The Improving Continence Management Outcomes and Staff Skills with new Sensor Wear Technology project, funded by ARIIA, was a partnership between NARI Community Vision, and Essity Australasia. It aimed to establish the feasibility and acceptability of using new sensor wear technology titled ‘TENA SmartCare™ technology’ to improve the capacity of providers of community-based aged care to:

1. Identify the continence care needs of care dependent community dwelling older people with urinary incontinence, and
2. Implement targeted individualised continence care.

The project demonstrated improvements in staff confidence to manage incontinence in community-dwelling older people from baseline to post intervention.

Findings from surveys of older people who participated indicated varying levels of incontinence severity, a low health-related quality of life and low levels of social support, placing them at risk of social isolation. Baseline data from surveys of informal carers also suggest a low health-related quality of life and a high burden associated with caring. The vulnerability of this cohort was confirmed through interviews with staff who had trialled the technology. They described a sample who required high levels of support to participate in the project and to trial the technology.

Data were insufficient to draw conclusions about the impact of the technology on the primary or secondary outcomes. Although the project did not result in comparable data, our experience of conducting the trial in the community with older people and informal carers, and nurses and support workers suggests the technology and its use in this cohort warrants further consideration in terms of:

1. Its reliability,
2. The levels of support some individuals may require engaging with it, and
3. The most appropriate way to introduce it to this cohort.

Improving Continence Management Outcomes with Sensor Wear Technology Report