Incontinence
2. Who is affected?
It is difficult to measure how many people are affected by incontinence accurately, but the best estimates are shown in the tables below.
Percentage of adults with urinary incontinence
| Category |
Age |
Percentage with urinary incontinence |
| Women living at home |
15-44 |
5-7% |
| |
45-64 |
8-15% |
| |
65+ |
10-20% |
| Men living at home |
15-44 |
3% |
| |
45-64 |
3% |
| |
65+ |
15% |
| Men and women in residential homes |
N/A |
25% |
| Men and women in nursing homes |
N/A |
40% |
| Men and women in long-stay hospitals |
N/A |
50-70% |
Percentage of adults with faecal incontinence
| Category |
Age |
Percentage with faecal incontinence |
| Men and women living at home |
15-44 |
0.4% |
| |
45-64 |
3-5% |
| |
65+ |
15% |
| Men and women living in residential homes |
N/A |
10% |
| Men and women living in nursing homes |
N/A |
30% |
| Men and women living in long-stay hospitals |
N/A |
60% |
One in ten has an 'irritable bladder'
Approximately one in every ten people over 65 have involuntary bladder contractions caused by something called Detrusor Instability (DI). This is responsible for the majority of bladder problems experienced by older people in residential care in the UK. Recent research shows that this condition of 'irritable bladder' is not part of the normal ageing process.
