A new survey on dealing with incontinence by Caring.com and SCA, makers of Tena incontinence products, finds that one in three caregivers avoids discussing the subject with a loved one because it's too "embarrassing and difficult."
Most of the 500-plus survey respondents, all caregivers with incontinence-care experience, were boomer-age women. Forty-two percent say they get depressed about dealing with a loved one's incontinence. Seventy percent report incontinence as an ongoing issue with their loved one.
This silence prevents worn-down caregivers, as well as those struggling with incontinence, from getting the help they need.
Caring,com offers these tips, with additional information available on the Web links:
Know your role: advocate, not adversary.
Get up the courage: Don't beat around the bush, just talk straight.
Lean on humor: 48 percent of the incontinence survey respondents said they coped with the emotional aspects of the situation by making light of it.
Develop a motto: A simple statement can help see you through awkward moments.
Remember the consequences: Not speaking up is usually worse than the talk itself.
