David Oliver: The forgotten problem of incontinence.

My local council has to find £18m (€22.3m; $24.7m) of savings by closing libraries, day centres, and public toilets. Residents have organised to keep one toilet open: they know its value. It’s happening throughout the United Kingdom: even in my native Manchester, which the council says is “a great place to grow old,” only one public toilet remains. We report isolation and loneliness as having the most impact on wellbeing as we age. Fear of incontinence can be a major factor in trapping people in their own homes.And incontinence is a major trigger for stress among carers, prompting moves to care homes. Urinary incontinence and lower urinary tract symptoms are a big deal but get low priority, partly because of our reluctance to discuss them. So I will. Storage symptoms include nocturia, increased daytime frequency, urgency, urge, and stress incontinence. Voiding symptoms include slow stream, straining, and dribbling. Post-micturition symptoms include sensation of incomplete bladder emptying and dribbling.