, Bridge Magazine , Health Articles
The Continence Foundation of Australia’s National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66) is a free and confidential service staffed by Nurse Continence Specialists who can provide information, advice and support to anyone living in Australia who is impacted by incontinence.
What is the National Continence Helpline and how do you help callers?
The National Continence Helpline commenced in September 1999 thanks to Australian Commonwealth Government funding via the Department of Health. The helpline is staffed by Nurse Continence Specialists who are Registered Nurses with qualifications and experience in continence assessment and management. They are supported by Customer Service Representatives who also help with access to the Foundation’s resources.
What can people expect when they call you?
When you call the Helpline on 1800 33 00 66, you will speak with a Nurse Continence Specialist and receive free and confidential advice, information and support for yourself or someone you care for who is affected by incontinence. Health professionals are also welcome to call the Helpline for advice and information.
You can receive initial advice on how to manage your current bladder or bowel control issue, what steps you should take next and who you should contact for further support, if required.
“It is important not to live with a bladder or bowel control issue and seek out help as you may be able to manage it better or even overcome it. No one should ever feel embarrassed or ashamed to talk about their incontinence. It’s ok to feel uncomfortable, but we are here to listen to you and help.” Janie Thompson, National Continence Helpline Manager
Meet your Nurse Continence Specialists
National Helpline Manager: Janie
I love being able to support people from all over Australia and help improve their lives.
Janine
I love being able to help callers regarding their continence issue. Every day on the Helpline I take calls from consumers, carers and professionals and the calls vary greatly from toilet training issues right through the life span.
Clare
Working on the Helpline gives me the pleasure of helping those with incontinence. It also provides opportunities to keep abreast of new developments within the field of continence.
Dee
I enjoy the diversity of callers and feel as though I can improve people’s continence issues.
Anne
I enjoy working on the Helpline by helping our callers with their continence questions and being part of a great team.
Merrill
The interactions with my callers makes every call varied and interesting.
Alana
The huge personal satisfaction I gain from knowing I have provided support and guidance to our callers is the main reason why I enjoy my role so much on the Helpline.
Emma
I speak to people from all “walks of life” that may be calling for themselves or a family member. I know that we, on the Helpline, are able to give them the information or advice they need to address their concerns and move forward to receive the help they need and I find this extremely rewarding.
Margaret
The people who call are so grateful for our expertise and experience in helping them sort through their problem.
A case study of a caller
Maria called the National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66) after a friend mentioned she could get funding to help pay for her continence pads. Maria is 79 years old and has type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis. She finds herself having to rush to the toilet and often leaks on the way.
Maria admits to getting up to go to the toilet three to four times a night. She wears two pull up pads during the day and a heavier one at night but finds the pads very expensive as she is on the age pension. She has discussed her bladder issues with her GP who prescribed a tablet called Oxybutynin which is used to treat the symptoms of an overactive bladder, but it made her mouth very dry, so she stopped taking the medication.
When Maria called the National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66), the Nurse Continence Specialists spent time with Maria discussing her bladder symptoms and the health conditions she has that might be contributing to them. She was encouraged to work on her diabetes management as she could have high blood sugar levels at times which might be contributing to her going to the toilet more often. High blood sugar levels can increase the amount of urine being produced.
The Nurse Continence Specialists also discussed with her the different strategies Maria could employ to help her hold on better when she feels the need to rush to the toilet, and to also help her reduce how often she gets up to go to the toilet at night.
“We shared information with her on her local continence service and encouraged her to have a continence assessment to help her better manage her bladder condition.”
Janie Thompson, National Continence Helpline Manager
It was important for the Nurse Continence Specialists to support Maria in finding funding options that she might be eligible for, such as various state and commonwealth government schemes, to help with the cost of continence pads. They mailed the Continence Aids Payment Scheme application form to Maria so she could look at beginning the application process.