Urinary Incontinence in the Elderly Urinary Incontinence in the Elderly Appropriate pharmacologic management can help ease some of the costly and debilitating effects of urinary incontinence in the elderly.
Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from the condition.
This condition ranks first in total charges to Medicare for nursing services per person served in home care programs. In addition to the obvious psychological effects on the resident, care of these patients requires additional staff time and training. Consequences of urinary incontinence, including immobility and the development of pressure ulcers, may result in hospitalization or other added costs. It is, therefore, of primary importance that the consultant pharmacist have a thorough understanding of the various types of incontinence, the drugs that may cause or exacerbate incontinence, and the appropriate pharmacologic management of this problem. In order to understand the effects of medications used in treating the various types of urinary incontinence, it is necessary to understand the innervation of the bladder and urethral sphincters.