Future directions for incontinence research with frail elders

Background. The most vulnerable older adults are often referred to as the frail elderly. There is a high prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) in this population, yet there is little research to guide nurses in providing effective continence care to this vulnerable group of elders. Objectives: To summarize current knowledge on UI in frail older adults and suggest future areas for research in this population. Methods: Existing literature about UI in the frail elderly was analyzed to generate a plan for future research. Results: Gaps exist in the knowledge base needed to guide the nursing care of incontinent frail elders in the following areas: effectiveness of interventions, caregiver characteristics and management models, prevalence, risk factors, and reliability and validity of outcome measures. There are barriers to conducting research in long-term care settings. Conclusions: Despite the challenges inherent in doing research with incontinent frail elders, there is an urgent need for research to guide the nursing care of this population in all healthcare settings.