Personal Care at Home: Senior UTI Symptoms Caregivers Should Know

Seniors often get urinary tract infections, or UTIs. Those who have certain medical conditions or incontinency can be more prone to getting these types of infections. Not going to the bathroom as often as they should and not practicing good hygiene can also trigger this infection. Personal care at home can help seniors avoid UTIs. With personal care at home, seniors are able to maintain their hygiene and their dignity in a way that keeps them healthy and happy at home.

UTIs: Personal Care at Home Reston VA

Some of the symptoms of UTIs in seniors are the same symptoms as UTIs in younger people, like frequent urination. But seniors can also have symptoms that family members may not realize are due to UTIs. Here are some of the symptoms of a UTI that you should watch for in a senior loved one.

Confusion

If your senior parent seems more confused than normal, or if they are having trouble staying engaged in a conversation, or if they are not making sense when they are talking that can be very alarming. But it could just be due to a UTI. For many family caregivers the first sign of a UTI that they notice in a senior parent is that their parent seems confused or is not able to follow a conversation as well as they usually can.

Falls

Falls can happen to a senior at any time, but if your senior loved one is falling frequently or seems dizzy or unsteady on their feet when they usually have very good balance that can be a symptom of a UTI. Anytime your senior parent seems to be experiencing dizziness or almost falls more than usual, they should be checked out by a doctor just to make sure there is nothing serious wrong.

Aggression

If your senior parent is normally very easy going and laid back but they suddenly seem angry, combative, or aggressive and that’s out of character for them it could be due to a UTI. This is a symptom that often appears in seniors who have Alzheimer’s or dementia when they have a UTI. Because they are not able to describe their symptoms and they may be experiencing pain or other symptoms that they can’t vocalize, they may become aggressive or angry. If your senior loved one has a personality change the problem could be a UTI.

Fatigue or Lethargy

Fatigue and lethargy by themselves could be indicators of many different medical issues in seniors. Sometimes seniors just have fatigue because they are aging. But if you notice that your senior parent has excessive fatigue or lethargy in addition to some of the other symptoms described here then your senior loved one could have a UTI. A simple test can diagnose a UTI and the usual treatment of antibiotics can clear up the infection quickly. However, an untreated UTI can lead to serious health problems or complications of existing health problems. If you suspect your senior parent has a UTI don’t wait to get them to a doctor to find out for sure.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Personal Care at Home in Reston, VA please contact the caring staff at Butters Home Health Care today. (703) 371-2113