Incontinence is quite common and a normal part of ageing. But the need to wear a diaper for senior citizens can often be devastating for your loved one’s dignity. This is why it is often next to impossible for many to convince their elderly family member to wear an incontinence brief. What they need is some logical reasoning, help, a lot of understanding and patience from your end in this matter. Here are some tips that you can use to convince your loved one to use adult diapers.

Deal with their Denial

Often senior individuals stay in denial about their condition of incontinence. This can be due to multiple reasons like embarrassment, pride or ageism and so do not like to face the reality. Hence, the first step towards convincing an elderly person to use adult pant-style diapers is addressing their denial head-on. If they protest saying that it is not that frequent which may require them to wear a diaper all day, you must point out that it does happen even if too infrequently. This is why it is necessary that they wear a diaper to protect themselves against leakage, save themselves from public humiliation and for their peace of mind.

Use Appropriate Euphemisms

The word ‘diaper’ is most commonly associated with babies who are incapable of taking care of themselves. If you use the same word for your grown-up parents who once took care of you as a child, it is surely going to hurt their feelings. This is why it is crucial to use age-appropriate terms like disposable briefs, incontinence underwear, or disposable pants instead of pant-style diapers.

Determine the Cause of Incontinence

If you are caring for an elderly person who has little or no control over their bladder or bowel movement, you need to first check for its underlying cause. Incontinence commonly occurs due to advancing age but there are some medical conditions which also lead to its occurrence. Conditions like stroke, diabetes, dementia, UTI, enlarged prostate etc can lead to incontinence. While this too can be managed using adult diaper pants, it is obviously important to also treat the causative issue.

Ask for Help from a Trusted Friend or Doctor

Older people are usually as stubborn as little children. They will seldom agree to do anything that they do not wish to if you, a younger individual, will tell them to. So, if you do want them to wear diapers for senior citizens you will need all the help that you can get. Seek the aid of a common family friend or a doctor. If an outsider, whom they respect, would tell them of the benefits of wearing a diaper, they are surely going to listen and comply.

Give Them Time to Process it

Even though it may not seem like much to you, wearing an adult pant-style diaper is a whole new way of living life for your elderly parents. Hence, give them enough time and space to process this change and adjust to the new lifestyle. They may get emotional, display random outbursts or feel embarrassed at times. So, you need to be prepared for this and always be patient. Try to be motivating and cheerful throughout this time.

Takeaway

It may not be an easy task to convince an elderly person to wear a diaper for senior citizens, but it is surely possible. By taking these careful steps, you can help your loved one stay protected from leakages without them feeling embarrassed about using diapers. It is all a matter of patience, care and understanding.