The aged bladder - urinary incontinence in old age

A functional disorder of the urinary bladder and related urinary incontinence is a frequent and serious problem among older people. Up to one third of all older people living at home are affected; in many cases, this figure rises to more than half among residents of nursing homes. It is often the case that a new incidence of urinary incontinence results in people entering a nursing home.

At first, sufferers attempt to cover up the problem out of fear and shame, or to deal with the situation on their own with all sorts of remedies. It is often months or even years before the sufferer goes to a practitioner or doctor to talk about incontinence and ask about possible treatment. And yet the prospects for success of incontinence treatment are good, even for patients over the age of 80; control of the bladder can normally be restored by means of simple measures and treatments, or at least the involuntary leakage of urine kept under control.

The occurrence of urinary incontinence is wrongly considered a normal part of growing old; involuntary leakage of urine at any age is something that requires assessment and treatment.