The meaning of incontinence in dementia care

Exploring ways of helping dementia sufferers and their carer's cope at home is central to government philosophy and legislation (Department of Health, 2001). The success of such support relies on having an accurate understanding of the nature and extent of the illness, and the caregiving experience. This article recognises and validates the pre-eminent role of spouse caregivers in the day-to-day maintenance of dementia sufferers. In so doing, it promotes a caregiver-coping paradigm as the most sensible and effective approach to formulating clinical assessment and service delivery. There is a dearth of research exploring the influence of incontinence on caregiver coping. This is surprising bearing in mind the seemingly obvious difficulties it creates for the caregiver. This relationship, described and discussed from a caregiver perspective, provides a valuable example of the need for a paradigm shift in the way professionals and services support and care for people with dementia and their spouses.