Australia’s first co‑designed resources to support the safe use of urinary incontinence medicines for people living with dementia have been released to mark World Continence Week, 15–21 June.
While medications to manage urinary incontinence are routinely prescribed, they carry hidden dangers for people with dementia, increasing the risk of side effects such as worsening memory loss.
Despite these risks, the healthcare sector has previously lacked evidence-based co-designed resources to help families and healthcare professionals decide when to start or stop treatment.
The 10 Guiding Principles have been developed by Monash University’s Centre for Medicine Use and Safety and funded by the Dementia Australia Research Foundation.
“There are multiple ways to approach incontinence care for a person living with dementia, but when medication is considered, it requires a very careful balancing act to ensure the benefits outweigh the risks,” said project lead Monash University Senior Research Fellow Dr Amanda Cross.
“There is often limited evidence to guide decision making for medication use for people with dementia, so the Guiding Principles help healthcare professionals navigate the difficult conversations.”
The Guiding Principles were shaped by lived experience and were developed to empower people living with dementia and their families to engage in shared decision-making with their healthcare team to ensure treatment aligns with the patient’s individual care goals.
Launched to coincide with World Continence Week, a global campaign encouraging individuals to seek appropriate medical advice, and includes:
- 10 Guiding Principles to support the safe and appropriate use of medications for the management of urinary incontinence in people living with dementia – Healthcare professional version
- 10 Guiding Principles to support the safe and appropriate use of medications for the management of urinary incontinence in people living with dementia – Consumer version
- Medication summary table that compares safety and efficacy of medications for urinary incontinence for people with dementia, to be used together with the 10 Guiding Principles
The resources for both consumers and healthcare professionals are available here
World Continence Week on 15-21 June 2026, is aimed to raise global awareness about bladder and bowel health and encourage people to seek help for incontinence.
