HSC 2016: Support individuals to manage continence
1 Understand factors that affect the management of continence
1.1 Explain how difficulties with continence can affect an individual's self esteem, health and their day to day activities
Incontinence can affect individuals mentally as well as physically, it can have a negative effect on self esteem,dignity and independence as they may be ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help either to go to the toilet or to clean up if they have had an accident. It can also affect an individuals social life as they may have a fear of having an accident in a public place or around friends which would cause them embarrassment and/or humiliation this can lead to isolation which in turn can result in depression, continence nurses state that up to 70 per cent of individuals with incontinence are affected by depression.
Individuals with continence problems may avoid seeking advice or getting treatment as they feel too embarrassed to talk about it to health care workers or family and friends, they may try to combat the problems on their own by cutting down their fluid or food intake, however by doing this it only aggravates the problem as by drinking less it makes the urine more concentrated which irritates the bladder causing a greater sense of urgency to go for a much smaller amount of waste or can cause infections to urinary tract(uti) or inflammation of the bladder, reducing their food and fluid intake can also lead to constipation which in turn causes weaker pelvic floor muscles from straining to eliminate the stool.
1.2 List common causes of difficulties with continence
Urine
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Illness/ Diseases ie parkinson's/ diabetes or infections
Skin integrity issues ie sores around genitals/ sacrum
Overactive bladder
Enlarged prostate glands(male)
Dryness of the genital area ie Atrophic vaginitis/urethritis reduced bladder capacity immobility poor personal hygiene
Bowel
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Muscle damage or weakness