Development of a continence assessment pathway in acute care

Incontinence is defined as any loss of urine or faeces that is involuntary (Abrahams et al, 2002). It can affect anyone at any age. The prevalence of incontinence increases with age, and in women it is often associated with childbearing and the menopause. Incontinence can have devastating effects on an individual's life (Laycock et al, 2001), with both emotional and financial costs (Paddison, 2002). In the UK, conservative estimates suggest that 424 million pounds per year is spent on urinary incontinence alone (Continence Foundation, 2000).