BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common clinical condition among elderly people and may interfere with quality of life (QOL). For this reason, assessing its repercussions becomes important. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain how elderly women undergoing physical therapy for UI perceived their current QOL. METHOD: This was a qualitative study that investigated QOL from the perspective of twelve elderly women aged 60 years and over, by means of individual semistructured interviews. The sample size was determined by saturation. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and then analyzed using the content analysis technique. RESULTS: QOL was correlated with health, autonomy, personal relationships, financial stability and active life. Psychological impairment was associated with concern and disgust regarding urine loss and fear that this might occur in inappropriate places. Embarrassment because other people had noticed the smell of urine, and previous experience of similar embarrassing situations, was associated with social impairment. CONCLUSION: Content analysis on the interviews allowed the conclusion that, even though UI was present in these elderly women's lives and caused psychological and social harm, they had a positive perception of their QOL.
quality of life; elderly women; urinary incontinence; physical therapy