Continence Care in Residential Care Settings

Incontinence presents as a common problem for a considerable number of people in adult social care and describes an accidental or involuntary loss of urine or faeces

It is common among elderly people however many elderly people feel ashamed and embarrassed about incontinence concerns This can mean they are often very reluctant to ask for help For people who need incontinence help this can really impact the quality of their life and overall well-being

Women are more often affected by incontinence with 75% of those over 65 reporting urine leakages

For elderly people in care homes, 30-50% of them will need incontinence care 60-70% of people living with dementia or Alzheimer s disease will be incontinent Incontinence is a symptom of underlying problems which with assessment and investigation can be identified and treated Even when a remedy is not achievable optimum methods of incontinence management can produce social continence', helping to lessen embarrassment and maintain patient dignity

According to the British Geriatric Society the main causes of incontinence are:

Urge incontinence (detrusor overactivity) In this condition the patient is unable to prevent involuntary bladder contractions which cause urgency with little or no warning of incontinence The sufferer may respond to this urgency by frequent visits to the toilet day and night Urge incontinence is often made worse by anxiety or fast bladder filling for example after diuretic medications

• Stress incontinence (pelvic floor weakness) A small leakage of urine occurs on physical exertion such as standing lifting coughing or sneezing and rarely occurs during sleep at night This is the commonest cause of incontinence in middle aged women and is seen in some men after prostatectomy

Overflow incontinence (retention of urine) The patient will have a large post-void residual urine volume and may complain of continuous dribbling incontinence or symptoms like stress incontinence Recurrent urinary tract infections are common and the condition is made worse by constipation or anticholinergic medication

Overflow incontinence can be caused by diabetes and some types of nerve damage It also occurs in men with prostatic obstruction

Outflow obstruction This almost always occurs in men who may complain of difficulty in starting micturition, poor urinary stream and dribble after micturition, perhaps with a feeling of inadequate emptying

Functional incontinence (e g poor or painful mobility, loss of dexterity, impaired communication mental confusion and depression) Incontinence is due to inability to reach and use the toilet

Residents in long term care settings have special needs and the standard of continence care provided varies between each area and between homes and requires specialist products to help those suffering with continence issues

MANFRED SAUER UK

Since 1976 Manfred Sauer UK Ltd has provided a range of innovative urology and continence care products to help sufferers of urinary incontinence But unlike other providers their effective and user-friendly products are often designed and tested with input from end users and healthcare professionals

Listed below are some of their products all available on prescription

SHEATHS

Manfred Sauer offer five different types of urinary sheath to facilitate the drainage of urine away from the body into a drainage bag

LEG BAGS

Manfred Sauer supply four main types of leg bags with varying capacities:

• Discreet Thigh Bag can be worn high up on the thigh area and hidden under clothes Bendi Bag is ideal for wheelchair users who can sometimes find toilet access difficult

Comfort Leg Bag range comes in a variety of materials from velvet smooth real cotton and flock backing

Children s Bag with smaller capacity and proportions

CATHETERS

When performing ISC you need something that is simple to use soft and flexible Manfred Sauer s IQ-Cath male female and paediatric single-use catheters are ready for use immediately and the protective sleeve on the male and paediatric catheters facilitates a no-touch technique

NEPHSYS BAG AND BELT SYSTEM

For people who have had a Nephrostomy NephSys can drastically improve their lives As well as providing a secure and sterile solution the system is comfortable and discreet

Contact Manfred Sauer s helpline team on 01604 595 696 or visit www manfred-sauer co uk for more information about each product or to order a free sample