Continence problems in children can be very disabling for both the child and their families/carers. The need to have an indwelling catheter can be inconvenient and, even, traumatising for the child. There is also a social stigma associated with incontinence, continence care and catheters, which should not be underestimated. This article discusses how healthcare professionals can help children and families and thereby reduce the burden, both emotional and physical, of living with a catheter and then introduces a new range of leg bags that have been designed specifically with children in mind.
Breathlessness causes emotional and physical distress and social isolation for both patients and their families. Refractory breathlessness, i.e. that which persists even when measures to optimise the underlying condition have been implemented, is one of the most distressing symptoms experienced by patients with advanced life-limiting illnesses. This two-part series describes the experience of refractory breathlessness in patients with advanced disease living in the community, and provides guidance for their care. This, the first part in the series, outlines the experience of breathlessness and how community nurses can accurately assess patients. The second part of this series (available in the next issue of Journal of Community Nursing) will outline management techniques.
JCN talks to those working in the community.
Sarah Kucukmetin, community nurse specialist, Prostate Cancer UK
In each issue of the Journal of Community Nursing we investigate a hot topic currently affecting our readers. In this issue, as we face an obesity epidemic and growing lifestyle-related conditions such as diabetes, JCN takes a look at the community nurses’ role in health prevention and asks the question...
Beth Britton is a freelance campaigner and writer specialising in issues affecting older people, health and social care, and specifically dementia. Her father had vascular dementia for the last 19 years of his life and she aims to provide support and advice to those faced with similar situations, as well as informing healthcare professionals and the wider population on how to improve dementia services.
The majority of people express a wish to be cared for at home with the right support, but figures show that many are admitted to hospital in crisis and spend a significant amount of time in hospital in their last year. Plus, many more people die in hospital than really want to.
People experiencing homelessness are among the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in our society. There is no such thing as an average or normal homeless person — they are all unique with their own strengths, hopes, backgrounds, feelings and motivations and all have a unique story to tell about their route into homelessness. Most also have a vision of a life out of homelessness. Just as these personal stories differ, so too do the health conditions experienced by homeless people.
JCN talks to those working in the community.
Helen Brewah is a community matron in Hampshire
In each issue of the Journal of Community Nursing we investigate a hot topic currently affecting our readers. In this issue, as recent publicity focuses on the true extent of district nurse numbers in the UK, JCN asks the question...
Call me oldfashioned, but when I heard that a missed penalty in the recent World Cup game between Chile and Brazil triggered 389,000 single tweets in one minute, I did question whatever happened to having a nice halftime cup of tea? But then I began to wonder — if Twitter can generate that much ‘noise’ over a football match, what could it do for issues that really matter, like community nursing, good patient care, or the future of the NHS?
