THE CANADIAN CONTINENCE FOUNDATION

This past year has brought with it, once again, new growth, opportunities and challenges for the Foundation and for the issue of incontinence in Canada. One of the highlights of 1998 to date has been a project entitled Bringing INcontinence OUT of the Closet: Exploring Innovative Partners. This project was made possible through a financial contribution from the federal government, specifically The Population Health Fund, Health Canada, Division of Seniors and Aging. The goals of the project were: 1. To gain a common understanding among stakeholders about the real needs of individuals who experience incontinence and the impact on quality of life. 2. To increase overall commitment among stakeholders to improve public awareness and knowledge of incontinence. 3. To explore innovative partnership opportunities to help increase awareness and knowledge about incontinence, and facilitate seeking and accessing help for Canadian sufferers and their informal caregivers.

The two core activities of the project were:

1. An environmental scan to consolidate previous knowledge on needs for Canadians experiencing incontinence and on worldwide awareness-building initiatives to date. In addition, qualitative research with 40 individuals experiencing incontinence was conducted to better understand needs and barriers from their perspective.

2. A partnership workshop to identify ways of increasing awareness, knowledge and access to services. The workshop brought together over 40 individuals representing many sectors, including those experiencing incontinence, seniors' organizations, government, physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists and industry, The workshop addressed key issues, identified strategies to address these issues and then outlined concrete plans for the first steps in each of the strategies.

The single most important accomplishment of this project was the unprecedented groundwork for new cross-sector and cross-province partnerships in the area of continence promotion in Canada. The presentations and discussions at the workshop made clear the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to continence care, with a focus on the actual needs of those affected. They showed that incontinence is an issue with significant impacts on quality of life and cost. It cuts across so many difference sectors of society and parts of the healthcare system that it can only be properly addressed through cross-sector partnerships.

Workshop proceedings are available on The Canadian Continence Foundation web site - www.continence-fdn.ca, in the "What's New" section.

Additional outcomes of the workshop include:

1. Public and professional awareness-building ads and posters, which will be officially endorsed by a multidisciplinary group of national professional organizations, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists. These will be distributed during Incontinence Awareness Month in November.

2. Commitment from cross-sector, cross-province organizations to increase awareness and education around incontinence. With the identified plans of action, this commitment will now filter into these organizations' activities and communications, to help spread the word about incontinence, particularly during Incontinence Awareness Month.

3. A report identifying which incontinence treatments and products are reimbursed in Canada, to what extent and by whom.

4. An upgraded Canadian Continence Healthcare Professional Resource, more easily allowing individuals to contact specialists in their local area.

5. A national incontinence products and services directory.

This project represented the first time The Canadian Continence Foundation has worked with the national office of Health Canada. We hope that this project represents the first critical step in working together with the Canadian Ministry of Health, provincial ministries of health and all other stakeholders across the country to provide accessible high-quality continence care for Canadians,

Finally, in addition to awareness and education, The Canadian Continence Foundation, as so many other continence foundations around the world, has recognized the important need to encourage continence research in Canada. As of 1997, The Foundation does offer an annual research award for healthcare professionals working on research to positively impact the quality of life for those experiencing incontinence. During the balance of 1998, The Foundation will bring together a task force to identify continence research gaps in Canada, and to recommend a role for The Canadian Continence Foundation in the implementation and support of Canadian continence research.

Malvina Klag