Tips on Dealing with the Incontinence of your Parent or Loved One

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Tips on Dealing with the Incontinence of your Parent or Loved One

This is a sensitive subject to discuss with your loved one; it can be an emotional and agitating problem to deal with. The Caregiver is the one that is often hesitant to address the subject, with your loved one and this can be frustrating to deal with the situation. There are ways that you can manage this successfully and safely. There are a few tips you can use to guide you in determining the best way to handle the situation while maintaining their dignity.
• The most important thing when dealing with incontinence is to ensure that you maintain their dignity.
• It’s important to have an open and honest conversation about this if your loved one is mentally capable of having this conversation. If your loved one is suffering from cognitive impairment like Alzheimer’s or Dementia they may not be able to participate in this type of care.
• Make sure that you get a proper diagnosis from a doctor, to give a reason that is causing the incontinence and find any possible remedies, if any. Make sure that you have necessary supplies on hand, whatever the doctor has recommended for you to use.
• Make sure that the bathroom is easily accessible for them to use, even if they are wearing adult incontinence aids. They need to have a clear path to the bathroom, so be sure to remove any obstacles that may be in there way.
• Make sure that they have a proper diet and routine, certain foods can be triggers for incontinence. Make sure that you encourage them to go to the bathroom often; maybe you could put them on a schedule to go after every meal.
• Make sure that their surroundings are comfortable for them to dwell in. Sometimes many seniors may have accidents and the odor and damage to furniture and the carpeting in the home can be a little upsetting for them. There are products out there that you can use to protect the furniture from these kinds of accidents, such as under pads either the disposable or reusable ones. There are also air fresheners and cleaning aids that you can use to manage the odor.