Elderly women with incontinence
Yes, we all hate to talk about such topics – let alone admit to having them. But incontinence in elderly women is an issue that many people face, or may face in older age. Urinary incontinence although embarrassing, is a medical problem like any other, and if you’re suffering in silence, you may want to talk to your GP about it. They may be able to help you to treat it with exercises or lifestyle changes, it’s worth a try! They may also offer some medicines to help deal with the issue. Elderly women with incontinence issues should know that your GP will have seen this hundreds of times, so please don’t put off visiting them.
Increased risk of falling
A recent study now suggests that elderly women with incontinence are at increased risk of falls. The increased risk is seen in women who wet the bed at night, who may be more frail or in poorer physical or mental health than women who don’t. You can read more about the study here.
One way to reduce the risk is obviously to reduce the night-time awakening and enable the patient to safely get from their bed to the bathroom and back. Almost all of the 37 elderly women, who all had urinary incontinence, in the study reported waking up at least once during the night to go to the bathroom.
The study does show that if the women sought care for their urinary incontinence there risk of falls might reduce. Among women who wet the bed, 61 percent had a very high risk of falls. Exercises to improve physical fitness and overall strength is one possible way to help.
In the event of a fall
If you are concerned about having a fall, or just want some peace of mind you can easily order a Lifeline Alarm to help in the event of a fall.
You can phone us on 0800 999 0400 or order online.
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