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Bowel dysfunction not only causes considerable hardship for many older people and their carers, it is also financially costly to the health service and to the individuals affected. Despite the prevalence of constipation and faecal incontinence amongst, for example, older people in institutionalised settings, both conditions are often iatrogenic and entirely preventable. One reason why these conditions are generally not well managed is that the research base is poor: there are few robust data because of methodological weaknesses in existing studies, so clinicians and care staff are left to rely on anecdote and personal experience. Secondly, the costs to the NHS involved in providing proper bowel care for the elderly would be considerable, although recent government documents have set out a specific commitment to improve standards of care in this area. In order to address some of these issues, the College has recently published a book which gathers together and assesses research on faecal incontinence and constipation, and provides informed guidance on current best practice. The contents of the publication, including comments from older people suffering from bowel dysfunction, are outlined in this article.

Cover -- Half Title -- Series Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- List of illustrations -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- 1 Introduction -- The ageing population and risk of violence -- Invisible older victims: research and UK policy context -- 'Real rape' and older women -- Researching sexual violence against older people: a feminist gerontology framing -- Book structure and chapter overview -- 2 Mapping the existing knowledge about sexual violence against older people -- Extent and nature of sexual violence against older people -- Elder abuse -- Domestic violence -- Sexual violence -- Nature and characteristics of victimisation -- Risk factors for sexual violence in later life -- Impacts, support needs and barriers to disclosing sexual violence -- Impacts of sexual violence on older women -- Support needs -- Barriers to disclosing sexual violence and accessing support -- Perpetrator characteristics and motivations -- Conclusion -- 3 The extent and nature of serious sexual violence against older people in the UK -- Method -- The extent, nature and characteristics of recorded cases -- Victim and perpetrator gender -- Perpetrator and victim age groups -- Victim and perpetrator relationship -- Victim and perpetrator ethnicity -- Location of sexual offences -- Serial sex offenders -- Links between the rape and another recorded offence -- Conclusion -- 4 The impacts, support needs and gaps in service provision for older survivors: views of practitioners -- Interviews with practitioners -- Participant demographics (sexual violence practitioners) -- Practitioners had limited experience of supporting older survivors -- Impacts of sexual violence on older survivors -- There were overlapping challenges in terms of accessing support and providing support -- Physical challenges -- Psychological challenges -- Societal challenges.

The introduction of 'floating support' ‐ a tenure neutral service ‐ in many local authorities is causing much consternation among tenants because the scheme manager they thought would always be there is leaving. Yet, with an ageing population combined with increasingly finite resources, how can services provide support to those who need it most and to what degree should sheltered housing remain untouched? Arguing the case in favour of floating support, Tony Cousins and Phil Saunders outline the reasons why the new service model, while it may not be popular, is necessary.