Dignity through change: how continence matters

Many of the great cities of the ancient world had public toilets. It was not until Victorian times that they appeared in any large numbers in this country: the 1848 Public Health Act called for ‘Public Necessaries’ to be provided to improve sanitation. In recent years, public toilet closures have attracted much attention. Here, Pamela Holmes discusses the effects of incontinence on older people and argues that changes in approach can make a real difference to the quality of life for many older people.