Introduction: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a major health problem mostly affecting older people. With the shift toward healthcare delivery in the home setting, it is necessary for home healthcare workers to know how to manage UI in the elderly. Little is known about the care for patients receiving home care suffering from UI. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of UI in older adults receiving home care and to gain insight into caring for patients with UI.
Method: A cross-sectional survey using data from the Dutch National Prevalence Measurement of Health Care Problems was conducted.
Results: Of the 2866 patients, 46% were suffering from UI. In 49% of these patients the type of UI was diagnosed. Patients with a diagnosis suffered more from their UI and were offered more strategies when compared with patients without a diagnosis. Most patients used pads. Relatively few patients were offered bladder training or pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFME).
Discussion: Urinary incontinence is a highly prevalent condition in older patients receiving home care. In half of the patients with UI no diagnosis regarding the type of incontinence was made. However, to treat or manage UI it is essential to assess the type of UI, as UI is treatable even in older people. As this study had a cross-sectional design, only strategies being offered at a fixed point in time are documented.
Conclusion: Despite studies reporting the success of behavioural interventions for adults suffering from UI, most patients use pads. With the aging of the population and the increasing number of older adults suffering from UI, home care agencies need to acquire the knowledge and skills to address UI.