This module provides an introduction to, or refresher on, urinary incontinence in the elderly. Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine, usually due to bladder dysfunction. Some 4 million Australians have ongoing bladder control problems. Both the prevalence and severity of incontinence increase with age.
People aged 85 and over are more than five times more likely to experience severe incontinence than those aged 65-84 (28% vs 5%). Despite this, incontinence should not be seen as an inevitable part of ageing.
Careful assessment may lead to acure for acute urinary incontinence or improved management for chronic problems. This module looks at the different types of urinary incontinence, assessment, and management strategies.
At the end of this module participants will be able to:
