The Carlingwark case study highlights a successful shift towards person-centered continence care in a traditional care home, resulting in a significant reduction in product usage and multiple awards for excellence. Key strategies included changing staff perceptions, fostering dignity, and enhancing the living environment to improve residents' quality of life. Ongoing improvement efforts continue through collaboration with advisory services and implementing best practices.

1. Top Tips For Person-Centered Continence Care A Carlingwark Case Study

2. What’s our story?
Carlingwark
Traditional care home in Dumfries & Galloway
2011 – Shirley joined….
Approach based upon routine – overuse of products

3. What’s our story?
2012/14
An entirely different approach
Far lower than national average use of products
2012 – Anne Jamieson Continence Award Winner
Winner of ‘Best Dementia Continence Care Award’ – 2013 National Dementia Awards, shortlisted again in 2014!
So, what did we do?

4. How did we improve things?

5. Culture and Education

6. Creating a new culture….
Manager, Shirley, needed to understand the needs of the people supported – not an overnight task!
Found most residents didn’t have physical continence problems
 Established in-home Continence Lead post – championing good practice, offering expertise and leading by example
Challenged ingrained staff attitudes and perceptions - promoting positivity!
Dignity Awareness built into everything we do.
Closely partnered with NHS Continence Advisory Service – finding a powerful, interested advocate!
Celebrated staff successes

7. Meaningful Assessments

8. Really knowing the person…
 In-depth assessment when people join Carlingwark
 Assessments are on-going – constantly aim to promote independence
 Research impact of all medication
 Build relationships – knowing life story and personality – to understand needs and physical cues
 Ensure products are right for the individual

9. Environment Efforts…

10. The right environment…
 Living environment – En-suites, visual cues, bed placement, blue toilet seats, toilet raisers.
Removing barriers – Make it easy for people to access to toilet – e.g. Are mobility aids reachable?
 Promoting Dignity – Small but important steps, like ensuring continence products are not visible to guests
 Having the right equipment in place
A peaceful environment – calm and no odours
It never stops! Working with D&G IDEAS team on dementia friendly signage, OT’s – raised toilet seats etc.

11. Bringing it all together…. A case study.

12. Changing Lives
 Resident lives with dementia and incontinent at night
 Poor mobility & prone to falls.
 Assessed by team – with advice from Continence Lead
 Supported every two hours
 Requires support 3-4 times a night – causing him tiredness, increasing his risk of falling
 Partnered with Falls Clinic
 Introduced inview standard sheaths – one week trial
 Very successful – sleep restored and anxiety reduced
 Dietary and fluid intake increased, health improved
 Transformed relationship with wife

13. Award Winners – but not perfect!

14. It’s a continual process…
 Dementia-friendly signage
 Introducing Continence and Product Passports
 Learning from others –, Continence Leads, Care Inspectorate (they’re a friend, not an enemy!!)
 Benchmarking
 Sharing best practice – internally and externally
 More training and development

15. Find out more in Care News, the Care Inspectorate magazine www.c-i-c.co.uk /@ComIntCare julie.cowen@c-i-c.co.uk