Undertaking a baseline continence assessment in hospitalised adults

In the UK, one in five people live with some form of urinary incontinence and one in ten live with some form of bowel issue. The likelihood of a nurse caring for a patient with a pre-existing continence issue in any healthcare setting is therefore relatively high. Hospital admission carries an increased risk of patients developing functional incontinence, which might occur due to a missed baseline continence assessment on admission or because of the patient's presenting illness and can result in a temporary loss of mobility and independence. For hospital nurses, starting a conversation with the patient regarding their continence status early in their admission, and encouraging them to talk about any bothersome continence issues, is essential for the delivery of person-centred care. Continence is 'everybody's business' and the author details some nurse-led initiatives that have been implemented to raise the standards for continence assessment in hospitalised patients.