Conservative treatment for incontinence in women in rest home care in Christchurch: Outcomes and cost.

Aims: To assess if conservative therapy can reduce urinary leakage and pad usage and improve quality of life in elderly incontinent women living in a rest home setting; and if so at what additional cost.

Methods: Sixty-eight elderly women with urinary incontinence, and preserved cognitive ability, living in 26 rest homes were identified. Clinical evaluation, included bladder diary, pad weigh tests, pad usage, and quality of life and activities questionnaires (FIM: Functional Impairment Measure; EQ-5D: Euroquol 5 dimension score; ICIQ-SF: International Consultation on Incontinence-Short Form).