Support at Home continence products in 2026

If you use disposable continence products, or help a parent, partner or someone you care for buy them, understanding how Support at Home applies can be confusing.

The short answer is yes, Support at Home can include disposable continence products where the program requirements are met.

This guide explains how Support at Home continence products, reimbursement, product choice, CAPS and state-based continence schemes fit together.

Quick answer

• Disposable continence aids can be funded through Support at Home as nursing care consumables where the relevant program requirements are met.
• There is no participant contribution for continence aids under this clinical-support pathway, although available budget still matters.
• You can ask your provider to consider a product you prefer, but there is no automatic entitlement to a particular brand.
• Reimbursement can be possible, but the arrangement and required conditions need to be settled before you buy.
• CAPS and Support at Home can be received at the same time if you independently meet the CAPS eligibility criteria.
• State-based continence schemes may need to be considered first where you are eligible and the scheme can meet your needs.

Which one describes you?

Newly assessed under Support at Home

Your Notice of Decision and support plan set out the services you are approved to receive. For continence aids, the key question is whether nursing is included in your approved services.

Transitioned from a Home Care Package and not yet reassessed

Different transition rules apply. The current Support at Home Program Manual (September 2026) says transitioned HCP recipients who have not been reassessed can access services on the Support at Home service list where they meet the person’s needs, including continence aids.

Not sure? Ask your provider:

“Am I still on a transitioned HCP classification and have I been reassessed under Support at Home?”

Can Support at Home help with continence products?

Yes, where the relevant requirements are met.

The current Support at Home Program Manual (September 2026) says single-use continence aids can be purchased through nursing care consumables where nursing is included in the person’s approved services. The Support at Home service list places nursing care consumables within nursing under Clinical Supports.

The person’s Notice of Decision and support plan identify the services they are approved to receive. Their registered provider then works with them to develop a care plan and individualised budget.

In practical terms, Support at Home can include disposable continence products when the relevant service is approved and the purchase fits the person’s care plan, available budget and provider arrangements.

It would be too broad to say that everyone receiving Support at Home automatically has their continence products funded.

Do I pay a contribution towards continence aids?

Under the current Support at Home rules, there is no participant contribution for continence aids funded through this clinical-support pathway.

The Support at Home Program Manual confirms that continence aids purchased through nursing care consumables fall within Clinical Supports, which do not attract a participant contribution.

This does not mean unlimited funding. The purchase still needs to fit the participant’s approved services, care plan, available Support at Home budget and provider arrangements.

Put simply:

No participant contribution does not mean no budget limit.

Support at Home budgets are allocated quarterly. If you are considering a larger order or ongoing supply, check with your provider how the purchase fits within your current available budget.

Continence products and help with changing are different supports

The continence product itself and the help someone may need with toileting or changing sit under different Support at Home services.

Can I choose which continence product or brand I use?

You can raise your preferences and ask your provider to consider them.

Current aged-care quality guidance says continence care should reflect the older person’s needs and preferences, protect their dignity and comfort, and ensure that continence aids and products meet their clinical needs and preferences.

So if you already use a continence product that works well for you, or you would like your provider to consider something different, that preference can form part of the discussion.

What current guidance does not establish is an unconditional right to require your provider to purchase a particular commercial brand.

A practical question to ask is:

“I prefer this continence product. Can it be considered within my approved services, care plan and available budget?”

Can my provider source a product from a supplier I prefer?

Potentially.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Regulatory Bulletin RB 2025-01 explains that organisations supplying mainstream goods are not associated providers simply because those goods are used within an older person’s aged-care arrangements.

It gives a specific example: if an older person buys continence aids from a supermarket and their provider reimburses them, the supermarket is a supplier of goods, not an associated provider.

This shows that purchasing or reimbursement can involve an external goods supplier. However, the bulletin does not create an automatic right to require your Support at Home provider to purchase from any supplier you nominate.

Your registered provider remains responsible for your funded Support at Home arrangements and may have its own purchasing, documentation and reimbursement requirements. 

Instead, ask:

“Can you source this product for me, or is there another purchasing arrangement we can agree on?”

Can I buy continence products myself and be reimbursed?

Potentially, but the arrangement should be agreed before you buy.

Reimbursement is not limited to people who self-manage.

The current Support at Home Program Manual says a provider and participant may agree on a reimbursement arrangement where it is more practical for the participant to pay for an item or service. It specifically names nursing care consumables as one of the services where reimbursement may be appropriate and uses continence pads as an example.

Before reimbursement can occur:

1. The item must be on the Support at Home service list.
2. You must be approved for the relevant service, as shown on your Notice of Decision and support plan.
3. The item must be included in your care plan and its price included in your individualised budget.
4. The reimbursement arrangement must have been discussed and documented.

A provider can refuse reimbursement if these requirements are not met.

The safest rule

Ask your provider before you order.

Do not assume:

“I can buy any continence product and claim it back.”

or:

“My provider has to reimburse me.”

The purchasing arrangement needs to be agreed for the individual participant.

What if I self-manage some of my Support at Home services?

Self-management can give you greater involvement in arranging your services.

Current Support at Home guidance allows self-management arrangements to include choosing your own suppliers or workers, paying invoices and seeking reimbursement from your registered provider.

But self-management is not the reason reimbursement is possible.

The general reimbursement pathway described above applies separately. Self-management is another way you may be more directly involved in choosing suppliers and arranging purchases.

Can I simply pay the difference if I prefer a more expensive product?

Do not assume that you can.

Current Support at Home guidance does not establish a general right to use Support at Home funding for part of a preferred product while simply paying the difference yourself.

There is a separate mechanism that allows a participant and provider to enter into a private agreement for additional services outside the person’s funded Support at Home budget. Those additional services are privately paid rather than partly government funded.

That is not the same as an automatic “top-up” arrangement.

If the product you prefer costs more, ask your provider exactly how it would treat that purchase before ordering.

CAPS and Support at Home: can you receive both?

Yes, provided you independently meet the CAPS eligibility requirements.

The Continence Aids Payment Scheme (CAPS) is an Australian Government payment that helps eligible people with some of the cost of continence products.

Current Services Australia guidance confirms that you can receive both CAPS and Support at Home at the same time if you meet the CAPS eligibility criteria.

Receiving Support at Home does not automatically make you eligible for CAPS.

A note about older information online

Some older government material reflects an earlier position on CAPS and Support at Home. Earlier Support at Home guidance said new CAPS approvals would stop for Support at Home participants from 1 November 2025, with existing transitioned Home Care Package recipients able to continue temporarily, and that CAPS eligibility would end for Support at Home participants from February 2026.

That is no longer the current position. Services Australia now confirms that a person can receive both CAPS and Support at Home at the same time if they independently meet the CAPS eligibility criteria.

If you find conflicting information online, check the publication or update date.

How much is CAPS in 2026–27?

The 2026–27 CAPS payment is up to $739.40 per person.

You can choose:

• one annual payment in July
• two payments in July and January.

If you first qualify part-way through a payment period, your first payment may be prorated.

CAPS is paid directly to the eligible person or their nominee. It is separate from the Support at Home provider and reimbursement pathway.

State and territory continence schemes

Support at Home has a national principle here but the schemes themselves differ considerably.

The current Support at Home Program Manual says providers should help participants access state-based continence schemes. Where you are eligible and the state scheme can meet your needs, that scheme should be used in preference to your Support at Home budget.

If the state scheme cannot meet your needs, Support at Home funding may be used.

What varies is what each state or territory scheme actually funds.

Victoria

Victoria’s State-wide Equipment Program, or SWEP, operates a Continence Aids Program.

However, SWEP states that it does not fund disposable pants or disposable pads.

That distinction matters for someone looking for disposable pull-up continence underwear. A Victorian may be eligible for SWEP but still find that the particular type of continence product they need is outside the scheme’s funded product categories.

If the state scheme cannot meet the person’s continence-product need, their Support at Home provider can consider whether the Support at Home pathway is available under their individual arrangements.

Queensland

Queensland’s Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme (MASS) includes a broader range of continence products than Victoria’s SWEP.

The current MASS continence-aids pathway includes:

• disposable pads
• nappies
• pull-on style pads
• all-in-one pads
• reusable continence products
• catheter and drainage products.

Access is still subject to MASS eligibility, approved product arrangements and prescribing requirements.

This means Queensland may provide a state-based pathway for disposable pull-on continence products where the person meets the scheme requirements. It does not mean every commercial product or brand is automatically available through MASS.

New South Wales

NSW operates differently again through EnableNSW Continence Assistance.

EnableNSW states that eligible consumers are required to use their CAPS assistance each year before accessing continence assistance through EnableNSW.

Access to EnableNSW also depends on the program’s own eligibility and funding rules, so a person should not assume that receiving CAPS, Support at Home or another government-funded service automatically makes them eligible.

The practical approach is to check:

• whether you meet EnableNSW eligibility requirements
• whether CAPS applies to you
• what continence products EnableNSW can provide
• whether any remaining need should be discussed with your Support at Home provider.

What about other states and territories?

State and territory continence schemes are not the same across Australia.

Eligibility, product categories, supplier arrangements and interaction with other funding programs can vary significantly between jurisdictions.

If you live in South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the ACT or the Northern Territory, check the current continence or aids scheme that applies where you live and ask:

• whether you are eligible
• whether the scheme covers the type of continence product you need
• whether it uses an approved product or supplier list
• how it interacts with CAPS
• whether any unmet need can then be considered through Support at Home.

Do not rely on another state’s rules when working out your own pathway.

If you moved from a Home Care Package to Support at Home

If you previously received a Home Care Package, your position may be different from someone newly assessed under Support at Home.

The current Support at Home Program Manual says that transitioned Home Care Package recipients who have not been reassessed under Support at Home can access any service on the Support at Home service list where it meets their needs. The manual specifically confirms that this includes the purchase of continence aids.

If you are later reassessed under Support at Home, you receive a Notice of Decision and support plan setting out the services you are approved to receive.

Transitioned Home Care Package recipients who had unspent HCP funds as of 31 October 2025 retained those funds for use under Support at Home.Learn more about unspent HCP funds and transitioned funding arrangements.

If you are unsure which rules apply to you, ask your provider:

“Am I still on a transitioned HCP classification and have I been reassessed under Support at Home?”

Are continence products funded through AT-HM?

For ordinary single-use disposable continence aids, nursing care consumables is the key Support at Home pathway to ask about.

Reusable continence products and equipment may instead fall within the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme, depending on the item and the participant’s assessed needs. The current Support at Home Program Manual gives examples including waterproof sheets and incontinence alarms.

The AT-HM list also includes some washable continence products. AT-HM funding can only be used for eligible items where the scheme requirements are met.

If there is uncertainty about a particular product, ask your provider to check the current Support at Home service list and AT-HM list.

Is CHSP the same as Support at Home?

No.

The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) remains a separate entry-level aged-care program.

In August 2026, the Australian Government announced that CHSP grant funding would be extended to 30 June 2029 while work continues on the future design of entry-level in-home support.

If your continence support is being provided through CHSP rather than Support at Home, do not assume that the Support at Home purchasing and reimbursement rules in this guide apply to your CHSP arrangement.

Buying continence products for a parent, partner or someone you care for

Adult children, partners and other carers often help organise continence products.

The older person’s needs, dignity and preferences should remain central to the decision.

A useful starting sequence is:

1. 1. Which Support at Home rules apply to them. If they were newly assessed, check their Notice of Decision and support plan. If they transitioned from a Home Care Package and have not been reassessed, different access rules apply.
   2. What continence support is already included in their arrangements. For a newly assessed participant, check whether nursing and nursing care consumables are approved.
   3. Whether a state or territory continence scheme should be used first. Where the person is eligible and the scheme can meet their needs, current Support at Home guidance says that pathway should be used in preference to their Support at Home budget.
   4. What actually works for the wearer. Fit, mobility, leakage pattern, changing routine and comfort all matter.
   5. How the product will be purchased. Raise any product preference with the provider and agree how it will be sourced or reimbursed before ordering.

Check CAPS separately too. CAPS and Support at Home can be received at the same time where the person independently meets the CAPS eligibility criteria.

For more practical guidance on product choice, fit and changing routines, see Choosing Continence Support for Someone You Care For.

Seven questions to ask your Support at Home provider before ordering

Before you order continence products, these questions can help clarify which pathway applies and how the purchase should be handled.

1. Nursing approval: If I was newly assessed under Support at Home, does my Notice of Decision and support plan show that I am eligible for nursing and can my continence aids be purchased through nursing care consumables?
2. Transition status: If I moved from a Home Care Package, have I been reassessed under Support at Home?
3. State or territory scheme: Am I eligible for a state or territory continence scheme, and can it meet my continence needs?
4. Product choice: Can you consider the continence product or brand I prefer?
5. Supplier choice: Can you source it from my preferred supplier?
6. Reimbursement: If I buy it myself, can we agree on reimbursement before I order?
7. CAPS: Should I also check whether I qualify for CAPS?

If reimbursement is being considered, also ask what needs to appear in your care plan and individualised budget and what invoice or receipt the provider will require.

If you would like your provider to consider Svelte

If Svelte suits your needs, you can ask your Support at Home provider to consider it within your approved services, care plan, available budget and provider arrangements.

Svelte is premium disposable pull-up continence underwear designed in Australia and crafted in Japan for adults seeking discreet, breathable everyday continence support. It provides absorbent support for bladder leakage and other absorbent needs, depending on flow or output, fit and change frequency.

Where Svelte fits

Svelte is intentionally designed as a comfort-led everyday pull-up rather than a maximum-capacity overnight product. It balances practical absorbency with breathability, softness, movement and discretion rather than treating absorbency capacity as the only measure of performance.

It may suit adults who are mobile or semi-mobile, prefer an underwear-style pull-up and want a quieter, lower-bulk or more breathable option for everyday wear. It may also suit people who need support for repeated leaks or bladder releases between changes.

Svelte’s design includes:

• Continuous breathability through to the waist, helping heat and moisture vapour escape during wear.
• An adaptive stretch waistband that flexes with sitting, bending and normal changes in abdominal shape, then recovers to help maintain a comfortable, secure fit.
• Soft, raised flexible leak guards designed to sit close around the thighs and move with the body.
• Fast intake and distribution to draw in and disperse liquid quickly.
• Quiet, lower-bulk construction for discreet everyday wear.
• Odour management during wear, with no added fragrance.

Svelte is designed for routine daytime wear and light overnight use when changed as required, depending on individual output, fit and changing routine.

Svelte has a 500 mL real-world working capacity. This is a conservative practical-use measure rather than a maximum laboratory absorbency claim or a fixed wear-time guarantee. In-use performance varies with fit, movement, output, compression and changing frequency.

Not sure which size to start with? Use Find Your Fit for general Svelte sizing guidance.

Svelte will not suit every continence need. For heavier overnight output, extended uninterrupted overnight wear, mostly bed-based care or regular or unpredictable faecal incontinence, a higher-capacity or more specialised product may be more suitable.

If Svelte is a product you would like to use, a practical question to ask your provider is:

“Can Svelte be considered within my approved services, care plan and available budget?”

Svelte can provide product information, sizing, pricing, quotes, invoices and ordering information for your provider’s review. If you or your provider need documentation or ordering support, Contact Svelte.

Svelte does not assess eligibility, approve funding, confirm reimbursement or determine clinical suitability.

Frequently asked questions