Incontinence-Ageing at Home

Chapter 9: Incontinence

Overview:

• Defines and explains incontinence in community aged care
• Discusses prevailing attitudes towards incontinence
• Explains with the use of tables and lists the types and causes of incontinence
• Offers advice on what can be done about incontinence
• Explains of the use of bladder/continence charts
• Details guidelines of the assessment and management/treatment options

Description:

Urinary and faecal incontinence present enormous challenges both to those who suffer from them and to those who care for sufferers. Incontinence is a multifaceted problem which is explained thoroughly in this chapter. Insight is provided for carers and guidelines are given through explanations, tables, assessment tools, and management strategies for incontinence.

Topics:

• Introduction
• A definition of incontinence
• Incontinence and community aged care
• Whose problem is it?
• Prevalence
• Attitudes to incontinence
• Types and causes of incontinence
• What can we do about incontinence?
• Assessment: Stage 1 Getting the basics for continence in place
• Assessment: Stage 2 Screening for the common causes
• Assessment: Stage 3 Taking it further — Specialist continence assessment
• What to do — The management/treatment options
• Selecting a continence product
• Management: Stage 1 Laying the basic building blocks
• Management: Stage 2 Overcoming the common causes
• Management: Stage 3 Taking it further — Specialist continence care
• Conclusion
• Further information on Continence
• Helpline
• References

Speaker / Author:

Keren Day

Registered Nurse Division 1, Bachelor of Nursing, Postgraduate Diploma of Advanced Nursing (Primary Health Care, Women’s Health), Graduate of the Promoting Continence Course (Royal District Nursing Service, Melbourne), Continence Nurse Consultant, Ballarat Health Services, Ballarat, Victoria.

Keren has had more than 11 years’ experience as a Continence Nurse Consultant during which time she has worked at the Royal District Nursing Service (Melbourne), the Victorian Continence Resource Centre, the Western Continence Service (Western Hospital in Melbourne) and in her present position at the Regional Continence Service based in Ballarat. Keren has been involved in government working committees to develop continence services at state and federal levels. She has enjoyed being involved in continence course development and has participated in lecturing and clinical facilitation of students over a number of years. Keren’s professional interest is in women’s health and she hopes to find ways in the future to further combine this with continence promotion and research. Keren has two daughters and at present she is balancing parenting, part-time work and studying for her master’s degree in nursing.

Professional Reviews: