What is bowel care?
Bowel care is when support is needed for individuals living with bowel issues.
According to Bladder and Bowel UK, up to six million people in the UK experience bladder problems and urinary incontinence, which is why bowel care is essential, as it can severely impact an individual’s lifestyle, especially older adults.
Although it’s common, speaking about bowel problems can be difficult. This includes constipation, faecal incontinence, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. However, you must contact the GP if you are experiencing any problems so they can diagnose the issue and provide the right care and treatment to help maintain your bowel health.
Why is bowel care important?
We understand that seeing a loved one experiencing bowel issues can be upsetting.
This is why bowel care is essential. It allows you or a loved one to continue to live an independent and comfortable lifestyle. It is important to note that you shouldn’t deal with bowel issues yourself. Make sure you get advice from your doctor before starting your bowel care plan.
Although bowel issues can be treated, we all know prevention is the best treatment. This includes changes to your lifestyle and diet. But why is bowel care so important?
Here are a few reasons why:
Keeps pelvic muscles strong
Ensuring you empty your bowels easily can help keep the muscles that control your bowels strong and active, known as pelvic muscles. With weak pelvic muscles, leaks can occur. So, bowel care and exercising your pelvic floor can help manage your incontinence.
Improves quality of life and well-being
Experiencing bladder issues can impact how you feel emotionally and physically, which is why following through with treatment can provide a positive impact, making you feel less anxious and stressed.
Improves overall bowel health
Regular bowel movement removes waste, allowing your body to make room for new food and fluids and supply the body with essential nutrients. Plus, it can lead to fewer accidents.
Minimise risk of disease
Taking care of bowel issues can reduce the risk of diseases. If you are experiencing rectal bleeding, weight loss or loss of appetite, this could be a cancer or inflammatory bowel disease symptom. So, it is vital to treat bowel problems before they get worse.
Maintaining healthy bowels
Experiencing bowel problems has a huge impact on your lifestyle, but there are plenty of ways to maintain healthy bowels. Here are a few things that can help:
Exercise
Pelvic floor exercises are a great way to improve bladder control and strengthen the muscles to help maintain bowel health. Keeping active can also help you move your stool forward naturally. So go for a walk, swim or have a bit of a dance. Even if you exercise 10 to 15 minutes a day, it can make a difference.
Keep a healthy diet
Eat plenty of fibre foods and make sure you are eating three meals a day. While some fibre foods soften your stools, some can bulk your stools. So, it’s essential to have the right balance of foods, including pasta, rice, vegetables and fruit. Avoid snacking on sugary snacks and foods high in fat. Contact your GP before making any diet changes.
Drink plenty
Ensure you are drinking plenty of fluids, especially water. It might sound like the last thing to do, as you may think it may increase your toilet visits. In fact, this will make it worse, as drinking less can cause your urine to become more concentrated and irritate the bladder. It’s also best to avoid caffeinated drinks and limit alcohol intake.
Sit on the toilet properly
Make sure you don’t strain on the toilet. Sit properly and do not hover. Use a footstool or step under your feet. This will help lift your knees, allowing you to go to the toilet without straining. When sitting, relax, lean forward, breathe normally, and do not strain. Also, empty your bladder regularly.
Keep calm
The NHS states, “In some people, stress slows down digestion, causing bloating, pain and constipation, while in others it speeds it up, causing diarrhoea and frequent trips to the loo.” So, go to community classes, read a book and watch your favourite drama; make time for yourself.
Be positive
We understand that bowel issues can impact your mood, but it’s important to know that help and treatments are available. Remember, with bowel care, you can continue to live life the way you like without compromising your independence and routine.
Assisting with bowel care
At Helping Hands, our compassionate carers provide bowel care so you can continue to live an independent lifestyle at home with the dignity and respect you deserve.
At Helping Hands, with bowel care, we train and provide suppositories, enema and bowel irrigation as prescribed. We also deliver care on a visiting and live-in basis, and all our packages are personalised and flexible to your needs. Here’s a little more information.
Visiting care
Live-in care
Bowel care from experienced nurses
Our customers receive a variety of care services at home, including exceptional bowel care from our nurses who have years of experience under their belt.
Our nurses have experience working within the NHS and other sectors, so you can have complete confidence that you’ll be in good hands. Our clinical nurses work with our carers to ensure we provide the proper care for our customers living with bowel issues.
Our compassionate care team can help with:
Bowel Care FAQ
The common bowel issues include constipation, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, haemorrhoids and anal incontinence. If you are having any bowel issues, contact your GP so they can diagnose the condition and get treatment started immediately.
This can be due to being inactive. The older we get, the less active some of us become and staying active helps with digesting foods. It can also be due to lifestyle choices, including what we eat and our fluid intake.
At Helping Hands, our nurses will work closely with you to ensure you get the right support. They will keep an eye on your bowel health and assess your needs. So, they will see which foods may or may not suit you or ensure you are drinking plenty. They will also work with our carers to ensure they maintain your personal hygiene, change incontinence pads, encourage you to stay active, and do pelvic floor exercises.
Contact our friendly customer care team via phone or online. They are available seven days a week and will answer any questions about our bowel care services. Alternatively, if you’d like to speak to a member of our care team in person, pop into our local branch.