Admitting to bathroom accidents can be tough for seniors. They may try to cover it up by hiding signs of incontinence, which prevents them from getting the help they need to be comfortable, clean, and healthy. Aeroflow Healthcare explains why seniors might hide it and shares 3 tips for recognizing senior incontinence.
Incontinence is a common condition in the United States, affecting over 13 million people and 39% of seniors living in assisted care communities.
Despite how common it is, many seniors with incontinence experience anxiety, shame, and embarrassment – causing them to hide their accidents and avoid getting help.
However, seeking proper solutions allows people to manage the condition, maintain comfort and healthy hygiene, and stay as independent as possible.
That’s why as a caregiver, it helps to understand the emotions behind incontinence and to find out about 3 tips for recognizing top signs of incontinence so seniors won’t have to suffer in silence.
We also share tips on how to offer help and 5 ways that the correct incontinence supplies can help improve the situation.
Why seniors hide incontinence
Many seniors have raised families and cared for others. So, needing help with something so personal can be hard to accept.
They might feel like they’ve lost dignity or independence when they aren’t able to fully control their bladder, especially since accidents can be embarrassing and inconvenient.
Discussing incontinence is considered taboo, so hiding it can feel like one way for seniors to maintain control over the situation.
But this can contribute to health issues like urinary tract infections and prevent them from getting the proper care.
3 tips for recognizing signs of incontinence
Seniors can be very creative when trying to hide incontinence. Some common signs of incontinence to watch for include:
1. Urine smell, soiled clothing, or covered furniture
Smelling urine on clothing is a telltale sign of incontinence.
Another red flag is finding soiled clothing in the laundry hamper or an unusually large amount of laundry.
Another place to check is inside closets and other storage areas – seniors could try to hide soiled clothes instead of throwing them away.
A more subtle sign might be new covers on furniture that could be explained as simply a little redecorating.
But that could be hiding odors or stains so be sure to check underneath. And remember to check their mattress too.
2. Changes in personality or behavior
Seniors with incontinence may become depressed or withdraw and avoid their usual social activities.
They might avoid leaving the house or seeing friends for fear of having an accident in public.
Or they might make an unusual number of trips to the restroom every hour – significantly more than what’s typical for them.
3. Changes in wardrobe
Pay attention to your older adult’s wardrobe to see if anything has changed.
They might wear oversized clothing to absorb accidents or dark clothing to conceal stains. They could carry extra clothes and change several times a day.
If they’re trying to absorb accidents with ill-fitting incontinence products, another sign is unusual bulkiness around their waist or hips.
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