Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
In the frail elderly population, urinary incontinence is generally caused by a combination of factors affecting the lower urinary tract. Assessment and management of incontinence must be comprehensive with the goal of identifying and treating all potential contributing factors.
Introduction
The proportion of Americans over age 65 years has more than tripled, from 4.1% in 1990 to 14.5% in 2014. Moreover, persons turning 65 years of age and older in 2014 had an additional 19.3 years added to their life expectancy. The number of persons 75 to 85 years of age is 17 times greater than in 1990, and the population 85 years of age or older is 50 times greater in size (Administration on Aging, Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). One effect of the aging population is an increase in the number of frail older adults. Frailty is characterized by ageassociated declines in physiologic reserve and function across multiple organ systems (Chamberlain et al., 2016). This clinically recognized syndrome is a major concern in the geriatric population and is associated with a number of adverse outcomes, including worsening disability and increased risk for hospitalization, nursing home admission, and death (Clegg, Young, Iliffe, Rikkert, & Rock wood, 2013).
