Incontinence
13 tips to help manage incontinence
There are many things you can do to help a person manage incontinence. In some cases you can help decrease the number of incontinence episodes by making a few simple changes about the home.
Incontinence: Help with urinary incontinence
Incontinence is a very common problem and can affect people of all ages. Unfortunately, many older people do not seek help for bladder problems. Incontinence can cause great distress and embarrassment for older people and their carers.
Incontinence: Help with faecal incontinence
Faecal incontinence or poor bowel control is the inability to control bowel movements.
Bowel problems: What causes constipation?
Constipation refers to problems opening the bowels, straining on the toilet and infrequent bowel motions. Constipation can be stressful and difficult to manage.
How can I help mum manage her constipation?
Questions: Mum takes lots of different types of laxatives. I'm not sure if the doctor prescribes these as they are over the counter and she's been taking them for years. She says she needs them in order to open her bowels everyday. She also takes lots of pain-killers. How can I help her manage her constipation?
Coping with faecal incontinence
Question: Dad has started to leak small amounts of loose stools almost daily. He says its just a bit of diarrhoea but mum tells me he has been soiling his clothes for a long time now. We now think he is avoiding leaving the house out of fear of having an accident. What could be causing his faecal incontinence? Is there anything that can be done?
Frequently asked questions about incontinence
Coping with incontinence can be difficult for older people and their carers. However, there are many ways to manage bladder and bowel problems that can make everyone's life easier.
Recognising prostate problems
Question: My father who is very frail and walks with a frame recognises the urge to go to the toilet but by the time he gets to the bathroom, takes off his clothes and sits on the toilet he has leaked urine and needs to be changed. What could be causing this and how can we help him?
Managing dementia and incontinence
Question: My mum has dementia and is frequently incontinent. We tried pads but she constantly takes them off. What is a toileting schedule and how can I start one? What other measures can I take to avoid incontinence episodes?
Disclaimer: This site is for information purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem, nor as a substitute for professional advice with a qualified health professional or doctor.
