Short answer
When designing for older adults with incontinence in care homes, prioritize practical, behaviourally-based interventions like prompted voiding and effective absorbent products, while acknowledging the need for broader contextual understanding.
- Field
- Human Factors
- Source
- Journal of Advanced Nursing (2015)
- Method
- Systematic review of systematic reviews
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Conservative behavioural approaches, specifically prompted voiding and the use of incontinence pads, are the most effective short-term strategies for managing urinary incontinence in older adults residing in care homes. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2015 study published in Journal of Advanced Nursing. Using Systematic review of systematic reviews, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing for older adults with incontinence in care homes, prioritize practical, behaviourally-based interventions like prompted voiding and effective absorbent products, while acknowledging the need for broader contextual understanding.
Prompted voiding and incontinence pads effectively manage urinary incontinence in older care home residents, but evidence on influencing factors is limited.
Conservative behavioural approaches, specifically prompted voiding and the use of incontinence pads, are the most effective short-term strategies for managing urinary incontinence in older adults residing in care homes.
Journal of Advanced Nursing · 2015
Key Findings
- 01Toileting programmes, particularly prompted voiding, combined with incontinence pads are the primary conservative behavioural approaches for managing urinary incontinence in older care home residents.
- 02These approaches show evidence of effectiveness in the short term.
- 03Evidence regarding associated factors such as exercise, mobility, comorbidities, hydration, skin care, staff perspectives, policies, and older people's experiences and preferences is limited.
- 04The majority of evidence comes from studies in one country, raising questions about transferability to other care home populations.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing for older adults with incontinence in care homes, prioritize practical, behaviourally-based interventions like prompted voiding and effective absorbent products, while acknowledging the need for broader contextual understanding.
How to apply
When designing assistive devices or care strategies for elderly individuals with incontinence, integrate prompted voiding schedules and ensure the design of absorbent products prioritizes comfort, discretion, and ease of use for both the resident and caregiver.
Project actions
- 01Focus on designing a physical product or system that supports prompted voiding (e.g., a reminder device, a comfortable and discreet pad design).
- 02Consider the user experience of both the resident and the caregiver when developing your solution.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Systematic review of systematic reviews provides a high level of evidence synthesis.
- +Focuses on a specific and vulnerable population with a significant health issue.
Limitations
The findings are primarily based on existing systematic reviews, which may have their own limitations. The evidence is strongest for short-term effectiveness and less so for long-term impacts or a wide range of influencing factors.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the findings is enhanced by the systematic review of systematic reviews methodology. Validity is supported by the inclusion of high-quality systematic reviews, but may be limited by the heterogeneity of the original studies and the single-country focus of much of the evidence.
Think critically
Given the limited evidence on influencing factors and cross-cultural transferability, how can designers ensure their solutions for incontinence management are truly user-centred and effective in diverse care home settings?
Design Principles
"User needs in specific environments must be addressed through practical, evidence-based interventions."
This research highlights the importance of understanding the physiological and psychological needs of a specific user group (older adults in care homes) when designing solutions for sensitive health issues like incontinence. It underscores the need for practical, user-friendly interventions that can be integrated into daily routines.
What This Means for Your Design
For older people in care homes, the best way to help with bladder control problems is to have scheduled toilet trips (prompted voiding) and use absorbent pads. This works well for a short time, but we don't know as much about other things that might help or if it works the same everywhere.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use the findings to justify the need for your design solution, particularly if it aims to improve continence management for older adults.
- 2.Discuss the limitations of current approaches and how your design addresses gaps in evidence, such as considering broader influencing factors.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights that for older adults in care homes, conservative behavioural approaches like prompted voiding, often in conjunction with incontinence pads, are the most effective short-term strategies for managing urinary incontinence. However, the evidence base regarding other influencing factors (e.g., mobility, hydration, staff perspectives) and the transferability of findings across different care home populations is limited, suggesting a need for context-specific and comprehensive design solutions.
Source
Journal of Advanced Nursing
Systematic review of systematic reviews for the management of urinary incontinence and promotion of continence using conservative behavioural approaches in older people in care homes
journal · 2015
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about prompted voiding and incontinence pads effectively manage urinary incontinence in older care home residents, but evidence on influencing factors is limited?
- When designing for older adults with incontinence in care homes, prioritize practical, behaviourally-based interventions like prompted voiding and effective absorbent products, while acknowledging the need for broader contextual understanding. Evidence: Journal of Advanced Nursing (2015).
- Why does "Prompted voiding and incontinence pads effectively manage urinary incontinence in older care home residents, but evidence on influencing factors is limited." matter for design?
- This research highlights the importance of understanding the physiological and psychological needs of a specific user group (older adults in care homes) when designing solutions for sensitive health issues like incontinence. It underscores the need for practical, user-friendly interventions that can be integrated into daily routines.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing for older adults with incontinence in care homes, prioritize practical, behaviourally-based interventions like prompted voiding and effective absorbent products, while acknowledging the need for broader contextual understanding.
- What were the main findings?
- Toileting programmes, particularly prompted voiding, combined with incontinence pads are the primary conservative behavioural approaches for managing urinary incontinence in older care home residents.. These approaches show evidence of effectiveness in the short term.. Evidence regarding associated factors such as exercise, mobility, comorbidities, hydration, skin care, staff perspectives, policies, and older people's experiences and preferences is limited.. The majority of evidence comes from studies in one country, raising questions about transferability to other care home populations.
- What research method was used?
- Systematic review of systematic reviews.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2015 journal from Journal of Advanced Nursing.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing assistive devices or care strategies for elderly individuals with incontinence, integrate prompted voiding schedules and ensure the design of absorbent products prioritizes comfort, discretion, and ease of use for both the resident and caregiver.
- What are the limitations?
- The majority of evidence originates from studies in a single country, limiting generalizability. Evidence on influencing factors beyond direct interventions is scarce.