Changing bodies, changing needs – next step

http://reports.essity.com/2018-19/essentials-initiative-survey/results.html#filter=.s-incontinence.s-antibiotics-resistance.s-hygiene-worry
Related survey results

Hygiene and health are closely intertwined with a sense of identity and control. Ensuring dignity in vulnerable situations is critical. This is especially important for people living with disabilities, living with incontinence and for patients in healthcare settings. In all these areas it is important to take a person-centered approach and listen to the individuals who are affected.

To enable a person-centered approach, it is also important to give patients and their relatives the knowledge and power to influence their care. Especially in continence care, much can be gained by involving and empowering patients. When self-management is no longer an option, the care by caregiving relatives or professionals must adapt to each patient’s needs. New care strategies and innovative solutions can play a key role in enabling individualized care, even under the conditions of resource constraints. It helps make better use of available resources.

Innovative solutions are also needed to prevent healthcare-associated infections. We have come a long way in understanding how infections can be prevented, but like any profound change, it takes time to change behaviors. We have to keep emphasizing that good hygiene is essential not only to protect ourselves, but also to protect vulnerable individuals.

Caring for, and investing in people with special needs means creating a society where everyone is cared for.

Calls for action:

  • Prioritize hygiene and health solutions for those with special needs. In the community, in healthcare facilities, and in national policies, all people, especially those who are most vulnerable, should be given the best possible care for their hygiene and health.
  • Enable individuals with incontinence to lead more dignified lives. Incontinence should be more openly discussed and made a priority for public health. A person-centered approach should be a central part of continence care.
  • Integrate hygiene practices of all healthcare. We need to continue deepening our knowledge on how infections can be prevented, train medical workers in good hygiene practices, ensure that all care facilities have access to clean water and hand disinfectants, follow up and monitor improvement, share best practices among institutions, and use innovative methods to improve hand hygiene compliance.