Incontinence management
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Modules - Incontinence Management
A WORD OF CAUTION: DO NOT RESTRICT FLUIDS TO IMPROVE CONTINENCE.
Some residents will purposely restrict their fluid intake in an attempt to improve their continence. For the same reason, some nursing homes will do the same for residents. In both cases, it's a bad idea, potentially harmful to a resident's health. Studies show that the majority of nursing home residents are at high risk for dehydration, a condition associated with numerous adverse clinical outcomes for residents, including the ultimate: death (4).
Far from an opportune time to limit fluids, the start of a prompted voiding program is the ideal time to offer extra fluids to residents. Incontinent residents may be more likely to drink more if they know they can count on help to the toilet. And it will take staff next to no extra time to offer the extra care because they have to attend to the residents in any case.
Experts recommend that nursing home staff offer all residents extra fluids between meals, as many as 4-8 times a day. For more information about strategies to increase residents' fluid intake, visit our training module on weight loss prevention.
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