“Men are missing out on workdays and social lives to avoid the stress and anxiety of urinary incontinence. The FM sector can make a difference.” Ryan Farnworth, head of FM at phs Group, explains how.
Men living with urinary incontinence – including many who have had prostate cancer treatment – are limiting their lives due to a lack of facilities, according to new research we have produced in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK.
The study finds that, sadly, four in five men who’ve had prostate cancer and live with incontinence (79%) miss day-to-day activities due to fears about leaking and not having easy access to sanitary bins to dispose of their used incontinence products in public.
We found that more than two-thirds of men surveyed (66%) find the constant planning and organisation around ensuring adequate toilet and bin access ‘utterly exhausting’, leading them to curtail their lives.
Social activities men living with incontinence miss out on include going out for food, going to work, meeting friends at the pub and watching live sports. These are all areas where we could lend support by having the right facilities in place for men.
One in eight men will get prostate cancer. Men over 50, Black men, or men who have a father or brother who have had prostate cancer are at an even higher risk. Urinary incontinence is a side effect of life-saving prostate cancer treatment for lots of men. As many as two thirds who get prostate cancer will become incontinent, some for a few weeks, many for some months or years, and others will live with the condition forever.
The effect of missing these moments is profound with three in five (58%) saying that their mental health had been affected.
This is why at phs Group, we have, with the support of our partner charity Prostate Cancer UK issued a rallying cry for businesses and organisations to support men who’ve had prostate cancer when they’re in public, by signing up to The BOG STANDARD Charter.
Incontinence shouldn’t mean that you miss out on enjoying a full life – but so many men are too anxious to leave the house, because they’ve no idea if they will be able to get rid of their used pads in a proper sanitary bin.
Hundreds of thousands of men in the UK experience incontinence, but they’re left to suffer in silence due to an appalling lack of basic facilities. Two-thirds of men in this new study say their life would improve if incontinence bins and vending machines were provided in men’s loos. The FM sector has the capability to make this a reality and we can support our customers to be a part of this movement. With the breadth of organisations we work with – 120,000 businesses across 300,000 locations – we know we can make a huge impact on the lives of men.
This is why we have developed the BOG STANDARD Charter. We want to make sure men with incontinence live well, free from anxiety, with a safe and dignified space to dispose of their used products. Men are not asking for anything special, just bins – it’s bog standard.
What is the BOG STANDARD Charter?
The BOG STANDARD is a set of guidelines designed to educate organisations on providing essential support for men with incontinence. The standards are categorised into three tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Each tier represents a different level of commitment and support from organisations.
- Bronze – installation of Male Incontinence Bins, specifically designed for the disposal of larger incontinence products. This ensures men have basic, but essential facilities to dispose of their waste discreetly and hygienically.
- Silver – installing bins and free vending machines to provide incontinence products if men are caught short while on the go.
- Gold – awarded to organisations who have committed to supporting initiatives that drive awareness about prostate cancer and urinary incontinence.
A plaque and window indicating an organisation’s commitment to the BOG STANDARD Charter will be easily visible for customers to see. Anyone experiencing incontinence can also search for toilets that will accommodate them by entering a postcode on phs Group’s website.
phs Group is a business that puts people at the heart of its products and services and the BOG STANDARD Charter builds on joint initiative we proudly launched with Prostate Cancer UK last year. Our aim is to remove the stigma around male incontinence and work with our customers to provide facilities for men to dispose of their incontinence products with dignity. It’s what we would want for our friends, colleagues, family members or ourselves, and this is why we are so passionate about this cause.
For more information about the BOG STANDARD Charter, and to view the campaign video go (www.phs.co.uk/BOGSTANDARD)
If you need confidential support or information about living with incontinence, you can get in touch with Prostate Cancer UK’s Specialist Nurses on 0800 074 8383, or via email, webchat or WhatsApp at prostatecanceruk.org/nurses.
