Abstract: The detecting device is used for incontinent patients in hospitals and care homes and takes the form of an elongated flexible strip arranged to be positioned beneath a patient in a wheelchair or bed. The strip has two conductive paths printed on it which are electrically bridged by body waste such as urine to decrease the resistance between the two paths. A detecting circuit in a casing which may be clipped to a portion of a wheelchair frame or bed frame is responsive to the change in resistance to energize a small directional light and thus provide a discreet signal that the patient needs attention.