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I've retired early, so I'm not elderly or incontinent yet, but I live in a retirement home. Where I live, I see my neighbors shopping at the drugstore, many buying Depends and stuff like that. There are lots of ads for them on TV too, so I'm guessing that it's a common problem for the elderly. Yet, at the clubhouse, when it's really busy with a bingo game, which is a much older crowd, during the intermission, there's a long line at the bathrooms. My next door neighbors are over 90 and flush their toilets a lot and I can hear the pipes running through the walls. I guess my question would be, how are these people using the toilet so much if they buy Depends? If they wear Depends, they wouldn't need the toilet, right?
My husband, who has Parkinson's and lives in an assisted living facility, wears Depends (or rather, the less-expensive generic equivalent available from Walgreens/Target/Publix etc.).
He wears them "just in case." In case he can't get to the bathroom in time, in case he urinates in his sleep without being aware of the need to go, in case of whatever. He doesn't routinely urinate in his Depends, it's there "just in case." So he doesn't have an embarrassing accident.
Some people are completely incontinent and I suppose they use the Depends all the time instead of a toilet, but those are probably not the people you're seeing standing in line at the clubhouse.
There is a difference between "incontinence" and "urgency" and "frequency". I can "go", leave my house to drive a couple of miles to the store and need to use the facilities when I arrive at my destination.
I'm pretty sure that people who use Depends instead of a toilet are not ambulatory or are bed-ridden. Pretty sure it would be uncomfortable to "walk around with a full diaper". And as Wellshonemoon stated, maybe some people wear them "just in case". Some elderly people aren't quick on their feet and might have a hard time getting to the bathroom. (this is coming from one who is 78 but not elderly!)
I know for myself, I don't get a lot of warning. When I gotta go, I gotta go NOW. That's "urgency". If I thought I could pee in a Depends and not care, I might try it...nah, prolly not.
Thanks for the replies. So it's different from babies, whose diaper is the potty because they're not trained to use one yet.
They have incontinence pads too, but I know that when I do a urinalysis at the doctor's office, I fill that cup and then keep going to do the rest in the toilet. So if I lost bladder control, I know those pads would not hold the amount I urinate.
I have a nervous bladder, so I know all about using the toilet right before leaving home and then seeking the restroom as soon as I reach my destination. I can hold it until I relieve myself though. I just feel the urge as soon as I arrive. The last job I had was a ten minute drive to/from home. Before leaving home/work, I'd use the toilet, only to have to go yet again as soon as I got to work/home just 10 minutes later. When I'm staying at one place, I don't have to go every 10 minutes - more like every 30-60 minutes, "depending" on fluid intake, no pun intended.
Thanks for the replies. So it's different from babies, whose diaper is the potty because they're not trained to use one yet.
They have incontinence pads too, but I know that when I do a urinalysis at the doctor's office, I fill that cup and then keep going to do the rest in the toilet. So if I lost bladder control, I know those pads would not hold the amount I urinate.
I have a nervous bladder, so I know all about using the toilet right before leaving home and then seeking the restroom as soon as I reach my destination. I can hold it until I relieve myself though. I just feel the urge as soon as I arrive. The last job I had was a ten minute drive to/from home. Before leaving home/work, I'd use the toilet, only to have to go yet again as soon as I got to work/home just 10 minutes later. When I'm staying at one place, I don't have to go every 10 minutes - more like every 30-60 minutes, "depending" on fluid intake, no pun intended.
Those incontinence pads hold a surprising amount of fluid, much more than an overnight maxi pad. They also have elasticized sides so that they will contain fluid until it can be absorbed. (had a really bad period and had to buy those because they would last about an hour compared to ten minutes for an overnight pad)
I just went with my mom to her urologist last month, and she was asking him about urgency, and he said to limit fluid intake, especially of things containing caffeine, for several hours before leaving the house. My mom didn't want to hear that and wanted some kind of pill.
Exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor, like bicycling, will help a lot with urgency.
Flushing a lot can mean a man with prostrate enlargement that means going often. Its a very common thing as men age.If you ever get it have the urinal tract checked because it can lead to kidney/bladder stones because of not totally emptying the bladder.
Those incontinence pads hold a surprising amount of fluid, much more than an overnight maxi pad. They also have elasticized sides so that they will contain fluid until it can be absorbed. (had a really bad period and had to buy those because they would last about an hour compared to ten minutes for an overnight pad)
I just went with my mom to her urologist last month, and she was asking him about urgency, and he said to limit fluid intake, especially of things containing caffeine, for several hours before leaving the house. My mom didn't want to hear that and wanted some kind of pill.
Exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor, like bicycling, will help a lot with urgency.
I not only have a nervous bladder, but a nervous thirst as well...now that I think about it, I do get thirsty and drink water right before leaving home. I avoid caffeine. So I need to curb that...maybe some sugarless gum to wet the whistle instead.
I haven't bicycled since my teens. I need to get new tubes for my tires and get back to it. I'll have to find some nice safe paths to stick with. Sounds more straightforward than Kegels. Because for kegels they say to start and stop your urine stream, but then they say that you can do them anywhere like standing in line at the grocery store, but I can't do that while I'm not actually peeing. Sounds too abstract to me.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I not only have a nervous bladder, but a nervous thirst as well...now that I think about it, I do get thirsty and drink water right before leaving home. I avoid caffeine. So I need to curb that...maybe some sugarless gum to wet the whistle instead.
I haven't bicycled since my teens. I need to get new tubes for my tires and get back to it. I'll have to find some nice safe paths to stick with. Sounds more straightforward than Kegels. Because for kegels they say to start and stop your urine stream, but then they say that you can do them anywhere like standing in line at the grocery store, but I can't do that while I'm not actually peeing. Sounds too abstract to me.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Stopping your urine stream is just to figure out where that muscle is, the first time or two you try to do a kegel...you don't want to stop your urine stream all the time when you're really peeing because it can lead to UTI's. Kegels are good for more than just bladder control, they make sex and/or orgasm better. Once you know which muscle you're trying to squeeze, you really can do kegels anywhere.
FWIW - found by 'accident' two females with incontinence (one in 60's, one mid-40's) - both cases resolved with use of progesterone cream. Not sure what the connection. One was about to have corrective surgery - and cancelled. The other was wearing daily pads - and eventually concluded - NO need. I emailed the John R Lee website to ask if they had heard such before. They said YES, but no studies, etc, done on it. (No money in resolving that way.) Anyway, it's pretty cheap and so may be worth a try regarding for such concerns/issues.
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