Sonya Lytwynec, RegN, BScN
Nurse Clinician,
Southwestern Ontario Regional Geriatric Program,
Continence Outreach
Urinary incontinence can be successfully treated in some individuals.1 There are, however, many individuals who remain unresponsive to behavioural, medical or surgical treatment and continue to experience chronic urinary incontinence. These individuals can benefit from improved continence management, using incontinence products that enable them to maintain social acceptability, skin integrity and comfort.
The focus of this article is to identify the factors that influence product selection and describe the key features of products that may guide the health care professional in meeting the specialized needs of individuals and caregivers.
Incontinence products may be utilized in addition to other treatment modalities to promote comfort and security. For example, supplementing toileting protocols with the use of absorbent disposable diapers and moisture barriers may be effective in reducing the risk for skin breakdown.2
Selecting the most appropriate product can be a complex task.
