Table 4 Antecedents and attributes of dignity-protective continence care at the individual level

Respect

Treating the person as an individual not as an episode of care, i.e. respect for personhood/humanity

Ensuring the person’s body is kept clean

Adopting a partnership approach that includes listening to and involving family members, carers and the person being cared for in continence care decisions

Showing compassion

Taking time to address the person’s needs (not rushing care)

[21, 23, 30, 32, 68,69,70,71,72,73, 75,76,77,78,79,80]

Empathy

Conveying kindness i.e. offering reassurance, showing tenderness and compassion,

Being gentle, i.e. washing with care and using touch appropriately,

Acknowledging the impact of stigma

[21, 30, 32, 69, 70, 72,73,74,75,76,77,78]

Trust

Establishing a trusting relationship before care happens,

Knowing and understanding the person’s biography and pre admission history, understanding the person’s inner experience,

Understanding the person’s unique behaviours,

Knowing the person’s values and beliefs,

Gathering the person’s narrative to develop an individualised continence care plan,

Responding to the person’s continence care needs in a timely manner, Ensuring the person feels emotionally and physically safe in continence care interactions

[21, 23, 33, 68,69,70,71, 75, 77,78,79]

Privacy

Closing doors, closing curtains,

Ensuring incontinence products remain hidden so they are not visible to others,

Concealing the person’s incontinence from others,

Being discreet

[21, 23, 32, 68, 70,71,72,73, 76,77,78]

Autonomy

Providing individualised care that includes offering the person a choice and supporting them to make decisions about the gender of carers, toileting preferences and choice of products

[21, 23, 30, 32, 33, 68, 71,72,73,74,75, 78,79,80]

Communication

Managing one’s emotional responses and body language,

Speaking in a calm, soft tone,

Picking up on verbal and nonverbal cues

Using touch appropriately,

Using appropriate language (eg: ‘do you mind’ if as opposed to ‘I must’),

Adopting a friendly and gentle attitude,

Maintaining a sense of calm and normality about the situation

Minimising the socially taboo nature of the problem in the context of the setting

Using humour judiciously,

Maintaining eye contact

[21, 23, 30, 33, 68,69,70, 74, 77, 79]