title: Bladder diaries and voiding patterns in older adults.
abstract: Urinary incontinence is one chronic health problem that many older adults experience. Assessment is the first step in approaching a urinary elimination problem and forms the basis for determining potential management modalities. The bladder diary, one type of fluid intake and output record, is helpful in describing an individual's voiding pattern and is an integral component of urinary assessment. Bladder diaries also can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions initiated to manage incontinence. This article describes the procedure for using bladder diaries within the context of a research study conducted with residents of retirement settings.
authors.affiliation: Washburn University, School of Nursing, Topeka, Kansas 66621, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pfister
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D016852:Housing for the Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009737:Nursing Records / Q000592:standards*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014554:Urination; D014563:Urodynamics