Q: How do I talk to my father about his bladder control problem? It’s a sensitive subject but one that needs to be addressed.
A: I am not a physician. You need to get your dad to a physician as soon as you can and into a treatment program that can help him resolve this personal and embarrassing challenge.
Your dad is not alone. Those in the know estimate that one in five seniors living in Canada carry some form of challenge with bladder control. It is called urinary incontinence.
Read Also
Nutritious pork packed with vitamins, essential minerals
Recipes for pork
Usually it is more likely the symptom of other problems, which is why you want to get your dad to a physician. Once those other problems get resolved, the odds are favourable that your dad will work through his bladder control.
Encouraging your dad to get support may not be difficult. He has the desire and the ability to look after himself and he is competent, as he cooks, cleans and looks after his personal affairs with little help. That is great.
All that you are doing is asking him to take one more step — admit that he is having a problem with his bladder and get medical support.
Once he is working with his doctor, he must make sure he is eating properly, exercising daily and getting out to have fun with his neighbours now and then.
The healthier his lifestyle, the more likely it is that his physician can give him the guidance he needs to get through this thing.
The sooner your dad gets help, the better. The longer he waits, the worse it will get, and before long, that man who exemplified self-love and pride could start to fall apart. I am sure that none of you want that.
Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor from Saskatchewan. Contact: jandrews@producer.com.
