Continence management in patients with dementia

There is a growing elderly population in the UK and, with this demographic change, comes an increase in the prevalence of degenerative conditions like dementia.

The term 'dementia' describes a syndrome that may be caused by a number of illnesses and is associated with ongoing decline of function of the brain and its abilities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.¹

In the UK there is an estimated 750,000 people with dementia and numbers are expected to double in the next 30 years.²

Government policy aims to avoid hospital admissions and support older people to live at home for as long as possible. Community nurses will increasingly play a key role in supporting those who care for people with dementia and must understand the complex issues associated with dementia; this article focuses specifically on continence care of the person with dementia.