Instructions
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Incontinence Now let’s look at incontinence supplies’ coverage. The International Continence Society, or ICS, defines incontinence as the “involuntary loss of bladder or bowel control”. Urinary Incontinence (UI) is a stigmatized, underreported, under-diagnosed, and under-treated condition that is often times thought to be a normal part of aging.[20] Urinary incontinence carries with it social costs as well. Even mild symptoms affect social, sexual, interpersonal, and professional function.[23] For the purposes of our discussion, incontinence supplies include adult briefs, undergarments, pants and pads, liner pads, underpads, skin creams, and skin cleansers.
Statistics Urinary incontinence affects 200 million people worldwide,[24] and it is estimated that 25 million adult Americans experience transient or chronic urinary incontinence.[25] The National Association for Continence, or NAFC, estimates that 75-80% of those sufferers are women, 9-13 million of whom have symptoms severe enough to interfere with daily activities.
Nursing Homes/ Elderly 53% of homebound older persons are incontinent, urinary incontinence is one of the 10 leading diagnoses among homebound persons,[26] and it is the second leading cause of institutionalization.[22] In addition, the elderly’s need for frequent toileting increases the risk of falls by as much as 26% and has been linked to an increase in bone fracture by as much as 34%.[27] In a study from 1997, 22% of continent female residents admitted to a long-term care facility became incontinent within one year of admission.[22]
Types of Incontinence There are three main types of urinary incontinence
1. Stress Incontinence Stress urinary incontinence is the most common form of incontinence among women, and affects an estimated 15 million adult women in the U.S.[28,29,30]
29% of individuals aged 60-70 experience leakage when coughing, sneezing, or laughing compared to 17% of men and women aged 30-39. A portion of these individuals also experience urge incontinence (which is described below).[21] Studies have indicated that as many as 50% of men report leakage due to stress urinary incontinence in the first few weeks following prostate surgery after removal of the catheter.[31] In approximately 20% of men, some degree of stress urinary incontinence will continue to be a significant problem one year post-surgery.[32]
About 17% of women and 16% of men over 18 years of age have overactive bladder (OAB), and an estimated 12.2 million adults have urge incontinence.[33]
One in five adults over age 40 are affected by OAB or recurrent symptoms of urgency and frequency, a portion of whom don’t reach the toilet before losing urine.[21] OAB and urinary incontinence occur about twice as frequently in women as in men, and tend to become more prevalent with advanced age.[34]
Women with OAB are significantly more likely to suffer from other health disorders, such as hypertension, obesity and arthritis, than women without OAB. Also, OAB sufferers are two to three times more likely to regularly experience disturbed sleep, overeating, and poor self-esteem, compared with non-OAB sufferers.[21]
3. Mixed Incontinence This type of incontinence is, as the name suggests, a combination of the two previous types of incontinence, stress and urge. It is very common and occurs when symptoms of both stress and urge types of incontinence are present, although the symptoms of one type of incontinence may be more severe than the other.
The preferred method of treatment will depend upon which symptom is most bothersome to the patient.
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