Predicting bowel and bladder continence from cognitive status in geriatric rehabilitation patients

Incontinence in an elderly person is frequently an important factor in deciding whether to institutionalize the patient. This study examined the association between cognition and continence in geriatric patients admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation unit. It was hypothesized that admission cognitive status would help predict discharge bowel and bladder continence and would account for significant unique variance beyond that explained by admission continence status. The Dementia Rating Scale (DRS) was administered to 103 consecutive subjects admitted to a geriatric rehabilitation unit. Admission and discharge bowel and bladder status ratings were made using the Functional Independence Measure. Multiple stepwise regression analysis found admission incontinence status coupled with the DRS Initiation/Preservation (IP) subtest significantly predicted bowel and bladder management status at discharge. The IP subtest accounted for a significant but modest amount of unique variance beyond the admission continence status.