How to Help Mom with Bone Fractures Cope with Embarrassing Incontinence

Dear Carol: Recently, my mother, 76, fell and broke a hip, fractured a wrist, and cracked an ankle. She’s in the hospital now and will soon be moved to a rehab unit. Of course, we’re concerned about the fractures and how they will heal, but her current frustration is that unless she can use the bathroom frequently, she has bladder leaks. Now that she is dependent on others, she’s suffered some incontinence accidents, which she finds humiliating. They won’t use a catheter due to UTI risk, but the embarrassment over the leaks is causing her substantial emotional stress. She’s lost some ground now cognitively, and I’m afraid this stressful situation will set her back permanently. Do you have any ideas for dignified incontinence management? – TL

Dear TL: Your poor mom! Managing incontinence is challenging enough without being dependent on overworked hospital aides to help you get to the bathroom, but the reality is that this is not unusual. Catheters certainly can increase the risk of UTIs, so I’m not surprised they don’t want her to use one long-term. Tell her the truth. Until her leg and…

Continue reading on Inforum for the full column on helping older adults make the emotional adjustment to wearing incontinence protection:

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