What does good continence care in residential aged care look like?
And how to advocate for better
Many families caring for a loved one will reach the stage where they can no longer offer the care needed at home. Faecal incontinence, decreased mobility and dementia are the three major reasons for admittance to a residential aged care facility. We talked to Bernadette, manager of a residential aged care facility, to find out what you should look for when choosing care for a loved one who is experiencing incontinence.
“When someone is admitted to residential aged care they should have a full continence assessment and a care plan should be developed in consultation with the resident and their family. Having the correct continence aid for the individual needs of the resident is most important. Once they are settled in, the continence aids suitability is continually monitored. The care plans are reviewed if there is a change in the residents' care needs or at least six monthly. A good home will always have open disclosure and good communication with the familiy."
“Dignity and independence for our residents is always a high priority, with continual review of care needed.”
“A good care routine for someone with incontinence in residential aged care should include regular meal, snack and drink times. This will help them stay regular and enable you to anticipate when they might need help to get to the toilet. A regular toilet routine can help avoid accidents or interruptions for them while they are socialising during mealtimes or activities by scheduling trips to the toilet to suit each resident. If not managed properly, residents experiencing incontinence can become anxious about socialising and leaving their room in case they have an accident.”
“One of the hardest parts of managing continence in residents is making sure they stay hydrated. During warmer months especially, giving them additional fluids is always a priority. Many think drinking less means they do not need to urinate as frequently or be incontinent. So encouraging the residents to drink adequate fluids daily to reduce the incidents of urinary tract infection is always a challenge.”
Did you know...drinking less can actually make you wee more often? Concentrated urine (wee) can irritate your bladder and makes you need to go to the toilet more regularly.
“A well-designed room at a residential home will always have a line of sight to the bathroom for prompting the residents. We also give our staff training on continence care, which is very important to give them confidence when toileting the residents and ensure the right continence aid is being used for each individual. If you think a loved one is not getting the correct continence care at their aged care facility, you should always communicate with staff and go to the manager, if needed, to discuss any concerns.”
If you want support communicating with the aged care facility, you can contact the Older Person Advocacy Network (opan.org.au) or the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (agedcarequality.gov.au).
Need help with caring for someone experiencing incontinence?
Free advice from a nurse continence specialist is available Monday to Friday 8am-8pm AEST from the National Continence Helpline team. Call 1800 33 00 66.
Alternatively, speak to your doctor to arrange a full continence assessment and to develop a plan for the correct treatment and care.