Vikky Morris is Chair of the BGS Bladder and bowels Special Interest Group. She will be speaking at the upcoming event Improving Continence Care in Older People on 21 September in Manchester.
1 in 3 women and 1 in 7 men over the age of 65 experience urinary incontinence. It is a significant problem associated with falls, fractures, social isolation, depression, urinary tract infections and moisture lesions. Faecal incontinence affects up to 10% of the population, although its prevalence is much higher in older people, nursing home residents (up to 60%), patients with cognitive impairment and neurological conditions. Numbers are also likely to be an underestimate due to the stigma attached to incontinence. Both urinary and faecal incontinence are associated with great expense, both personal and to the NHS (more than 2% of the NHS budget). In addition, in older people, incontinence is second only to dementia as a reason for admission to a residential or nursing home. Continue reading
British Geriatrics Society 