Continence conference

More than 100 Department of Human Services staff heard from leading researchers and policy makers in the field of continence at a forum to discuss the issue.

Researcher Pauline Chiarelli, author of Women’s Waterworks: Curing Incontinence told staff about one million Australians, suffer regularly with urinary incontinence.

Commonwealth Office of the Status of Women First Assistant Secretary Rosemary Calder said the expansion of continence clinic services to include education, consultation and additional assessment and intervention services and the provision of appropriate continence aids for older Victorians were among the challenges facing the Department in improving continence care for Victorians.

National Expert Advisory Committee chair David Fonda said Victoria could play a significant role in leading the development of a national framework.

Associate Professor Fonda’s committee was established by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care to develop the national framework and implement the strategy for incontinence.

The Department is embarking on a cross-divisional project to develop a framework for an integrated response to its provision of continence care.

The project aims to enhance the quality of life, health and well-being of people with incontinence or who are at risk of developing incontinence and provide quality continence care to Victorians.

A cross-divisional steering committee with representatives from DisAbility Services, Public Health, Acute Health, Aged, Community and Mental Health and Community Care Division plus a Regional representative is overseeing the project.