Tips for Helping a Senior with Incontinence Deal with Their Condition Outside of the Home

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the population of adults over the age of 64 in the United States, just over 50 experience some symptoms of incontinence, such as urinary leakage or urgency. Among these, approximately 80 percent of them are women. If you are a family caregiver for an elderly adult who is dealing with incontinence, you know that the impact of this condition can go beyond the physical risks and inconveniences that they can face to make a dramatic influence on their mental and emotional health and well-being. You can encourage your loved one to maintain a better quality of life by helping them to manage this condition in their daily life. One important thing to keep in mind is that simply because your loved one is coping with incontinence does not mean that they should always remain at home or that they should not live an active and engaged life. Keeping them involved in the world around them will help them to keep their lifestyle fulfilling and meaningful while they live with their individual challenges and limitations.

Use these tips to help your senior deal with their incontinence when they are outside of their home:

• Choose the right products. For many elderly adults living with incontinence, specialized incontinence products are critical to helping them manage their condition and keep up with the lifestyle that they desire and deserve. When your parent leaves the home, make sure that they have the right products with them so that they are properly prepared.
• Know the bathrooms. Wherever your parent is going, make sure that you are aware of the location of the bathrooms. This not only provides the logistic benefit of being able to get to the restroom to ensure that they can empty their bladder on their schedule or when they need to, but also helps to give your senior peace of mind and reassurance. This can help them to relax, reducing their symptoms and helping them to enjoy their activity more.
• Take breaks regularly. Just as your parent would when they were at home, encourage them to pause throughout their activity to take restroom breaks. This can keep their bladder “trained” and reduce the chances that they will experience symptoms such as leakage or urgency.
• Keep them hydrated. Your parent may feel compelled to reduce how much they drink in an effort to prevent incontinence symptoms, but this is not a good idea. Not drinking enough can irritate the bladder, making it more likely that your senior will experience these symptoms. Ensure that your senior drinks plenty of water throughout the day and limit or even eliminate caffeine and alcohol to prevent further irritation of the bladder.

Starting home care for your aging parent can be one of the best decisions that you can make for your elderly loved one throughout the course of your caregiver journey with them. An in-home senior care services provider can be with your aging parent on a schedule that is right for your elderly parent as well as you as their family caregiver. This means that whether you are able to be with them or not, you can feel confident that they are getting all of the care, support, assistance, and encouragement that they need to be as healthy, comfortable, safe, and fulfilled as possible as they age in place. Through a highly personalized set of services, this care provider can help your loved one manage their individual needs and challenges, but also encourage them to remain as independent, active, and engaged as they can be to find meaning and quality of life throughout this period of their life.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in King of Prussia, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860 .