlier identification of changes in condition, improved skin protection and fewer avoidable care failures. The intended outcome is not merely task completion. It is a more reliable routine that protects health, privacy and dignity while helping the participant stay safe at home.
Why specific evidence is stronger than broad statements
Statements such as “the participant needs help with continence” are true for many people, but they do not explain what makes a situation complex. A stronger report identifies the frequency and timing of care, the participant’s functional limitations, the clinical task involved, observed risks, recent incidents and the safeguards needed.
For example, rather than stating that a participant is at risk of infection, a report may record recurring symptoms, hospital presentations, inconsistent observations, the person’s reduced capacity to report discomfort, and the clinical escalation plan. This gives Support Coordinators a clearer picture of why nursing input and support worker competency are necessary.
Clinical evidence should be factual and respectful. It should not overstate risk or use language that removes the participant from decision-making. Where possible, the participant’s preferences should be documented, including preferred staff approach, privacy needs, preferred communication methods and what helps them feel comfortable during personal continence care.
Information to prepare before requesting a nursing report
A nurse can prepare a more useful review report when they have recent hospital discharge summaries, relevant specialist or GP information, current medication and treatment orders, incident records, continence charts and existing care plans. Notes about catheter changes, infections, bowel patterns, skin concerns and staff escalation records are particularly valuable.
It also helps to understand what has changed since the current NDIS plan began. This may include increased frequency of bowel accidents, a new catheter, reduced mobility, declining hand function, recurrent infections, new pressure areas or a change in informal support availability. The most meaningful reports compare current needs with the supports presently in place and identify any gaps in safe implementation.
For participants in shared settings, input from the person, their family or guardian, support team and allied health professionals can provide a fuller picture. The nurse remains responsible for their own clinical findings, but coordinated information helps ensure the report reflects real routines rather than an idealised version of care.
When to refer for nurse-led continence reporting
A referral is particularly appropriate when continence needs involve an indwelling or suprapubic catheter, stoma, complex bowel routine, repeated infection, skin integrity concerns, frequent leakage, high-intensity support worker tasks or uncertainty about clinical escalation. It is also appropriate when a plan review or change of circumstances requires clearer evidence of the participant’s current health-related support needs.
Compassion Wings provides practical nursing assessments, clear reports for Support Coordinators, clinical care plans and support worker training across Adelaide. The focus is on documenting what is happening now, reducing preventable risks and putting workable routines around the participant.
The most helpful continence report is one that makes the next care decision clearer: who needs to do what, how often, under what clinical guidance, and what must happen when the participant’s condition changes.
