[Urinary incontinence]

Abstract

Prevalence and incidence of both urinary and fecal incontinence increase with age. They reduce everyday competence and quality of life in all age groups. It is often not recognized because those affected do not express their complaints, but even if the diagnosis has been made, therapy and care often remains inadequate. The aim of the article is to know types of incontinence and their treatment options for a maximum of continence according to the established continence profiles. In older, especially multimorbid frail people, urinary incontinence is not primarily to be seen as a symptom of a disease, but as a "geriatric syndrome". In the interplay of multimorbidity, environmental factors and other contextual factors that can influence each other, this must be taken into account in diagnostics and therapy. Incontinence itself leads to increased immobility, thus to falls in the elderly and to mental impairments.