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Bradbury B, Chester H, Santer M, Morrison L, Fader M, Ward J, Manthorpe J, Murphy C. Healthcare professionals' experiences and views of providing continence support and advice to people living at home with dementia: "That's a carer's job". BMC Geriatr 2024; 24:213. [PMID: 38424477 PMCID: PMC10905774 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-04830-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People living with dementia at home and their family carers often feel unsupported by healthcare professionals in managing continence problems. In turn, primary and community-based healthcare professionals have reported lacking specific knowledge on dementia-continence. This study aimed to understand more about healthcare professionals' experiences and views of supporting people living with dementia experiencing continence problems, as part of developing acceptable resources. Having a nuanced understanding of unmet need would facilitate the design of engaging resources that enable healthcare professionals to provide more effective continence support to people living with dementia at home. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of healthcare professionals (n = 31) working in primary and community care in the South of England in 2023. Transcribed interviews were uploaded to NVivo 12, then analysed inductively and deductively using a thematic framework. RESULTS Continence-related conversations were avoided by many healthcare professionals due to lack of dementia-continence specific knowledge. Many considered that continence problems of people living with dementia were largely outside their remit once a physical cause had been ruled out. This contributed to a lack of priority and proactivity in raising the subject of continence in their consultations. Challenges to providing support included limited consultation time and lack of access to specialist services with availability to support individuals. CONCLUSION There is substantial scope to support primary and community-based healthcare professionals in their provision of continence-related support and advice to people living at home with dementia. This includes addressing knowledge deficits, enhancing confidence and instilling a sense of accomplishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Bradbury
- School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Shirley, SO16 6YD, UK.
| | - Helen Chester
- NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce, The Policy Institute, King's College London, Virginia Woolf Building, 22 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6LE, UK
| | - Miriam Santer
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education (PPM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton, SO16 5ST, UK
| | - Leanne Morrison
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Primary Care Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Mandy Fader
- University of Southampton, B67, West Highfield Campus, University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Jane Ward
- University of Southampton, B67, West Highfield Campus, University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Jill Manthorpe
- NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce, The Policy Institute, King's College London, Virginia Woolf Building, 22 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6LE, UK
| | - Catherine Murphy
- School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Shirley, SO16 6YD, UK
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Pereira Gray D, Sidaway-Lee K, Evans P, Harding A. Having a named doctor in general practice is not enough to improve continuity of care. BMJ 2019; 367:l6106. [PMID: 31649068 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l6106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Philip Evans
- St Leonard's Research Practice, Exeter EX1 1SB, UK
- University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Alex Harding
- St Leonard's Research Practice, Exeter EX1 1SB, UK
- University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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