[Urinary and faecal incontinence in the elderly at home].

Urinary and faecal incontinence are a growing problem in the Dutch elderly population. Recent figures from general practice suggest an average prevalence in the over-60-year-olds of 19 and 6%, respectively. Due to an accurate system of continuous monitoring and a very high response on a non-validated but clearly-worded and short questionnaire, the reliability of these figures is most probably high. The research article is one in a series on incontinence from the same research group that studied the practical implications of urinary incontinence in the elderly. Topics published so far concerned - among others - a systematic review of the efficacy of available interventions for urinary incontinence and an in-depth study of the barriers felt by GPs regarding their familiarity with and frequency of use of these interventions. The results of these studies can easily be translated for postgraduate education. Sadly, the magnitude and quality of the knowledge base for the treatment of faecal incontinence still lags behind.