Dignity Bags for Veterans
Last updated
Share PrintOur Dignity Bags were developed to address Veteran's incontinence quickly, discretely, and compassionately in the outpatient clinic setting. Veterans experiencing incontinence in the clinic often felt anxious and embarrassed, with some even leaving the clinic without being seen. Missed appointments are costly to the Veteran and to the VA. Through the Dignity Bags project, clinicians have access to previously assembled supply bundles which include personal hygiene supplies and disposable scrubs to address incontinence and allow Veterans to complete their appointments as scheduled.
Origin:
April 2022, The Villages VA Clinic
Adoptions:
6 successful, 1 in-progress
Awards and Recognition:
Diffusion of Excellence Promising Practice, Nominated for Daisy Award 2022, Honorable mention of HERO Award 2022
Partners:
Clinical Services
Recent Updates
Overview
The problem
The Villages Outpatient Clinic serves greater than 25,000 unique Veterans, with 16,000 of those on our Primary Care Pact teams. Over 80% of our Veterans are over age 65. Statistics show that 51% of the population ages 65 and older suffer from incontinence, which includes 1 in 3 women and 1 in 12 men. Incontinence episodes are unpredictable, and embarrassi
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The Villages Outpatient Clinic serves greater than 25,000 unique Veterans, with 16,000 of those on our Primary Care Pact teams. Over 80% of our Veterans are over age 65. Statistics show that 51% of the population ages 65 and older suffer from incontinence, which includes 1 in 3 women and 1 in 12 men. Incontinence episodes are unpredictable, and embarrassing. Many people fear suffering an incontinent episode, and as a result they struggle with feelings of shame, insecurity, low self-esteem, and social isolation. It was challenging for staff to assist these Veterans due to a lack of supplies and process to address these episodes. Without support, some Veterans were leaving scheduled clinic appointments without being seen.
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The solution
A plan was developed to quickly and discreetly assist our Veterans in the clinic with incontinence. We created Dignity Bags for Veterans using common items needed to address incontinence. Dignity Bags are backpacks filled with adult briefs, gloves, wipes, disposable scrubs, deodorizer, and a plastic bag for soiled clothing. Basic education regarding inconti
...
A plan was developed to quickly and discreetly assist our Veterans in the clinic with incontinence. We created Dignity Bags for Veterans using common items needed to address incontinence. Dignity Bags are backpacks filled with adult briefs, gloves, wipes, disposable scrubs, deodorizer, and a plastic bag for soiled clothing. Basic education regarding incontinence and supportive services was also included. A standard operating procedure (SOP) has been drafted and approved for use in replicating the process at any clinic. Nursing staff posted fliers to inform veterans about the availability of the bags/assistance with incontinence in the clinic bathrooms and central locations. Inventory sheets are used to track the number of Dignity Bags given to Veterans.
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Files
- Incontinence Education Flyer Incontinence Education.pdf
- Dignity Bag Dignity Bag
- Dignity Bag with background flyers posted in restrooms Dignity Bag with background.pptx
- Power point presentation Canva power point.pdf
- Approved SOP SOP DB final.docx
The results
This innovation has now been spread to six other outpatient clinics and has provided Dignity Bags to approximately 20 patients monthly across all pilot sites. This maintained dignity and allowed these Veterans to receive the medical care needed without rescheduling visits. This directly impacts access and trust scores.
Metrics
- Quantitative data has been collected by monitoring the number of dignity bags used monthly. On average we currently dispense 20 dignity bags per month throughout our 6 pilot sites. Qualitative data is gathered to assess patient satisfaction via self-report and greater than 90% of the Veterans express gratitude and improved clinic experience when receiving and using the Dignity bag. 100% of clinic staff have reported increased satisfaction in work experience once equipped with dignity
Diffusion tracker
Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)
Implementation
Timeline
-
0-1 Month
Meet with logistics to order supplies.Coordinate with team members and assemble Dignity Bags.Review and integrate SOP per facility guidelines -
1-2 Month
Educate clinic staff on how to dispense and track usage of Dignity Bags. Post signs in facility restrooms and high traffic areas, to alert Veterans to the availability of Dignity Bags and how to obtain one. Set up teams channels to assure effective communication with those involved. -
3-4 Months
Actively track usage of supplies and disposable scrubs to manage inventory. -
4 Months/ongoing
Continue to track usage and capture Veteran feedback.
Departments
- Voluntary Services
- Logistics
- Nursing services
Core Resources
| Resource type | Resource description |
|---|---|
PEOPLE |
|
PROCESSES |
|
TOOLS |
|
Files
- Education Incontinence Education.pdf
- sign out sheet dignitybagsignoutsheet.docx
Risks and mitigations
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Staffing | You could leverage volunteers or divide or rotate between staff members. |
| Cost | Some supplies could be obtained from existing stock. Scrubs maybe be kept separately and only used as needed. Deodorizers can be keep separately and used prn. |
Contact
Comment
Comments and replies are disabled for retired innovations and non-VA users.
Email VHANFLDignityBagsForVeterans@va.gov with questions about this innovation.
About
Origin story
The Dignity Bag program was developed when two ambulatory care nurses recognized a gap in supplies/services available for Veteran incontinence in the outpatient clinic. One of their Veterans had an incontinent episode and was facing embarrassment and the reality of needing to leave the clinic without seeing their scheduled provider. The nurses gathered sup
...
The Dignity Bag program was developed when two ambulatory care nurses recognized a gap in supplies/services available for Veteran incontinence in the outpatient clinic. One of their Veterans had an incontinent episode and was facing embarrassment and the reality of needing to leave the clinic without seeing their scheduled provider. The nurses gathered supplies and addressed the Veteran's need. They then bought supplies from the local dollar store and developed the first prototype of the Dignity Bag.
From there, they applied for a VISN 8 Innovation Investment Grant in 2023. This enabled them to purchase supplies to support a greater number of Veterans and pilot their process at additional clinical sites.
Original team
Kristina Kniffen
PACT LPN
Emily Mendell
PACT LPN
We appreciate this new process/these supplies being together. It helps Veterans save dignity, proceed to scheduled appointments, and allows staff to have a standard process rather than taking them away from usual work areas.
Thank you very much for your positive feedback. We are looking forward to Shark Tank and the possibility of spreading our project to other centers.
Emily Mendell
This comment has been deleted.