Continence consultation for the rural homebound

Because an estimated 10 million Americans have urinary incontinence, home care continence services are in demand. In March 1992, the Agency on Health Care Policy and Research recommended behavioral therapy as a first step in treatment options for urinary incontinence. Nurses are best prepared to meet the challenges of providing behavioral therapy to people who are incontinent and are being cared for in their homes. This article describes the development of a nursing practice that provides assessment and treatment of urinary incontinence to people who are homebound in rural Northern Vermont.