Urinary Tract Infections In The Elderly

With many years of caregiving experience, in a personal and professional mode, I have decided that  Urinary Tract Infections, also known as UTI or Bladder Infection, can wreak havoc on the elderly and especially the caregiver.  

Because the symptoms of a UTI can mimic so many other things, it often gets overlooked as the problem. 

The symptoms of a bladder infection, also known as a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) include:

• Cloudy or bloody urine, which may have a foul or strong odor
• Low fever (not everyone will have a fever)
• Pain or burning with urination
• Pressure or cramping in the lower abdomen (usually middle) or back
• Strong need to urinate often, even right after the bladder has been emptied

If the infection spreads to your kidneys, symptoms may include:

• Chills and shaking or night sweats
• Fatigue and a general ill feeling
• Fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit
• Flank side, back, or groin pain
• Flushed, warm, or reddened skin
• Mental changes or confusion (in the elderly, these symptoms often are the only signs of a UTI)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Severe abdominal pain (sometimes)

Experiencing mental changes in the elderly is so often thought to be related to Alzheimer's, dementia or just age related memory loss but  when the changes occur so quickly, caregivers should consider a Urinary Analysis (UA)  to either prove or eliminate the chances of a UTI.

What steps can we take to reduce the chance of a UTI? First and foremost...DRINK WATER!!!! The recommendation is eight 8 ounce glasses of water each day.  Many of the elderly, and not so elderly, choose to drink other items such as coffee, soda and tea (all of which are known diuretics, robbing our body of valuable water) or simply forget to drink enough water.  While being a caregiver for my Grandfather, I found that having an insulated 32 ounce mug available helped him keep track of how much he had drank that day.  His goal was to empty it at least once.  He would mix Crystal Light in with his water which made it much more enjoyable for him. Getting just that 32 ounces in him was more than he was taking in without the mug.

Another vital step in preventing UTI's is good hygiene.  This includes bathing/showering, the cleansing process when toileting and, if your loved one is incontinent and wearing briefs, keeping the area clean and dry.  I recently provided cares for a beautiful senior in an assisted facility and came across the most amazing thing!  Her family had installed a Bidet. For those in the caregiving world, this is a magical device that provides a cleansing stream of water, on demand, to cleanse the buttocks and genital area. This was genius in my book and when I went home that evening I had to do some research and find out how technical it would be to install as well as how much it could cost.  Good news!!! The local Home Depot has the exact model my sweet friend had for about $50. If you can handle a wrench, you could probably install this.

If you have done everything you can do to prevent a UTI and still find after a UA that a UTI is indeed what you are dealing with, a round of antibiotics will usually fix the problem.