Certain medical and post-operative conditions often lead to what is referred to as incontinence. This includes disruptions to regular emptying of the bowel and bladder.
Depending on the type of incontinence, which is usually determined by a primary physician or a medical specialist, there may be ways to treat and eliminate incontinence.
For others, it is a matter of adaptation and managing the unpleasant symptoms of incontinence on a day-to-day basis.
Let’s talk about what it takes to manage incontinence at home. First off, why should individuals be proactive about managing incontinence? What are the benefits?
Here’s a few common examples:
- Prevention of infection at home. Urinary and fecal leakage can lead to hazardous situations such as infection of the individual’s own body or infections imposed on others who happen to be in the home. Such infections can spread due to contaminated catheter and colostomy equipment, dirty clothing and bedding, un-sanitized adaptive equipment, etc.
- Keeping up a clean household. Maintaining a clean home environment becomes an impossible task when uncontrolled urine and fecal matter frequent the living space.
- Improving social participation opportunities. Unmanaged incontinence is not taken well on a social level. Most people immediately shy away from bowel and bladder leakage, whether it be from the smell or from visual proof.
- Reducing risk for skin breakdown. Unmanaged incontinence can lead to higher risk for skin breakdown and pressure sores, especially when combining incontinence with limited functional movement.
Fortunately, there are ways to effectively manage incontinence at home in order for individuals to participate in meaningful tasks and to connect with other people in their community and family.
Catheter hygiene and placement: Learn how to properly place, clean, and replace catheter equipment. Safe techniques for catheterization will reduce likelihood of leakage and infection.
Colostomy and Ileostomy management: Similar to catheterization, learn how to place, clean, and replace colostomy/ileostomy equipment to prevent fecal leakage and infection.
Hydration schedule: Self-assess your liquid and food intake and match it against your typical schedule for bowel and bladder relief.
Over-time, you might be able to predict the best times to eat and drink so that you reduce your incontinence episodes while staying nourished.
Brief changes: Conduct regular brief or adult diaper changes if you require wearing them. Changing soiled diapers frequently reduces unwanted odors and risk for skin breakdown/infection.
Bedding changes: Make sure that the bed sheets are regularly changed, even if you don’t have very many incontinence episodes while in bed.
Skin checks: Perform routine skin checks, specifically around the buttocks, thighs, and tail-bone. Assess the skin for abnormal color changes and consult with a doctor before such changes worsen.
Adaptive equipment incorporation: If incontinence is caused by a loss of physical movement, talk to an occupational therapist or equipment specialist about using adaptive toileting equipment such as grab bars, toilet risers, and bedside commodes.
Pelvic Floor exercises: If a specialist prescribed exercises to you in order to reduce incontinence episodes, participate in those exercises daily!
