Behavioral management in the inpatient geriatric population

Abstract

Urinary incontinence is a reversible problem in many nursing home patients. The types of patients that respond to nursing management procedures have been identified in this article. Specific diagnostic and rehabilitative assessments, as well as treatment procedures, have been described in a fashion that makes them usable by most nursing professionals in long-term care facilities. Two key issues remain to be addressed. The foremost issue is that, once patients are taught to request toileting assistance, the challenge remains to motivate staff to render that assistance over long periods of time. Second, a number of patients with urologic conditions (most notably, high residual urine volumes and low bladder capacities) do not respond well to nursing management. The type of medical or nursing treatment best suited for these patients has not yet been resolved. Nevertheless, this article has detailed techniques that positively affect incontinence in nursing home patients. Nursing implementation of prompted voiding can dramatically improve continence within the geriatric inpatient population.