Learning outcome 1: Identify the causes, prevalence and effects of urinary and faecal incontinence

Continence is a complex skill, requiring hormonal, muscular and neurological control

(Nazarko 1997). Continence relies on being able to recognise the need to eliminate

faeces and/or urine, identify an appropriate place in which to eliminate and being able

to wait until arriving there. When any of these fail, incontinence occurs.