Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun 19:2021:9988056.
doi: 10.1155/2021/9988056. eCollection 2021.

Understanding the Impact of Urinary Incontinence in Persons with Dementia: Development of an Interdisciplinary Service Model

Patrick Juliebø-Jones  1   2   3 , Elizabeth Coulthard  1   3 , Elizabeth Mallam  1 , Hilary Archer  1 , Marcus J Drake  2   3
Affiliations

Understanding the Impact of Urinary Incontinence in Persons with Dementia: Development of an Interdisciplinary Service Model

Patrick Juliebø-Jones et al. Adv Urol. .

Abstract

Introduction: Prevalence of urinary symptoms such as incontinence (UI) in patients with dementia is estimated to exceed 50%. The resultant psychological and socio-economic burden can be substantial. Our aim was to develop a dedicated urology service within a cognitive impairment clinic in order to treat and better understand the bothersome urinary symptoms suffered by persons with dementia.

Methods: Patients attending this clinic were invited to be assessed and interviewed by urologist, together with their family and/or carer. In addition, formal history, examination and relevant investigations, themes of importance such as quality of life, and select question items were drawn from validated questionnaires. Multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting was carried out on the same day. Outcomes of the first 75 patients with UI and dementia have been reported.

Results: Average age was 70 years (range 58-98). Majority of persons had a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (n = 43, 57%). Average score for how much urine leakage interferes with everyday life was 7.7/10 (range 2-10). 58.7% (n = 44) revealed some degree of sleep disturbance due to UI. 83% (n = 62) stated daily activities were limited due to UI. Two-thirds of persons with dementia (n = 50) stated their bladder problem makes them feel anxious. 88% (n = 67) felt the topic was socially embarrassing. All carers stated that the person's continence issues affect the care they provide. Less than one-third of carers (30.7%, n = 23) were aware of or had been in contact with any bladder and bowel community service. More than half of the carers (n = 46, 65%) were concerned incontinence may be a principal reason for future nursing home admission.

Conclusion: UI can be distressing for persons with dementia. Care partners were concerned about loss of independence and early nursing home admission. Awareness of bladder and bowel services should be increased.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of the clinic set-up.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Milsom I., Altman D., Cartwright R., et al. Incontinence: 5th International Consultation on Incontinence, Paris, February 2012. Paris, France: ICUD-EAU; 2013. Epidemiology of urinary incontinence (UI) and other lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and anal incontinence (AI) pp. 15–107.
    1. Bedretdinova D., Fritel X., Zins M., Ringa V. The effect of urinary incontinence on health-related quality of life: is it similar in men and women? Urology. 2016;91:83–89. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2015.12.034. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Andel R., Hyer K., Slack A. Risk factors for nursing home placement in older adults with and without dementia. Journal of Aging and Health. 2007;19(2):213–228. doi: 10.1177/0898264307299359. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sommerlad A., Perera G., Mueller C., et al. Hospitalisation of people with dementia: evidence from English electronic health records from 2008 to 2016. European Journal of Epidemiology. 2019;34(6):567–577. doi: 10.1007/s10654-019-00481-x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Drennan V. M., Cole L., Iliffe S. A taboo within a stigma? a qualitative study of managing incontinence with people with dementia living at home. BMC Geriatrics. 2011;11(1):p. 75. doi: 10.1186/1471-2318-11-75. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources