Elder Care in Pacific Beach CA

Incontinence occurs when older adults are unable to control their bladder or vowel movements, resulting in frequent accidents. When it occurs at night, the elder may be unaware that they have to use the bathroom until it is too late.  By arming yourself with as much knowledge on nighttime incontinence as possible and having a senior care provider help care for your loved one, you may be able to limit the amount of accidents at night that occur.

Types of Incontinence

The five main types of incontinence include:

1. Urge incontinence: The elder is unable to control their urge to go, making it difficult for them to reach the toilet in time. Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, urinary tract infections, spinal cord injuries, or an enlarged prostate may experience this type of incontinence.
2. Stress incontinence: Whenever pressure is placed on the bladder by the stomach muscles, small amounts of urine may be released. This might occur after coughing, laughing, or exercising.
3. Reflex incontinence: Seniors who have suffered for spinal cord injuries, a stroke, or brain tumors may have their urine or bowel movements seep from their body at any given time.
4. Bowel incontinence: The inability to keep a bowel movement from seeping out. This can be caused when the elder has had constipation for a long period of time or diarrhea.
5. Overflow incontinence: This often occurs when the bladder leaks due to it being full.

Caring for Someone with Incontinence

Chances are your loved one will be embarrassed over their accidents, so it is important that you try to calmly help the elder without appearing to be disgusted. Other ways you can help include:

• Let the elder know where the bathroom is and consider placing a sign on the bathroom door to remind them.
• Remove any clutter inside and around the bathroom, including any furniture, rugs, or other items they may easily trip over.
• Consider installing handrails to make it even easier for your loved one to use.
• Have the elder dress in clothes that can easily be removed, like clothing articles that are fastened with Velcro.
• Think about having your loved one use a commode if it is too difficult for them to make it to a toilet.
• Line the mattress with a waterproof bedding and under sheets.
• Encourage your loved one to wear pads that will absorb any leak the elder has.

Caring for someone with incontinence can be challenging, especially since you do not know when the next accident will occur. Follow these tips and you may be able to help reduce the elder’s chances of having an accident.

La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Costa, CA, and the surrounding communities."}” data-sheets-userformat=”{"2":767,"3":{"1":0},"4":{"1":2,"2":10667209},"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"9":2,"10":2,"12":0}”>For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable elder care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.

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