[Urinary incontinence in the elderly: what management for which patient?]

Appropriate management of urinary incontinence in the elderly basically depends on the patient's medical status and degree of dependence and the type of incontinence. For outpatients, secondary effects of drugs limit their use, in favor of behavioral intervention and pelvic floor training, with good success. Recently proposed surgical approaches offer a promising alternative for the aged population. TEAM MANAGEMENT: Assessment and management of institutional urinary incontinence should be systematically elaborated by the medical care team. Potentially reversible conditions and precipitating factors may be causing or contributing to the incontinence. Their correction and bladder training are the principal items of the management scheme.