Stoma Care on the NDIS: A Participant & Family Guide
Stoma care NDIS guide: what it involves, who can deliver it safely, how the Stoma Appliance Scheme supplies products, and what the NDIS funds.
Living with a stoma becomes second nature for many people, but when your disability means you need help to manage it, the NDIS can fund a trained worker or nurse to support you safely. There's an important twist, though: your stoma products usually come from a separate scheme, not the NDIS. This guide explains what stoma care involves, who can deliver it, how the products are supplied, and what…
What a stoma is and what stoma care involves
The main types of stoma
Why stoma care can be high-intensity
Who can deliver stoma care
Products come from the Stoma Appliance Scheme, not the NDIS
What the NDIS funds instead
The disability-and-health boundary
Finding a trained worker or nurse
Frequently asked questions
Does the NDIS pay for stoma bags and supplies?
Usually no. Stoma appliances, bags, flanges and related products, are supplied through the Stoma Appliance Scheme via a stoma association, not your NDIS plan. The NDIS funds the support to manage your stoma, not the products the scheme already covers.
Who can help me with stoma care at home?
A support worker can help with routine stoma care, like emptying and changing the pouch and checking the skin, once they have been trained and assessed as competent, under registered-nurse oversight. More complex issues, or a new or problem stoma, may need a stoma nurse.
Is stoma care a high-intensity support?
It can be. When stoma care needs specific skill and carries clinical risk, it falls under the NDIS High Intensity Support Skills Descriptors, meaning trained, competency-assessed workers and nurse oversight. Simpler, stable stoma care may be lower-intensity; it depends on your individual needs.
What does the NDIS actually fund for stoma care?
The NDIS funds the disability-related support around your stoma, the trained worker or nurse time to help you manage it safely, plus nurse oversight and any training. The appliances themselves come from the Stoma Appliance Scheme, so the NDIS does not duplicate them.
What if I need more than the Stoma Appliance Scheme provides?
The scheme covers standard stoma appliances, but if you need extra disability-related support to manage your stoma, hands-on help, nurse oversight, or skin and continence care linked to your disability, that is where the NDIS fits. A continence or stoma nurse assessment can clarify what each system…
Related guides
- Urinary Catheter Care on the NDIS: A Participant Guide
- How to Find a Support Worker Trained in Complex Bowel Care
- Bowel Care Safety: Questions to Ask & What a Good Routine Looks Like
- Finding a Worker or Nurse Trained in Catheter Care
- Complex Bowel Care on the NDIS: A Participant & Family Guide
- How the NDIS Funds Complex Bowel Care & Bowel Management Plans