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• To learn about practical strategies that can support people living with dementia and their family carers to manage incontinence
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Urinary and faecal incontinence are more prevalent among older people but, like dementia, incontinence is not a normal or inevitable part of ageing. The number of people living with dementia who experience continence issues is likely to be underestimated because many people avoid reporting them as a result of embarrassment and stigma, or because they think incontinence is an inevitable symptom of dementia and that nothing can be done about it. Increased awareness and understanding of the relationship between dementia and incontinence is needed so that nurses can persuade people living with dementia and their family carers to discuss continence issues, assess their needs and provide support. There are several practical strategies that can reduce the incidence of incontinence, counter its negative effects and promote continence in people living with dementia.
Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2023.e1451
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestZena Aldridge is consultant editor of Nursing Older People. Laura Elsegood, Sarah Murray and Alison Wileman work for Essity, a company that sells personal care and continence products. Zena Aldridge undertakes some work with Essity in her capacity as independent dementia nurse consultant but did not receive any payment for this article
Aldridge Z, Elsegood L, Murray S et al (2023) Identifying incontinence and promoting continence in people living with dementia. Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2023.e1451
Published online: 22 November 2023
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