Older Women With Urinary Dysfunction Tend To Prefer To Live With The Problem Than Undergo Treatment

Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Nursing / Midwifery;  Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 17 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Pelvic floor dysfunctions (PFD) are common among elderly women, but little is known about how this group views quality of life and PFD care. In the February 2008 issue of Urologic Nursing, Katharine K. O'Dell, Cynthia Jacelon and Abraham N. Morse discuss how frail, elderly women living in residential facilities feel PFD affects their quality of life and outline their preferences for care.

The authors say many frail, elderly women feel the discomfort of being assessed and treated for PFD outweighs the discomfort of living with the symptoms, even if their quality of life is improved with treatment. O'Dell and co-authors suggest caregivers intervene more often and clearly define how interventions would change the patient's quality of life while also valuing the patient's preferences for care. They say future research should explore models of care and patient-centered treatment options for this unique group.

"I'd Rather Just Go On as I Am" - Pelvic Floor Care Preferences of Frail, Elderly Women in Residential Care
Katharine K. O'Dell, PhD, RN, CNM; Cynthia Jacelon, PhD, RN, CRRN-A; Abraham N. Morse, MD
Urologic Nursing; February 2008
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