Caregiving, Dementia, and Incontinence

Develop coping strategies to assist people living with dementia and incontinence

Many people who are living with dementia also experience incontinence, which can be daunting for caregivers.

On this five-week course, you’ll be guided by experts from Deakin University, and the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI), dispelling the many misconceptions surrounding incontinence and learning how to ensure the dignity, comfort, and safety of those under your care.

Explore the basics of bowel and bladder function

Delving into the biological functions of the bowel and bladder, you’ll examine the effects of ageing and dementia on continence and identify warning signs for when medical health should be sought.

With this knowledge, you’ll be able to develop sensitive support strategies, founded in scientific understanding.

Promote healthy bladder function and assist with toileting and personal hygiene

You’ll examine a range of approaches to help a person living with dementia maintain continence and manage incontinence, including assisting with personal hygiene and the use of continence aids and incontinence products.

With this knowledge, you’ll be able to help the person you’re caring for maintain their independence for as long as possible and improve their quality of life.

Learn how to access support services and quality health information

Through group discussion, you’ll share practical advice and coping skills to improve your problem-solving, flexibility, and planning skills.

You’ll also learn how to find trustworthy information and access continence services to improve the care you can provide.

By the end of this course, you’ll understand the causes and effects of incontinence in people with dementia. You’ll have gained practical strategies to support your caregiving, having learned a variety of physical and emotional support techniques.

This course is designed for family carers and those working in caregiving roles who want to improve their understanding of dementia and incontinence.

It may also be of interest to first year nursing students or those preparing for study who want to further their knowledge in this area.

• Coping with the lived experience
• Introduction to the course
• Beliefs and misbeliefs about incontinence
• Communicating for success
• Weekly wrap
• The basics of bladder and bowel structure and function
• The basics of bladder and bowel function
• Effects of ageing and dementia
• Weekly wrap
• Promoting healthy bowel and bladder function and assisting with toileting and hygiene
• How to optimise healthy function
• Toileting without trauma
• Weekly wrap
• Using continence aids and incontinence products and protecting the skin
• Assisting with the use of continence aids and incontinence products
• Protecting the skin
• Weekly wrap
• Coping at home, out and about and accessing information and support
• Coping at home, out and about, and in respite or residential care
• Accessing quality information and support
• Course wrap