Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common health issue among older adults, with the risk increasing as individuals age. Prompt medical treatment is essential when a UTI develops. Here’s a guide for caregivers on how to identify the signs of UTIs and take steps to prevent them in the elderly.

The National Library of Medicine reports that UTIs develop in 10% of women over the age of 65. By the time they reach 85 years of age, the rate of infection increases to 30%. While the rate of UTIs decrease during middle age, they increase in older people.

Women of post-menopausal age are at the highest risk for UTIs. This is due to their decreased production of estrogen, which prevents bad bacteria from growing. Older men, too, can develop UTIs, especially when they suffer from an enlarged prostate that prevents the bladder from emptying fully.

Older people generally experience a loss of strength in their bladder and pelvic floor muscles. As a result, it’s more difficult for them to empty their bladder completely. Stagnant urine in the bladder is a breeding ground for the bacteria responsible for UTIs.

A UTI can affect various parts of the urinary tract, like the bladder, kidneys, urethra, and ureters (the tube passing urine from the kidneys to the bladder). Good bacteria live in the body, but due to age, the bacteria have a harder time fighting off infection. UTIs are the result.

How Do Caregivers Recognize a UTI in Older Adults?

Women may develop one or two UTIs per year without cause for concern. Recurrent UTIs affecting women or men are reasons to worry. Caregivers can spot signs of a UTI by knowing what to look for. The symptoms are the same for both women and men of all ages.

The senior’s bathroom habits may suddenly change, such as urinating more frequently or with urgency. Pain or a burning sensation accompanies urination, a telltale sign of infection. The older person may complain of fever, fatigue, and nausea. Pain in their abdomen, pelvis, or lower back may occur.

Severe symptoms, such as the aforementioned back pain, nausea, and vomiting, may occur if the infection spreads to the kidneys. Elderly individuals with a UTI may develop incontinence, retain their urine, suffer falls, experience decreased mobility or lose their normal appetite.

Caregivers assume that confusion is a sign of a UTI in aging people. However, medical experts warn that confusion is not always indicative of a UTI, and a UTI does not always cause confusion. If the senior doesn’t show the classic symptoms of a UTI, other causes should be investigated.

However, older adults diagnosed with dementia may exhibit confusion when a UTI occurs. These older patients are unable to communicate their UTI symptoms to a caregiver. In addition to confusion, UTI symptoms manifest as agitation and lethargy in the elderly.

How Do Caregivers Prevent UTIs In the Elderly?

1. Change Incontinence Pads Frequently

Caregivers who understand the risk factors behind UTIs are better able to prevent infections in seniors. Urinary retention is caused by Alzheimer’s disease or diabetes. If these older adults wear briefs that aren’t changed regularly, infection occurs. Change incontinence briefs frequently to prevent UTIs.

2. Serve Fluids Regularly

Serve the senior water or other fluids regularly throughout the day. Older people should consume enough daily fluids so that their urine appears light yellow, or the color of pale straw. Liquids encourage the elderly to urinate often, which flushes out bacteria from the bladder.

Offer 100% cranberry juice to older women who suffer from frequent UTIs. Alternatively, try cranberry supplements. Moderate consumption is recommended, as drinking excessive cranberry juice can cause stomach upset or diarrhea. Cranberries can also interact with some medications a senior may take.

3. Practice Good Bathroom Hygiene

When assisting the aging care recipient with hygiene, wipe from front to back. Applying vaginal estrogen is another preventative measure, as it restores menopausal women’s microbiomes and improves the health of tissues in the urinary tract. Work with a doctor, as estrogen cream isn’t right for everyone.

4. Set a Restroom Schedule

Establish a bathroom routine for seniors to prevent urine from stagnating inside the bladder. Regularly urinating helps to flush bacteria from the bladder before infection can set in. Conversely, holding urine for extended periods allows bacteria in the bladder to multiply, increasing the risk of a UTI.

5. Opt for Showers

Caregivers should choose showers rather than baths when cleaning the senior. Bathwater contains bacteria from the older person’s skin, which can reach the urethra. Also avoid feminine products that can irritate the urethra; examples include soaps, douches, powders, and sprays.

By recognizing UTIs in elderly care recipients, immediate medical treatments, like antibiotics, can be administered. The caregivers at Assisting Hands Home Care are available to provide safe transportation and accompany the senior to the doctor’s office if your aging loved one develops symptoms of a UTI.

Senior Home Care from Assisting Hands

Our home care agency promotes the physical health and emotional well-being of the older adults in our care. A part of our UTI prevention in the elderly is to serve beverages throughout the day to keep the older person properly hydrated and help reduce the risk of UTIs.

The discreet hygiene assistance we provide keeps the elderly clean and comfortable. Caregivers assist with toileting, grooming, and bathing, among other hygiene tasks. We support older adults who experience incontinence issues and change incontinence briefs regularly to prevent a risk of infection.

Additional in-home care services include healthy meal preparation that follow the senior’s dietary restrictions, light housekeeping, and companionship. We provide timely medication reminders, which are vital when the care recipient takes antibiotics for a UTI or other drugs for various health conditions.

At Assisting Hands Home Care, each of our licensed, bonded, and insured caregivers offers high-quality, hands-on elder care. We serve BallenIsles,  Boynton Beach, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach, Singer Island, Wellington, West Palm Beach, FL  and surrounding areas with dedication. Call Assisting Hands at (561) 566-5989 to schedule a free in-home consult today to learn how senior home care can keep your elderly loved one healthy and comfortable.