Let’s face it, this is a topic few want to talk about. Your loved one gets sick and goes to the hospital for care. They come home and whoa, things are not the same. In the hospital there are certified nurses aides providing care around the clock and when you get home, it is only you. Few family caregivers have any training on how to manage this issue.
Some of our loved ones will learn how to deal with it by going earlier to the toilet but then there are some with cognitive deficits that will say they do not need to go. Maybe they can feel the urge but delayed mobility creates leakage. Medications can also create a recipe for disasters too. Incontinence management is a huge problem that leads to long term placement if that is an option.
Over my years of caring for my grandma, I’ve learned that in the transition from hospitalization or rehab, there tends to be inconsistent or little addressing of this issue. Oh, the loved one can walk and transfer from facility care, but, they can’t even manage their own toileting. You, the caregiver, is left in the dark in figuring this out, mostly by trial and error.
Occupational therapists are the perfect professional to help assess what is going on with your loved one’s change in condition. We focus on self care tasks that have been impacted by health changes and can integrate the medical issues with the need to adapt or modify the task.
Here are some suggestions that may be helpful. Consult an OT for a more thorough assessment to create the best interventions.
Can’t make it on time?
When mobility changes, the urge and mobility to get to the toilet may not sync. Sometimes a timed toileting may be helpful in preempting the urge. Going before the urge hits may help with getting there on time. Sometimes a bedside commode can be helpful to have a toilet nearby, especially at night.
Constipation
Constipation is yet another issue faced by so many caregivers. When it happens, the reaction is to do things to get the pipes moving again. However, knowing the right concoction can be tricky because it leads to loose bowels in some cases. A better alternative is to figure out how to create a bowel management routine through medication, hydration, and diet.
Bladder Infections
UTIs or urinary tract infections is yet another common issue found in the elderly population that adds to the caregiver burden. Assessing hygiene issues, hydration, and continence to determine what may be contributing to the problem can help to prevent it from starting.
There may be range of motion or coordination issues with one’s upper extremity altering how hygiene is performed. Maybe it is cognition where they cannot detect that they are having leakage leaving them in soiled pads or briefs. Many factors can contribute to these infections
Creative Caring Works 