Skilled Home Health Care for Incontinence
About Incontinence
Incontinence is the loss of bladder or bowel control. The most common causes of incontinence are weakened pelvic floors, stroke, diabetes, enlarged prostate and childbirth or menopause. Incontinence is not a normal part of aging, and 80% of urinary incontinence sufferers can be cured or improved.
Symptoms of incontinence can vary for each patient, but they may include:
- Leaking urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercising
- Feeling sudden, uncontrollable urges to urinate
- Frequent urination
- Urinating during sleep
- Waking up many times at night to urinate
- Finding streaks of stool in the underwear
- Having trouble holding a bowel movement
- Having solid or liquid stool leak when least expected
Each patient’s plan of care is tailored to meet their unique care needs and health goals. Most commonly, home care helps incontinence patients:
- Remain independent at home
- Reduce potential ER visits/hospitalizations
- Decrease their risk of falling
- Conserve energy
- Elara Caring offers many skilled services, including a diagnosis-specific incontinence program, Roll for Control, to support patients as they manage their incontinence at home.
- Home care nursing, for example, offers education to patients on the disease process and their medications. Nurses can assist with diet recommendations, provide effective symptom management tools and treatments and offer in-home urinary analysis testing when appropriate.
- Physical therapy helps identify and reduce the patient’s incidence of incontinence. Therapy includes instructing the patient in pelvic floor strengthening exercises.
- Occupational therapy works in conjunction with physical therapy to create an individualized pelvic floor strengthening program. Therapists also provide training to help patients accomplish their activities of daily living, like dressing, bathing and meal preparation, and they can assess patients’ homes for safety issues or fall risks, too.
How do I know if I’m ready for home care?
Our team of experts assess each incontinence patient for home care eligibility. Some signs that you may be ready for home care for incontinence are:
- Leaving home is taxing and/or requires assistance
- Hospitalization or ER visit in last 6 months
- New diagnosis of incontinence (or other diagnosis)
- Onset or increase in signs and symptoms
- Confusion about medications
- New or recent medication changes
- Falling in the past 6 months
- Decline in ability to perform ADLs/IADLs
- Concern from patient and/or family about recent health changes
Get in touch with Elara Caring
Contact your local Elara Caring branch for more information or ask your physician if skilled home health with Elara Caring may be right for you.
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