As China’s population ages, there is a growing need in the country for incontinence care. But it’s difficult to talk about the issue. SCA trains nurses in incontinence which allows the taboo topic to be handled more openly.
China's aging population is growing, and traditionally it is young people who take care of the elderly in their family. Because family members bring their questions about incontinence to healthcare providers, there is considerable need for training in the matter.
“Incontinence is still associated with many taboos in China,” says Daniel Huang, regional director for Incontinence care at SCA in Shanghai.“
“Most people turn to healthcare providers for advice about incontinence issues, which gives healthcare employees a key role”.
In conjunction with the launch of SCA’s TENA range in China, the idea of investing in training was raised. SCA already has an extensive knowledge about incontinence. The challenge is to convey this knowledge about an issue that few people want to discuss.
SCA training 5,000 nurses
The idea of continuing education for nurses was well received by local health authorities. The project was launched in September 2009 and has been carried out at hospitals in 12 Chinese cities, including Guangzhou, Shanghai and Nanjing. By late 2010, almost 5,000 nurses from 1,100 different hospitals had undergone training.
“Our objective is to break the taboo associated with incontinence and raise the quality of life, through increased knowledge, for a large number of people, both those who are incontinent and their families,” Huang says
Read the full article in Shape, SCA's magazine on trends, business and markets
Mattias Andersson Source Shape 2.2011 Photo Istockphoto