Incontinence is a silent killer. Yes, you heard it right. But that’s not what you think that it does kill you. Incontinence is called a silent killer because people suffering from this think that their life ended when incontinence came into their life. It is a secret condition that incontinent people hide from anyone. After all, they’re afraid that someone may not understand them because they suffer from this. It ends their social life, affects their work, and somehow ends a relationship with their partner. People having incontinence hate to have this because they think that suffering from this ends all.
But little did they know that medical experts and caregivers can give various techniques, tips, and help to those suffering from this illness. The first aid an incontinent person can acquire is using incontinence products. Caregivers’ sole purpose is to take care of their patients. These caregivers know how to manage incontinence as they know what incontinence products are best for their patients. But are these caregivers ready for people suffering from different kinds of incontinence?
Stress incontinence is one of the most dreadful and hard-to-manage incontinence types because people suffering from this can be emotionally distressed. They can’t control their pee because of laughing, crying, and coughing. Doing these means they may have an accident anytime for a mild to moderate leak amount, which can be stressful to caregivers because you must always change their adult diapers and bed pads. So what are the best tips for caregivers to carry when managing an incontinent person? Hope this article helps.
How to take care incontinent person as a caregiver
Though incontinence can be different according to the type and condition of the patient, there are a few approaches to keep in marble as a caregiver. Caregivers’ duties are to let their clients feel that suffering from incontinence isn’t the end of the world. They should let the client feel that it shouldn’t be acceptable even though they have it. There are various ways to handle incontinence that may change their life forever. As a caregiver, you’ll be the one to help deal with incontinence by doing these tips only for you.
- Be familiarized with incontinence.
Being familiar with incontinence pads would be the first thing you need to learn. As a caregiver, it is important if you know about the illness itself. Taking care of incontinence without knowing the type could be challenging for you as a caregiver because different types of incontinence also mean different treatments. Understanding the different types of incontinence would be great when seeking or assessing medical assistance. As a caregiver, you should know the several incontinence types to identify the best course for the situation. The different types of incontinence are Urge, Stress, Functional, Reflex, and Overflow incontinence.
- Communicate with them from time-to-time
It is no joke to be diagnosed with incontinence. Your client may be afraid to socialize anymore, which also implicates you. First, you must establish a bond with your client for the long run for them to trust you fully. But as a caregiver, you should also be sensitive when talking about incontinence because this is a very personal and physical topic. Building trust with your client through communication could be comfortable for both of you because you do not have this weird feeling anymore, and that same goes for them. You’ll be ready for what’s coming because they are comfortable with you around them, reporting if they will have an unnecessary leak or a change of disposable diapers.
- Keep it lively and professional.
As a caregiver, you should know how to keep the mood lively even if you both know how incontinence attacks randomly. Accidents may happen suddenly, so you better prepare a couple of incontinence supplies with you all the time. That’s how you show professionalism at work. Make your conversation lively and ensure you listen to their stories simultaneously to show them empathy and trust. Doing these things makes you a good caregiver because they’ll be comfortable discussing their symptoms with you and even help themselves recover quicker from mild illnesses like cold and cough.
- Please encourage them to seek medical attention.
Your duty as a caregiver is to encourage your clients to have a better life. Seeking medical attention could greatly help people with incontinence to decrease the accidents or unnecessary leaks caused by incontinence to control them. Experts say that proper treatment can cure incontinence. So as a caregiver, you must promote medical attention because doctors will surely know how to cure the incontinence. Caregivers should help their clients to regain their confidence. Talking to a doctor about medicine and health may avoid unwanted leaks and accidents that every incontinent person wants.
- Always be prepared
Dealing with a client with incontinence means you should always be prepared because you don’t know what can happen next. Part of being prepared is managing daily situations and being a critical thinker. The life and health of your client depend on what decision you’ll be making. You must be mentally prepared, not only physically when dealing with someone with incontinence. Ensure that bathrooms where you help your clients are accommodating enough that they will not slip even if you guide them. Always check for their water intake because dehydration is one of the main causes of incontinence. It irritates the bladder making the issue worse.
Final thoughts
Maintaining your client’s dignity while providing incontinence care calls for patience, understanding, and devotion. Family caregivers occasionally draw the line when helping an elderly patient with incontinence. A client’s needs may be greater than can be safely and comfortably met at home if dementia progresses to total care. A dementia patient’s demands are satisfied safely and appropriately when they are under the care of a devoted, qualified caregiver.
Caring for others can be very stressful, especially if they also have other health issues. Setting restrictions on what you can do and allow is acceptable. Accepting assistance is also acceptable. Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance from AvaCare Medical. For more information about AvaCare’s services, please email info@avacaremedical.com or call us at 1-877-813-7799.