Behavioral treatment for urinary incontinence in elderly inpatients: Initial attempts to modify prompting and toileting procedures

We examined the efficacy of a behavioral intervention for treating geriatric incontinence in a long-term care setting. A primary goal of the project was to thin out the schedule of prompting/toileting as the subjects improved. After 2 weeks of baseline recording, subjects were prompted and toileted at regular time intervals throughout the day. The schedule of prompting/toileting was intensified if improvements in continence were not observed. Results indicated a mean increase in dryness from 30% of pants checks during baseline to 62% during the training phase. For three of the four subjects, improvements maintained with less intensive schedules of toileting/prompting. No improvements were noted for independent or appropriate toileting, and all clients decreased their rate of self-initiation during training. Results are discussed in relation to the level of prompting used in the study.