Managing dementia and incontinence

Submitted by Emma Hamilton on Thu, 05/06/2008 - 8:47am

Question: My mum has dementia and is frequently incontinent. We tried pads but she constantly takes them off. What is a toileting schedule and how can I start one? What other measures can I take to avoid incontinence episodes?

Answer: Dementia can really add to the management and nursing workload associated with incontinence. For this reason, it’s important to get expert guidance from a continence clinician (a GP, continence nurse advisor, or a specialist).

Removal of continence pads is a common problem. Maybe an alternative would be to use pull-up style pants, which would be similar to what she is used to wearing. For people who remove pads, an all-in-one garment with back opening helps prevent access.

A toileting schedule is about every 2-3 hours, usually after meals, and when you notice behaviours that might indicate a need for a toilet visit. Toileting after breakfast, where the gastro-colic reflex kicks in and a bowel action is likely, will be a part of the toileting schedule.

Making it easy to get to the toilet plus putting up a picture to prompt memory and direction might be helpful.

Article by:

Anne Ramus, Continence Foundation Australia
Steve Marburg, National Continence Helpline
19/03/08

The National Continence Helpline 1800 33 00 66
www.continence.org.au