Incontinence is a hot topic in America at the moment, with the National Institute of Health, a government department, highlighting that less than half of people suffering from fecal and urinary incontinence actually speak to their doctors without prompting."It's time to remove the stigma associated with urinary and fecal incontinence," said C. Seth Landefeld, M.D., Director of the Center on Aging at the University of California San Francisco and chair of the conference panel. "More than one-fourth of Americans will experience incontinence at some point in their lives. We as a society need to get over our discomfort with this subject so that incontinence sufferers receive the compassion, acceptance, and care they need, and our aging population can take steps to prevent incontinence in the future."
A panel of experts concluded that healthcare providers are well positioned to initiate discussions with patients about incontinence. But pointed out that: Provider education alone will be insufficient to improve detection, prevention, and treatment. Public policy changes, including appropriate reimbursement, regulation, and management are also needed. Raising public awareness is a priority. To help reduce the stigma associated with these conditions, the panel had the following messages for those experiencing incontinence:
- You are not alone
- Some medical conditions can cause incontinence and can be treated
- Incontinence does not need to be a part of ageing
- Lifestyle changes and behavioral interventions can prevent incontinence in many cases
- You should tell your healthcare provider
To read the full draft statement by the NIH in PDF form click here.
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