Do your loved ones have dementia and incontinence? If they do, they are not alone. After all, many mature adults with dementia or Alzheimer’s have incontinence. And unfortunately, it can make daily activities much more challenging. Thankfully, there are many ways to handle loved ones with incontinence. Here is how you can do so.
The Initial Talk
The most important but terrifying part is the first step which is the initial talk. Acknowledging and talking about their incontinence problems may cause them to be defensive. Hence, try your best to be patient, and avoid drawing excessive attention to the problem. In addition, if they have an accident or a leak, you should be supportive of them while ensuring you are not embarrassing them. Hence, you can say things like “It appears that your shorts are soiled, but that is okay because this happens from time to time.” Or “Let’s acquire some clean clothing because it appears you spilled water on your jeans.” Or “Anyone can be involved in an accident.”
Introduce Incontinence Products
One of the best ways to counter incontinence problems among mature adults is to make use of incontinence products. But before that, you need to get your loved ones to agree to use them. Hence one tip is to start with disposable underpants and an adult diaper. Choose one with a pull-up style so that it has the same sensation as conventional underwear, hence they probably will be more willing to try this incontinence product out due to familiarity. At the same time, steer far away from terms like “diaper” and “incontinence”. Use phrases like spills or leaks instead. Pull-up underwear or briefs are good alternative phrases for diapers. But what if your loved ones themselves refer to them as diapers? Then, this is an exception and you should use the word “diapers” as well. Take a page from their book. Otherwise, it may result in even more humiliation or embarrassment. What do you do if they object then? Try to explain that the underwear is there to protect them when they don’t get to the restroom in time.
How to Get to the Restroom in Time, Especially Late at Night?
To minimize nocturnal falls, keep the trip to the restroom as quick as feasible and devoid of any obstructions. Doing so will also increase the likelihood that they will avoid an accident. In fact, simple modifications may have a significant impact. Simply leave the bathroom door open, install a toilet seat that lights up, and make a trail to the bathroom using tape and/or nightlights. These are great ways to improve the situation. In certain circumstances, a waterproof bed pad may be placed on the bed to prevent any major damage if they were to sleep through the desire to go to the bathroom.
