“Prompted voiding” is an effective therapy for managing urinary incontinence in nursing home residents, a recent study out of Hong Kong has affirmed.

Prompted voiding is a behavioral approach to managing incontinence in which nursing home staff routinely remind residents to use the toilet. Investigators at the Hong Kong Polytechnic Institute undertook a PV study that tracked about 50 residents from five local nursing homes between January 2011 and July 2013.

At the end of the study period, the incontinence rate decreased from 73% to 59% among the residents in a PV therapy group. The rate increased from 66% to 78% in a control group, the researchers found.

The study supports previous research that has singled out PV as the most effective way to control urinary incontinence in the elderly, according to lead researcher Claudia Lai, Ph.D. Staff training and quality assurance are essential to a successful PV program, she noted.

The findings are being consolidated into a manual, through a sponsorship from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.