Joan Ostaszkiewicz

Urinary incontinence in frail elderly persons: Report from the 5th International Consultation on Incontinence

Evidence based guidelines for the management of frail older persons with urinary incontinence are rare. Those produced by the International Consultation on Incontinence represent an authoritative set of recommendations spanning all aspects of management.

The effects of conservative treatment for constipation on symptom severity and quality of life in community-dwelling adults.

PURPOSE Constipation is a common symptom in the general community that incurs considerable cost and negative effects on quality of life. This article reports the effects of an individualized, multimodal, conservative intervention on symptom severity and quality of life in community-dwelling adults who presented with constipation and specific lower urinary tract symptoms to a community-based continence service. DESIGN The study was a within-subject, pretest-posttest design that utilized purposeful recruitment. The sample was drawn from a clinical population of patients attending a community-based continence service. METHODS Twenty-seven community-dwelling adults aged 35 to 83 years (mean age 63.85 years) who presented with lower urinary tract symptoms and constipation received individualized conservative treatment of constipation that comprised advice on dietary supplementation, fluid intake, exercise, position to defecate, the gastrocolic reflex, and over-the-counter laxatives. Participants completed the Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptom Questionnaire (PAC-SYM) and the Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAC-QOL) prior to the intervention and 8 to 12 weeks later. RESULTS Wilcoxon signed ranks test results indicated that the intervention significantly reduced the severity of overall constipation symptoms measured by the PAC-SYM (T = 75.5, P < .01). In particular, there were significant improvements in abdominal and stool symptoms subscales. Participants also reported statistically significant improvements in their overall quality of life as measured by the PAC-QOL (T = 48.5, P < .01). There were significant improvements in relation to psychosocial discomfort, worries and concerns, and satisfaction as measured by the PAC-QOL. While no participants felt in control of their situation “all of the time” prior to treatment, 26.9% of participants reported feeling in control of their situation “all of the time” following treatment. CONCLUSION The severity of constipation symptoms are reduced following a multimodal, individually tailored conservative intervention. This improvement in symptoms corresponds with quality-of-life improvements.

Carers' perspectives of respite care in Australia: an evaluative study.

Caring for someone with dementia is burdensome and challenging. In Australia, respite services help carers to cope with these demands. In this descriptive study, 62 carers of people with dementia provided information on their use of respite care, its effectiveness and their satisfaction with services provided during the preceding 12 months. Results indicated that carers used day centre, in-home, residential, regular outings and cottage care. The main reasons for use were to assist with managing care, take a break, or attend to health problems. Although 78% of carers rated respite as beneficial to their care recipients, most suggested areas that required attention. Improvements included the need for more time and flexibility, better quality and more permanent staff, improved communication, bureaucracy, administration and affordability. Respite providers need to recognize these limitations and develop strategies to improve the delivery of diverse respite care for carers of people with dementia.

Moving beyond resistance to restraint minimization : a case study of change management in aged care

AIM This case study describes a quality initiative to minimize restraint in an Australian residential aged care facility. APPROACH The process of improving practice is examined with reference to the literature on implementation of research into practice and change management. The differences between planned and emergent approaches to change management are discussed. The concepts of resistance and attractors are explored in relation to our experiences of managing the change process in this initiative. The importance of the interpersonal interactions that were involved in facilitating the change process is highlighted. IMPLICATIONS Recommendations are offered for dealing with change management processes in clinical environments, particularly the need to move beyond an individual mind-set to a systems-based approach for quality initiatives in residential aged care.

A clinical nursing leadership model for enhancing continence care for older adults in a subacute inpatient care setting

This article describes the application and evaluation of a clinical nursing leadership model to enhance continence care in an inpa-tient rehabilitation setting for older adults. Multiple strategies were employed to optimize the uptake and sustainability of 3 practice initiatives: (1) establishment of an enhanced role for ward—based nurses to provide clinical support to patients and other staff for the management of incontinence, (2) a new method for nurs-ing assessment and management of bowel elimination, and (3) a framework for improved discharge care of patients with inconti-nence. Evaluation data indicated a high level of acceptance of the role of the ward-based continence resource nurses, improved assessment and management of bowel elimination, and enhanced discharge care for patients with incontinence. These initiatives were sustainable during a 2-year period after their introduction, despite the gradual withdrawal of the clinical leader.

Tri‐focal Model of Care Implementation: Perspectives of Residents and Family

Abstract Purpose To explore residents’ and family members’ perceptions of partnership‐centered long‐term care (LTC) associated with implementation of the Tri‐focal Model of Care. The Model promotes partnership‐centered care, evidence‐based practice, and a positive environment. Its implementation is supported by a specifically designed education program. Methods The Model was implemented over approximately 12 months in seven LTC facilities in Victoria, Australia. A qualitative exploratory‐descriptive approach was used. Data were collected using individual and focus group interviews with residents and family members prior to and following implementation of the Model. Data were analyzed thematically. Findings Prior to implementation of the Model, residents described experiencing a sense of disempowerment, and emphasized the importance of communication, engagement, and being a partner in the staff–resident care relationship. Following implementation, residents reported experiencing improved partnership approaches to care, although there were factors that impacted on having a good experience. Family members described a desire to remain involved in the residents life by establishing good communication and rapport with staff. They acknowledged this was important for partnership‐centered care. Following implementation, they described experiencing a partnership with staff, giving them confidence to assist staff and be included in decisions about the resident. Conclusions The Tri‐focal Model of Care can enable residents, family members, and staff to be partners in resident care in LTC settings. Clinical Relevance With an ageing population, an increasing demand for complex, individualized LTC exists. Delivery of high‐quality LTC requires a strategy to implement a partnership‐centered approach, involving residents, family members, and staff.

Reframing continence care in care-dependence

ABSTRACT International guidelines promote active investigation and treatment of incontinence; however, these guidelines do not fully accommodate the psychosocial aspects associated with providing continence care i.e. the caregiving dynamics. The author developed a new framework that aims to support nurses and care workers in their efforts to identify and meet the continence care needs of individuals with complex health conditions who are dependent on another person for assistance to manage incontinence or to maintain continence. The framework is underpinned by two core concepts: ‘dignity’ and ‘care’, and is characterized by a focus on: empathic continence care; personhood in dementia; therapeutic communication; authentic partnership in continence care; acknowledging stigma, social taboos and courtesy stigma; and the need for a foundational continence assessment. This paper describes the Dignity in Continence Care Framework and suggests strategies for its use in the future education of nurses and care workers about continence care.

Development and Validation of the Role Profile of the Nurse Continence Specialist: A Project of the International Continence Society

Although nurses have specialized in the management of incontinence, bladder, bowel, and pelvic floor dysfunction for more than 30 years, there is a lack of awareness and underutilization of their role. This article describes a 6-year project to define, characterize, and validate a role profile of the Nurse Continence Specialist. Data collection used a 2-phase, mixed-methods design. Phase 1 of the project resulted in a draft Nurse Continence Specialist role profile and Phase 2 led to validation of the draft profile. The result was a broad consensus about what constitutes the specific skill set for Nurse Continence Specialist specialization within nursing.

Urinary bag decontamination for long-term use: a systematic review.

A systematic review of research on urinary drainage bag decontamination methods was conducted to evaluate existing evidence for practice related to long-term urinary catheter users. Six trials were found that met inclusion criteria. In addition, 9 clinical practice guidelines about urinary catheter care from 3 English-speaking countries were examined. Two studies were of modest quality; they included a randomized trial of 54 persons in a rehabilitation hospital and a laboratory comparison of 5 decontamination products. Three other articles included in the review were case series. All were published between 1985 and 1994. Bleach (NaClO) solutions of varying concentrations (0.06%-1%) were most often tested, and results were similar in controlling microbial contamination in the drainage bags. However, the studies often lacked definitions or standardization of key outcome measures such as safety and ease of the procedure and integrity of the drainage bag. The clinical practice guidelines differed in advice on bag decontamination, and some did not address it. Further research is recommended to evaluate the efficacy of decontamination procedures in patients with long-term indwelling catheters and drainage bags.

Advanced Practice Continence Nursing

This chapter explains the concepts of advanced practice nursing and advanced practice continence nursing. It describes advanced practice nursing and advanced practice continence nursing practice in four countries. It distinguishes between specialist and advanced nursing practice, introduces the reader to the global development of continence nursing as a specialization, describes the role profile of the nurse continence specialist, and proposes a set of competences and education from basic to advanced practice continence nursing care. This chapter includes information about the advanced practice approach to continence care for people with fecal incontinence and concludes with research about the effectiveness of nurses with advanced practice skills in continence care for people with fecal incontinence.