Incontinence: Alzheimer´s and Demencia Caregiver Centre

Incontinence: Many people will experience incontinence (a loss of bladder or bowel control) in the later stages of Alzheimer’s andincontinence other dementias.

Alzheimer´s And Demencia Caregiver Centre

There are many causes, as well as ways to help manage incontinence. How you respond can help the person with dementia retain a sense of dignity.

• Causes

• How to respond

• Tips for managing incontinence

Causes of incontinence

Incontinence can be caused by many factors, including an inability to recognize the need to use the restroom, forgetting where the bathroom is located, medications, stress, certain physical conditions, clothing that is difficult to remove and constipation.

If a person with Alzheimer’s or other dementia has recently started to lose control of his or her bladder and bowels, the first and most important step is to determine possible causes.

If incontinence is a new problem, consult with the doctor to rule out potential causes such as a urinary tract infection, weak pelvic muscles or medications.

Consider medical conditions, medication side effects and obstacles that may be causing or contributing to the problem:

Medical conditions that can cause incontinence:

• Urinary tract infection, constipation or prostate problem
• Diabetes, stroke or a muscular disorder such as Parkinson’s disease
• Physical disabilities that prevent the person from reaching the bathroom in time
• Medications and diuretics that can cause incontinence:

Sleeping pills and anxiety-reducing drugs that may relax the bladder muscles

Drinks such as cola, coffee and tea, which can act as diuretics; a diuretic increases urination

Environment and clothing obstacles that can contribute to incontinence:

• Not being able to find the bathroom
• Obstacles on the way to the bathroom, such as furniture or clutter
• Clothing that is difficult to remove

How to Respond

▷ Be Supportive

Reassure the person to reduce feelings of embarrassment. Find ways to preserve dignity. For example say, “Anyone can have an accident” instead of saying, “You wet yourself.”

Be matter-of-fact; don’t scold or make the person feel guilty.

Respect the need for privacy as much as possible.

Do not withhold fluids. This can cause dehydration, which can lead to a urinary tract infection, increased incontinence and agitated behavior. You may, however, want to limit fluids before bed.

Get more help if you are affected by this issue by calling us at 800.272.3900 or join ALZConnected, our online support community where caregivers like you share tips for managing incontinence.

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▷ Communiate

• Encourage the person to tell you when he or she needs to use the toilet.
• Watch for nonverbal cues, such as restlessness, making unusual sounds or faces, pacing, sudden silence or hiding in corners. These cues may indicate the need to use the toilet.
• Use adult words rather than baby talk to refer to using the toilet.
• Learn the person’s trigger words or phrases for needing to use the toilet. The person may use words that have nothing to do with toileting (e.g., “I can’t find the light”), but to that person, it means going to the bathroom. Communication challenges often increase in the late stage of the disease.
• Some people do well when they are reminded to go to the bathroom on a regular schedule, perhaps every two hours.

▷ Make it easy to find and use the toilet

• Clear the path to the bathroom by moving furniture.
• Keep the bathroom door open so the toilet is visible.
• Make the bathroom standout. For example, place colored rugs on the bathroom floor and lid covers or post a sign of a toilet on the bathroom door.
• Make the toilet safe and easy to use. Raise the toilet seat, install grab bars on both sides, and use nightlights to illuminate the bedroom and bath.
• Consider a portable commode or urinal for the bedroom in case of nighttime accidents.
• Remove plants, wastebaskets and other objects that could be mistaken for a toilet.
• Remove throw rugs that may cause a person to trip and fall.

▷ Tips for managing incontinence

1. Watch for nonverbal cues such as tugging on clothing, restlessness, facial expressions, pacing, sudden silence or hiding behind furniture.These cues may indicate the need to use the toilet. Identify when accidents occur, then plan for them. If they happen every two hours, get the person to the bathroom before that time.
2. Remind the person to use the bathroom just before his or her usual time. Try setting a regular schedule for toilet use. For example, help the person to the bathroom first thing in the morning, every two hours during the day, immediately after meals and just before bedtime.
3. Choose clothing that is easy to remove and to clean.
4. Consider using incontinence products, such as waterproof mattress covers, incontinence pads on the person’s bed, padded undergarments or adult briefs.
5. Give the person plenty of time in the bathroom to empty his or her bladder and bowels.
6. Run water in the sink or give the person a drink to stimulate urination.
7. Check the toilet to see if the person has urinated and/or moved his or her bowels.

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International Incontinence Day March 14. The Silent Epidemic

International Incontinence Day Marcha 14. Urinary incontinence: another silent epidemic?

This Saturday, March 14, International Urinary Incontinence Day is celebrated.

A syndrome characterized by a loss of bladder control that, whether as a consequence or as a symptom of different diseases,

Around seven million people in our country suffer incontinence of which more than four million are women – around 25% of women over 35 and up to 50% of those over 65.

Urinary incontinence has effects not only physically, but also psychologically and socially, having a negative impact on the quality of life of those affected.

In fact, studies have shown that women with urinary incontinence not only have a higher risk of suffering from depression, but also present greater difficulties in carrying out different daily activities – including, among others, the practice of exercise, of having sex or, simply, walking – which entails a feeling of insecurity and a serious loss of self-esteem.

The result is that 86% of the affected population fears social rejection and, consequently, deliberately limits their public activities.

Seven million Spaniards suffer urinary incontinence 50% of cases registered in Spain do not receive adequate treatment

Urinary incontinence has become a true silent epidemic that affects at least 7 million Spaniards.

It is estimated that, at advanced ages, it is suffered by up to 75 percent of the population.

In addition, it is one of the pathologies that, according to WHO, most affect the quality of life of patients, surpassing even diseases such as diabetes.

That is why, on the occasion of March 14, International Day of Urinary Incontinence, the Spanish Association of Urology (AEU), the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SEGG), the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians (SEMG ), and the Spanish Society of Family and Community Pharmacy (SEFAC), in collaboration with Ontex Healthcare, have presented the Decalogue of Urinary Incontinence.

It includes statements such as that 50 percent of cases of urinary incontinence do not receive adequate treatment; This is a pathology that affects 1 in 20 people, and that it is a reversible situation in most cases.

Likewise, it affects the negative effects of said disease at all levels in patients who suffer from it.

As Manuel Esteban, president of the Spanish Association of Urology (AEU) recalls …
“Urinary incontinence is not a normal occurrence in any case, and a solution should always be sought.”

In this regard, the expert emphasized the need to address urinary incontinence through a multidisciplinary approach in which different scientific societies go hand in hand.

The problem of stigmatization:

In the presentation of this decalogue, the president of the SEMG, Antonio Fernández-Pro, emphasized the stigmatization suffered by people with urinary incontinence and pointed out that it is a situation that “has many causes and is reversible in most of the cases”.

He also highlighted the “need to actively fight against this hidden pathology, in which all healthcare professionals should be involved.”

Along the same lines, Carlos Verdejo, vice president of the SEGG, said that “given the very negative connotations of urinary incontinence, there are few consultations on it. Only one third of those affected go to the doctor to be treated. ” He also said that “still in 2020 we only see the tip of the iceberg” in relation to the true extent of this pathology among the population.

We hope you enjoyed this article. And we really have here is an epidemic…INCONTINENCIA.

We might be able to help you out some. Take a browse at our Incontinence Category in ORTOHISPANIA and see if there are any products that may aid you if you have a situation in need of personal care aid products.

Just clic on the foto below…

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