What can you do?

First, consider your loved one’s lifestyle. A few simple changes could make a big, positive difference. 

• Keep them hydrated.
  You might naturally think she or he should drink less fluid. But  that could make their urine more concentrated. Which could aggravate their bladder, and make it more active. We recommend that your loved one drink as usual, just following their natural thirst. This should be enough to keep their urine a healthy, pale straw color. As you might expect, drinking too much will only increase their urge to “go”. So just try to keep a healthy balance.
  
  
• Avoid certain drinks.
  Remember that some drinks are diuretic, meaning they make you visit the bathroom more. They can include tea and coffee which contain caffeine and alcoholic beverages. There’s no harm in letting your loved enjoy them once in a while. But it’s best not to serve too many of them.
  
  
• Mind their calories.
  Being overweight weakens the pelvic muscles, which can cause incontinence. So, to help your loved one stay in shape, make sure they have a healthy, nutritious diet, without too many calories.
  
  
• Discourage smoking.
  Does the person you care for smoke? This in itself doesn’t cause bladder weakness. But the coughing that results from smoking can put pressure on the bladder. So try to persuade him or her to cut down or quit smoking. That will benefit their incontinence as well as their general health.
  
  
• Encourage exercise.
  Is your loved one mobile? Or can you help them move around? They could improve their bladder control by doing pelvic floor exercises. Scientists have found that up to 70% of mild-to-moderate cases of incontinence can be improved or even cured this way. Your loved one will need to do the correct pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises though – regularly over three to six months. It’s never too late to start – even if they’re in their 70s or 80s, they could still improve their symptoms. A specialist may recommend techniques such as electrical stimulation to help carry out these exercises properly. Find out more about the exercises.

This is sometimes referred to as an overactive bladder. As its name suggests it happens when you get a sudden and unstoppable need “to go”. Here are some tips to help you care for your loved one:

• Help them reach the bathroom.
  Make sure the path to your toilet is clear and easy for her or him to navigate.  Also, if they’re mobile/semi-mobile and dressed, their clothes should be easy to remove – that is, without awkward fastenings.
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• Help them with bladder training and exercises.
  With urge incontinence, it’s possible to “retrain” the bladder. To do this, encourage your loved one to hold larger amounts of urine for longer. And to go to the bathroom less often. This stops their bladder from “exaggerating” the need to go when it is only half full. Retraining tends to get easier over time. Up to 50% of urge incontinence suffers who’ve tried it have found it effective.

> Kegel exercises for pelvic muscles can also help in some cases of urge incontinence. > Learn about the exercises.

Does your loved one suffer from a mix of stress and urge incontinence? If so, the best thing to do is concentrate on the dominant symptoms and try to manage these first. You could start them on pelvic floor exercises for stress incontinence, or bladder retraining for urge incontinence. Then, once their main symptoms improve, begin dealing with the other symptoms.

Does a physical or mental disability prevent your loved one from getting to the bathroom in time? Or does it stop them from having any control over their bladder?  Doctors might be able to help. But, even if they can’t, there are still things you can do to help improve your loved one’s situation. Most importantly, minimize the impact of any accidents with quality incontinence products. Well-designed incontinence pads and underwear will completely contain any escaped urine. They’ll also help to keep her or him feeling fresh, dry, clean and comfortable. > Explore the TENA product line.

Depending on your loved one’s condition, a doctor or specialist might recommend one or more of the following:

• Medical devices
  The doctor might insert a catheter (a tube that connects with the urethra) with a portable bag to capture all urine. This might be just a temporary measure, particularly if the incontinence is the result of surgery from which your loved one is recovering. You may need to change and clean their catheter bags – an easy task to learn. It is important to understand that a catheter is not a solution for urinary incontinence but for an enlarged prostate or a temporary solution after prostate surgery.
  
  The most commonly used devices for bladder weakness are absorbent incontinence pads and underwear. Designed to protect against urinary leakage and odors, they come in a range of sizes and absorbency levels.
  
  > Explore TENA incontinence products.
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• A last resort: medication and/or surgery
  There are medicines that can help reduce the bladder’s overactivity. To find out about medications that could help your loved one’s urge incontinence, ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist – for example, a urologist or urogynecologist.
  
  Surgery can help treat incontinence, but it is rarely used.

What else can you do to help a loved one with functional incontinence? Make sure the path to your bathroom is clear and easy for them to navigate. And if they’re mobile/semi-mobile and dressed, it’ll help to have them wear clothes that are easy to remove – that is, without awkward fastenings.

Find out how TENA offers you the most effective solution to keeping your loved one clean and comfortable – check out the TENA range here.