Incontinence and In-Home Care
Incontinence and In-Home Care
When you leak urine by accident, it's called urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence is more common if you're older, but it can happen to anyone, especially women. The best news is that incontinence can usually be controlled or even cured.
What Causes Incontinence
There are a lot of reasons for you to become incontinent. You could have constipation, a urinary tract infection, or a vaginal infection. Sometimes a medication you are taking can cause bladder control problems.
Your body stores urine in your bladder. When you start to urinate, the muscles in your bladder tighten up to move your urine into the urethra. When the bladder muscles tighten, the muscles around your urethra loosen. This lets the urine pass through and out your body. When these muscles don't work right, then you can have a urine leak.
When you have incontinence that starts to occur more frequently, then it could be from one or more of these issues:
- weak bladder muscles or an overactive bladder muscle
- damage to the nerves which control your bladder from a disease
- weak pelvic floor muscles
- a blocked, enlarged prostate in a man
- arthritis which may make getting up and down more difficult
- pelvic organ prolapse
Incontinence and Alzheimer’s Disease
Sometimes a person who has the later stages of Alzheimer's disease may have a problem with urinary incontinence. This could be because they forget they must go to the bathroom. They might not even realize they have to urinate, or they may forget where the toilet is located.
An in-home caregiver can help avoid the chance of an accident. Caffeinated coffee, tea, or soda can be monitored, so an increase in the urine is avoided. The caregiver can keep all the pathways clear and clutter out of the bathroom and keep it lighted. The caregiver can provide regular bathroom break reminders.
Plus, the in-home caregiver can watch for wet stains on the furniture and bedding. If this is found, it could be an indication that there is bedwetting going on at night. Too, hidden stains on the mattress and on clothing will have a distinct odor.
Incontinence is not just something that’s embarrassing, but it can be expensive too. Suppose a health care provider recognizes the person is having an incontinence issue. In that case, they could qualify for about 200 incontinence supplies a month. Some briefs look and feel like underwear. Underpads can be placed on mattresses and furniture.
With the incontinence underwear looking like regular underwear, it sometimes makes it easier on the in-home caregiver. If the person thinks they are wearing underwear and not a diaper, then helping them change isn’t as much an issue.
Embarrassment
Sometimes an in-home caregiver is present for other health reasons but discovers there is an incontinent issue. The person may be embarrassed to mention it and may hide soiled clothing or bedding. Or a person who had visitors or was more socially active doesn't want to go anywhere anymore.
This is where a caregiver can assess the issue and gently approach the person. The caregiver can offer help without embarrassing the person. The caregiver can make sure that the person is receiving the right supplies for the issue. Also, the caregiver can suggest the person see their doctor for testing to see how severe the problem is.
The doctor may suggest a urine test to check for blood in the urine or infection. There could be blood tests to check calcium, glucose, and kidney function. Plus, a complete physical exam and medical history discussion.
The doctor may prescribe medication that treats the nerves and muscles of the overactive bladder. There are exercises to strengthen the control of the pelvic muscles. If all other treatments fail, the surgery could be the next step to improve control of the bladder.
If you or a loved one have incontinence issues and need assistance, please call us at Right at Home today.
