La Jolla Senior Care News

Home Care Awareness: Recognizing the Emotional and Mental Symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection

 

Home Care La Jolla CA

Home Care La Jolla CAAnyone who has ever suffered from a urinary tract infection, or UTI, knows how uncomfortable this type of infection can be. From the stinging and burning during urination, to the fatigue and overall “sick” feeling related to an infection, a UTI can be a truly miserable experience. For elderly adults, however, a urinary tract infection can be an even more serious health concern. Aging adults are more vulnerable to infections than younger people, and have a more difficult time recovering from these issues, putting them at greater risk of other health concerns and complications. When it comes to a UTI, these risks can be even higher because the symptoms may not be the same.

While your mind would likely immediately go to a urinary tract infection if your aging loved one started complaining of burning or stinging during urination, pain in their bladder area, or cloudy or odorous urine, these are not actually the most common UTI symptoms experienced by aging adults. The symptoms that they do experience tend to be overlooked as relating to a urinary tract infection because their caregivers link them to other conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

Mental and emotional health-related symptoms of a urinary tract infection can include:

  • Marked agitation or jumpiness
  • Confusion
  • Behavioral changes that are not related to any other health concern or condition
  • Hallucinations
  • Delirium-like behavior
  • Anxiety
  • Sudden changes in motor skill abilities

By recognizing these symptoms and understanding they are not linked to other health concerns, an in home caregiver can help you to identify when your aging loved ones may be suffering from a UTI so that you can get them on the right treatment as soon as possible.

In addition to recognizing the cognitive symptoms that could indicate a UTI in your aging loved ones, a home care provider can also be your ally in helping them to prevent these infections in the first place. Some of the greatest risk factors for developing a urinary tract infection include:

  • Not drinking enough fluids, or drinking primarily sugary or caffeinated beverages
  • Bowel incontinence
  • Urinary catheter use
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Urinary retention
  • Extended periods of immobility
  • Recent surgery, particularly to areas around the bladder and other urinary tract regions
  • Enlarged prostate
  • Kidney stones
  • Improper hygiene practices

Ways a care provider can help your parents prevent UTIs include:

  • Make sure that they wear cotton undergarments and change them at least once a day or when they become soiled or wet
  • If assisting with toileting, make sure that women wipe from the front of their bodies to the back rather than the opposite, which could introduce bacteria into the urinary tract
  • Avoid giving them caffeinated beverages
  • Encourage consumption of cranberry juice, only if the senior does not have history of kidney stones
  • Provide plenty of fluids throughout the day, preferably water

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=”[null,null,767,[null,0],[null,2,10667209],[null,[[null,2,0,null,null,[null,2,0]],[null,0,0,3],[null,1,0,null,1]]],[null,[[null,2,0,null,null,[null,2,0]],[null,0,0,3],[null,1,0,null,1]]],[null,[[null,2,0,null,null,[null,2,0]],[null,0,0,3],[null,1,0,null,1]]],[null,[[null,2,0,null,null,[null,2,0]],[null,0,0,3],[null,1,0,null,1]]],2,2,null,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 senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Brittnei Salerno

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