Caregiver in Roseville CA
Each year approximately 8.1 million doctors’ visits throughout the United States are caused by urinary tract infections and their symptoms. These infections are caused by bacteria that flourishes 
in the various parts of the urinary system, including the bladder, ureters, kidneys, or urethra. The symptoms caused by these infections can be unpleasant, including pain, burning, pressure in the pelvis, urinary urgency and frequency, foul-smelling urine, and inability to fully empty the bladder. Elderly adults might experience only a few of these classic symptoms or none of them at all. Instead, older adults are far more likely to experience cognitive symptoms including disorientation, confusion, and agitation. As a family caregiver it is important that you know how to not only recognize that your loved one might be suffering such an infection, but also that you know how to help your parent cope with such an infection. Managing a urinary tract infection properly is essential to reducing the risk that the infection will become serious or spread to the kidneys and create severe consequences.
Use these tips to help your parent cope with a urinary tract infection:
- Encourage plenty of fluid. As your senior is dealing with a urinary tract infection, encourage them to drink more fluids. This will flush out the urinary tract, helping to remove the bacteria more efficiently. Bladders that are permitted to stay empty or that retain urine for long periods are more likely to harbor bacteria. Keeping fluids moving through the system helps prevent bacteria from thriving and furthering the infection. Cranberry juice is often recommended because it has been shown to prevent bacteria from attaching to the inside of the urinary tract and thriving.
- Avoid irritating fluids. Discourage your aging loved one from drinking fluids that might be irritating to the urinary tract, such as alcohol, soda, coffee, or citrus juices. This irritation can increase the symptoms of a urinary tract infection and make it more likely that the system will become infection.
- Soothe pain with heat. If your elderly parent is experiencing abdominal pain, heaviness, or discomfort due to the infection, soothing it can help them to rest, which can encourage the body to heal more effectively. Soothe this pain using a heating pad or sock filled with dry rice and microwaved to warm but not hot. Apply this to the abdomen for up to 20 minutes at a time.
- Encourage medication compliance. The most common form of treatment for a urinary tract infection is antibiotics. If your aging parent’s doctor prescribes antibiotics, ensure that your aging parent takes them exactly as they are prescribed. This means taking them in the right dosage and at the right times. They should take this prescription until the medication is gone unless otherwise directed, even if they are starting to feel better within a day or two or starting taking it. This is critical to ensuring that the infection is fully resolved and to prevent it from returning.
If you or an aging loved one needs caregiver services in Roseville, CA, remember Senior Home Care Services. Call us at (916) 514-7006 for more information.
Sources: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/basics/symptoms/con-20037892
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/basics/definition/con-20037892
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/basics/lifestyle-home-remedies/con-20037892
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