Dementia: The Final Indignity
Dementia:The Final Indignity - BBC Radio 4's File on 4
We’re very proud that important research from the University of West London which will be showcased tonight (8pm Tuesday 21 June and again at 5pm Sunday 26 June) on BBC Radio 4’s File on 4 programme.
The programme - one of the BBC’s most prestigious current affairs shows - was given exclusive access to a major research project headed by Professor Katie Featherstone Director of UWL’s Geller Institute for Ageing and Memory into the continence care provided to dementia patients in England and Wales, exploring a hidden and poorly-understood aspect of everyday care. The three-year in depth study was funded by the National Institute for Health & Care. Dr Andy Northcott and Dr Paula Boddington from the Geller Institute also worked on the study and subsequent report.
Find further information on Geller Institute for Ageing and Memory and follow us @uniwestlondon @GIAM_UWL for updates.
Find out more about the research
The study identified what the authors call the ingrained practices of ‘pad culture’. This is the everyday and routine use of continence pads in the care of people living with dementia regardless of their continence and independence. The rationale was as a precautionary strategy to provide safeguards, ensure containment, and prevent ‘accidents’ or incontinent episodes, however, it led to expectations that patients living with dementia not only wear pads, but that they could and should use the pad. These practices often had irreversible impacts on the ability, dignity and identity of individuals as well as their families.