What You Should Know About Elderly Incontinence

The first thing to know about incontinence is that there is a wide variety of causes. It can be something as simple as not drinking enough water, to much more serious conditions. There are also several diseases that can bring about incontinence that include but are not limited to: multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. There are also reasons that are specific to women, such as: prior pregnancies, childbirth, and the onset of menopause. For men, prostate problems can hamper urination. It should be noted that drinking coffee, or tea or taking prescribed medications, can aggravate your bladder. And the natural changes in the body as we age can make elderly urinary incontinence a more likely occurrence.

Incontinence can have simple to complex solutions.

It should be noted that elderly incontinence can take several different forms. Incontinence can be an occasionally problem, ranging all the way up to a complete loss of bladder and bowel control. There are five main types of incontinence that play a part in this. They are-

• Urge incontinence-This is the most common diagnosis of incontinence. This is an urgent need to urinate resulting in the loss of urine before one arrives at the toilet. Medical experts believe urge incontinence is caused by involuntary contractions of the bladder that the patient can simply not stop. Urge incontinence, can be caused by strokes, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, or injuries.

• Stress incontinence-This generally occurs when an increase in abdominal pressure, overcomes the closing pressure, of the bladder. Abdominal pressure rises when you cough, sneeze, laugh, climb stairs, or lift objects. Studies have shown that the bladder muscles of older people may be so weak, that leaking can occur, even when they get up out of a chair. Stress incontinence is more common in women due to pregnancy and childbirth, and a lack of estrogen in postmenopausal women, can also cause muscular atrophy, that may lead to the condition. Men who have enlarged prostates, or who have had prostate cancer treatments or prostate surgery, can also develop stress incontinence.

• Functional incontinence- This is an inability to reach the bathroom in time. For example: If arthritis makes unzipping one’s pants difficult, or a bad hip means a trip to the facilities takes longer, than expected, accidents can ensue. Neurological disorders, stroke complications, Alzheimer’s disease, or multiple sclerosis can also cause functional incontinence.

• Overflow incontinence- This is rarely diagnosed. In this scenario, an elderly person’s bladder never completely empties, so they frequently feel the need to go, and often leak small amounts of urine. This is most often caused by an obstruction in the urinary tract system, or by a bladder, that either has very weak contractions, or is unable to contract at all. Causes can include: an enlarged prostate, or damage from prostate surgery, constipation, fecal impaction, and nerve damage from stokes or diabetes.

• Mixed incontinence-This is the diagnosis if the person is experiencing several types of incontinence. Most often elderly patients have a combination of stress, and urge incontinence, especially women. In addition, seniors who have severe dementia, Parkinson’s disease, neurological disorders, or have had strokes, can suffer from urge and functional incontinence.

                           Watch the video:  How to choose the right incontinence product

If you are the caregiver for an elderly person with incontinence you may be overwhelmed by what you should do and what products you need. At Caregiverpartnership.com they understand this frustration. Try this incontinence product finder tool that makes it easy for consumers to find a product, to best meet their needs. They offer a wide variety of products that can help make dealing with incontinency issues, easier and safer.


About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.

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