Incontinence and falls in older people: is there a link?

Incontinence, falling and cognitive impairment have been recognised as 'geriatric syndromes' for many years (Reuben, 1991). They often result from the accumulated effect of impairments in multiple domains (organ systems) (Tinetti et al, 1988). The relationship between cognitive impairment and incontinence has been extensively written about (McGrother et al, 1990), but the relationship between falls and urinary incontinence (UI) has hardly been studied.