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Urinary Dysfunction in a Geriatric Long‐Term Care Population: Prevalence and Patterns *
Author(s) -
JEWETT M. A. S.,
FERNIE G. R.,
HOLLIDAY P. J.,
PIM M. E.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1981.tb01768.x
Subject(s) - medicine , long term care , term (time) , urinary system , geriatrics , gerontology , population , geriatric care , intensive care medicine , pediatrics , environmental health , psychiatry , nursing , physics , quantum mechanics
More complete data on the prevalence and types of urinary dysfunction in geriatric institutional patients are essential for the management of their urologic problems. Over a 13‐month period, a prospective study was conducted of all new admissions to a hospital for long‐term care. Eighty percent (277/347) of the newly admitted patients were geriatric (65 or older). Urinary dysfunction was identified in 69.3 percent of the geriatric group; 38.3 percent were incontinent, 20.2 percent bore a urinary diversion device, and 10.8 percent were symptomatic without incontinence. Obtaining reliable information about urologic status posed a significant problem, particularly as 27 percent of the subjects had a mental disorder, including organic brain syndrome or confusion. Thirty percent of all patients questioned were unable to give any history of their own health status. Questioning of both staff and patient to determine reliability of the data revealed that the given information was correct in 77 percent of patients who acknowledged genitourinary dysfunction, and in 83 percent of those who denied it. The study failed to elicit useful data concerning the specificity of symptoms, urologic history, diagnosis and management of urinary dysfunction in this series of geriatric patients under long‐term institutional care.