Bladder and Bowel Flow Chart User Guide

Bladder and Bowel Flow Chart – User Guide

Objectives

The Bladder and Bowel Flow Chart has 5 main objectives:

1. To capture the status of a residents bladder and bowel function during the monitoring period. This may be as a baseline assessment, as a review or as an ongoing flow chart.

2. To capture the continence aid status and frequency of change. This will reflect the degree of incontinence and effectiveness of the toileting schedule and provide evaluation of the prescribed aid.

3. To capture the frequency of linen changes. This will reflect the degree of incontinence. When linen changes are evaluated in conjunction with the status of the continence aid, they may reflect inadequate pad capacity or poor pad application technique.

4. To capture the effectiveness of the individual bladder and bowel management plans including toileting schedules and the aperient regime.

5. To provide accurate documentation for the effective review and evaluation of bladder and bowel management plans.

Procedure for documentation

Please document every time the resident is attended for any continence need. Use one line for every 24 hour period.

1. If toileting the resident, document Voided in Toilet (V.I.T) or Unable to Void (U.T.V) in closest appropriate time box.

2. During each shift, document pad checks or changes. You can document the time next to the symbol.

3. Document bowel function according to the scales for colour, consistency and amount .i.e. B2ii would mean the stool was brown, formed and ½ cup in amount.

4. No. of days BNO is the sum of days when no bowel action has occurred.

6. The Flow Chart allows for 31 days of documentation. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the management plan occurs at the completion of this time.