Y. M. YEUNG, Francis N. Y. LEUNG, M. C. LAM, Anders C. M. YUEN
(Modified Plenary Session Speech presented in the 14th Annual Nursing Conference:
"Advanced Nursing Practice")
Abstract
Urinary incontinence is a common problem encountered among hospitalized elderly patients (Bradway, 1998). According to the point prevalence survey in 1997 of Fung Yiu King Hospital, 68% of in-patient had urinary incontinence on admission. Therefore, a Nurse-led ward-based continence rehabilitation program was conducted in the Geriatric Rehabilitation Ward from June 1999 to December 2001. Elderly patients identified with functional incontinence were recruited into the program. An individualized rehabilitation plan was then developed according to their physical and cognitive function. The intervention included diaper weaning regimen, bladder training, environmental modification for toileting and compensatory training of adapted device. There were 330 patients recruited into the program. 57.3% (n=189) were male and 42.7% (n=141) were female with mean age of 80.8. Their average AMT was 7.43. 74.9% (n=247) patients developed urinary incontinence after hospitalization in acute setting. After a period of rehabilitation (mean=22.58 days), 59.7% (n=197) had no more functional incontinence. 8.2% (n=27) patients had reduction of incontinence at both day and night time while 15.8% (n=52) patients had reduction of incontinence at day and only 0.6% (n=2) at night time. The significant findings indicated that functional incontinence is preventable and manageable; ward nurses have been proven to play the coordinating role successfully in initiating continence rehabilitation program.
Key words: Continence rehabilitation, functional incontinence