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Incontinence can be a very embarrassing problem for the elderly. After years of maintaining the best of hygiene standards both personal and at home, incontinence is a sure way to make the elders feel totally humiliated. It is up to the members of the family to accept it as a part of the problems of old age and find solutions.

The easiest way of getting over this problem is to suggest the elders to wear some kind of protection by way of extra thick underwear or geriatric pads. However, if the problem is continuous, they could seek help from a doctor who would be in a position to suggest some kind of bladder control exercises.

Bladder control exercises teach you how to respond to the need to urinate. For instance, it may mean pause, sit down, relax the whole body and contract the pelvic muscles repeatedly.

Urinary incontinence, the involuntary loss of urine, occurs in at least a third of the elderly. Women are affected twice as often as men.

If urinary incontinence comes on suddenly, or is temporary, it may be caused by a medication being taken - diuretics (water pills), tranquillisers, antidepressants, strong analgesics, alcohol, and some heart and respiratory drugs. If there is any doubt, the physician can discontinue or replace the drug on a trial basis. Sometimes infections of the bladder or genital area, or water overload can cause this type of incontinence.