Research funded by the National Institute of Health has resulted in the experimental validation of a treatment program to successfully reverse urinary incontinence in many of the nation's one million incontinent nursing home patients. Assessment, staff management and training procedures have been documented that indicate nursing homes can implement the treatment procedures with existing resources; but only with the extensive ongoing involvement from research staff. Phase 1 grant activities were directed at the development, implementation (during a six day period) and testing of written materials, training protocols and computer software to reduce the necessity for ongoing research staff support and to facilitate program management in one nursing home. Phase 1 results indicate that the nursing home has been able to maintain incontinence levels below 50% of those documented prior to implementation. This grant will evaluate the general applicability of the continence management system by testing the system in nine other nursing homes. The grant will also evaluate the efficacy of off-site training for nursing home staff. Thus, the Phase 2 project will address critical issues necessary for assuring successful dissemination to the nation's 25,000 nursing homes as well as commercial viability and distribution potential.
Thesaurus Terms: nursing home, patient care management, urinary incontinence computer program /software, nursing personnel, training human nonclinical subjec
