Urinary incontinence imposes a significant financial burden on individuals, 
their families, and healthcare organizations. For individuals 65 years of age 
and older these costs are substantial, increasing from $8.2 billion (1984 
dollars) to $16.4 billion (1993 dollars). Both of these cost-of-illness 
estimates, however, relied on data and factors that have changed over time. This 
study updates these cost estimates. The 1995 societal cost of incontinence for 
individuals aged 65 years and older was $26.3 billion, or $3565 per individual 
with urinary incontinence. Limitations, implications, and directions for future 
research are also discussed.