Incontinence of faeces may effect up to 10% of adults in the community but people are reluctant to seek help owing to the stigma of this debilitating and distressing condition. There are multiple risk factors associated with the development of faecal incontinence that community nurses are well placed to identify. These risk factors range from reduced dietary and fluid intake to the complex symptoms found in patients with long-term conditions. Community continence services are historically nurse led and are delivered at the patient interface by community nurses, in collaboration with other disciplines and agencies. The ongoing drive to increase productivity sets a challenge for nursing to demonstrate the value of investing in a proactive approach to preventing faecal incontinence in older people or to improve the quality of life for those with intractable symptoms. A range of proven and emerging interventions are able to achieve more positive outcomes for patients.
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