How did the COVID‐19 pandemic affect urinary incontinence and its management in the nursing homes? A descriptive phenomenological study

BACKGROUND: Management of urinary incontinence (UI) in nursing homes (NHs) represents a complex process that may have become more challenging during a period in which front‐line health professionals (HPs) must deal with the outbreak of a new infectious disease. We aimed to investigate how UI and its management was affected in NHs during the COVID‐19 pandemic based on the perception of health professionals. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted between January and March 2021 with 16 health professionals working in nine NHs in the Osona county (Barcelona, Spain) during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The individual interviews were conducted via online videoconferencing and each session was audio recorded. RESULTS: The HPs highlighted that the COVID‐19 pandemic affected the management of continence in NHs, resulting in increased UI. Two main factors were identified: workforce‐related and resident‐related factors. Considering the workforce, three main topics emerged: pandemic as the priority, lack of personnel and use of personal protective equipment as an obstacle to communication with residents and attending to their needs. CONCLUSION: Managing UI in NHs always has been a challenging point of care, and these challenges were worsened by the restrictions and additional difficulties that arose during the COVID‐19 pandemic.