Continence care is fundamental to the way we look after the health, welfare, and emotional needs of our residents. While continence issues are fairly common, they can often be well managed with the right assessment and support, particularly for residents with continence problems linked to other conditions or diagnosed as stress incontinence.
Professional, High-Quality Continence Care
Long-term care planning and respectful, sensitive treatment plans can restore confidence to every resident, ensuring they never feel that continence challenges or concerns prevent them from participating in social activities or enjoying hobbies and events that they find fulfilling.
Continence Care in a Care Home or Nursing Home
Forest Healthcare provides continence care both for residents whose primary need for around-the-clock support relates to a condition such as bowel incontinence, and people who require ongoing assistance with personal care and mobility and also need dedicated continence services.
We recognise that continence care may be a delicate issue. Our care teams across our network of centres endeavour to reassure every resident and their loved ones that well-established continence care services are always delivered with kindness and compassion by trained carers or a nurse in a nursing home environment.
The best possible plan will always be adapted to the needs of the individual, with many older people choosing residential care due to a condition such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. They may find that during more difficult days, continence care becomes essential – whether or not on other days, a person feels comfortable being able to visit the toilet independently.
Our care teams regularly coordinate with primary care services, including any local continence service or visiting health professional you or your loved one may have engaged with, ensuring we have complete oversight of previous continence assessment outcomes and the right approach to ongoing support.
Guidance on the Continence Assessment Process
Families may find that a doctor, nurse, or social care visitor recommends a continence assessment process, or we suggest this would be beneficial when discussing the care and needs of an individual or loved one. Rest assured that this assessment is simply a discussion about any diagnosis or condition that contributes to continence challenges and might include looking at the following:
- The severity of continence issues and the effect on the person – whether they find frequent bathroom visits distressing or find continence issues deeply stressful.
- Any issues or mobility restrictions that contribute to continence planning, where in some situations, a particular suite or accommodation space in a nursing home might be ideal, with walking aids or on-call support to ensure a person can always reach the bathroom safely and quickly.
- Medications or treatments to assist with improved continence management, such as physiotherapy exercises or other procedures or approaches prescribed by a doctor.
- Patterns of incontinence, such as whether care is mainly needed during the day, at night, after meals or fluid consumption.
- The side effects of incontinence on the mental health and overall welfare of the individual, where depression, anxiety and extended worrying can exacerbate incontinence or make it more difficult to manage.
Implementing a tailored, personalised continence care plan enables residents and their families to clarify how they would feel best supported and which practical measures, such as pads or continence garments, they consider suitable while protecting their dignity.
The experienced care professionals at Forest Healthcare will be happy to provide further guidance on continence care planning or advise on the varied options we offer within our residential care facilities to assist people undergoing treatment plans that may affect their continence.
Understanding the Importance of Continence Care for Elderly People
Conditions such as urinary incontinence can, if untreated or unsupported, cause several painful side effects that lead to prolonged discomfort, including urinary tract infections, skin breakdown, and feelings of a loss of dignity.
Care staff are well trained in symptoms of medical conditions like diabetes that are routinely linked to incontinence, where further investigation and medical advice may help to reduce or alleviate the issue while supporting better long-term health.
Incontinence can affect people of all ages, and while it may be predominantly diagnosed in older adults, it remains an area applicable to residents of diverse ages. Across the board, a continence service is valuable in protecting an individual’s health, well-being and comfort while offering emotional support and ongoing continence management.
Our network of care homes and nursing homes offer a broad scope of care services, and our advice for any families in need of a continence care service or concerned about how a loved one who is unable to manage conditions impacting their bladder or bowel will cope is to get in touch at any point for a confidential, private discussion.
Specialist Care Services From the Forest Healthcare Teams
Forest Healthcare is a nationwide group of nursing and care homes that provide all residents with private accommodation, considerate care services and access to a warm, safe and welcoming environment where friendly, qualified care teams take care of their needs.
Our nursing homes are designed for people who require extra assistance managing medical conditions, including those impacting their assessed continence needs, and who require nursing or clinical aid or would benefit from having a nurse on hand at all times.
We can provide personal care, practical support, mobility assistance and companionship care to residents with a wide array of needs, ensuring that incontinence issues are dealt with kindly, discretely and with respect for the preferences and wishes of the individual.
Get in touch with your nearest Forest Healthcare facility for further information about continence care, the most suitable setting for you or your loved one, or to discuss the best quality support services to meet your requirements.