Business Services Organisation
Continence is Everybody’s Business
The aim of the week is to raise awareness of continence issues across the globe, improving health, wellness, quality of life and a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Incontinence is a word most people say quietly. Unfortunately awareness and the promotion of continence is not seen by many as high priority on the health agenda. It affects 7 million people (5-10% of population) in the UK, 300 million people worldwide.
The hidden cost of incontinence in terms of physical, psychological, emotional, social, financial costs is huge. Incontinence (urinary and faecal) affects men, women and children of all ages and all sectors of our community. With an ageing population and rising levels of obesity (direct link) the £2 billion cost annually to the NHS is set to rise.
The good news is that at least 80% of incontinence can be cured and the remaining 20% can be treated and managed. However, the challenge faced by health professionals is awareness and training. The Department of Health’s document ‘Good Practice in Continence Services’ chapter 3, 3.9, states that all patients presenting with incontinence should be offered an initial assessment by a suitably trained individual, or with the recommendations set out in the National Service Framework for Older People.
The CEC offer the following programmes:
- Continence: Multi-Professional Awareness Programme E-Learning
- Continence: Assessment & Management (1 day)