Cost of incontinence high and increasing
March 17, 2006A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) puts the spotlight on the issue of incontinence, its associated costs, and the impact on carers.
According to the report, Australian incontinence data analysis and development, an estimated 545,000 people, or 2.8% of the Australian adult population, experience severe incontinence, while another 723,100 experience moderate urinary incontinence.
“Both monetary and non-monetary costs are high and the impact on carers is considerable,” said Dr Samantha Bricknell of the AIHW’s Functioning and Disability Unit.
“Almost 60% of primary carers spent 40 hours or more a week actively caring for or supervising a person with incontinence,” she said.
The report estimated the total 2003 cost of incontinence in Australia at $1.5 billion, and predicts that figure will double by 2030.
Continence series available free
The Rural Health Education Foundation has produced four programs on continence, and the complete series is now available for free on DVD and VHS video.
The four continence programs, all produced in 2004, are:
- Continence: What’s it all about? (no. 409a, 3 August 2004)
- Continence and the General Practitioner (no. 409b, 24 August 2004)
- Continence and Aged Care (no. 409c, 14 September 2004)
- Continence and Women’s Health (no. 409d, 28 September 2004)