Having problems going to the toilet
Many people have urinary incontinence - bladder problems. Some estimates suggest it affects one in four older people. Although not as common, a lot of people are also affected by faecal incontinence - bowel problems.
What you can do for yourself
If you have continence problems, then you should contact your doctor. Although it can be embarrassing, there are some simple solutions which may help you regain control.
For example, for urinary incontinence, your doctor may advise:
- cutting down how much tea and coffee you drink
- changing the amount you drink
- losing weight, if you are overweight
- exercises to strengthen your bladder muscles
Your doctor can advise further or refer you to the NHS's continence team.
The Bladder and Bowel Foundation can give you more advice. You can also call the confidential support line on 0845 345 0165.
The NHS also produces useful information about dealing with incontinence.
If you have some tips that help you with this, let us know and we can publish them here.
Continence products
Promocon, part of Disabled Living can advise about the best continence products for you. You can telephone between 9.00am and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday on 0161 607 8219 or email promocon@disabledliving.co.uk.
You can also get advice from Ricability's 'Choosing products for bladder and bowel control' report.
Out and about
You may need the toilet when you're out and about, and we've put together a list of the acccessible toilets that we know about. Levels of accessibility vary a lot, so check that you would be able to use them. Some accessible toilets need a special RADAR key to open them - available for £3.45 from Burrows House or Unity House.
Getting on and off the toilet
Helpful equipment is available from mobility shops, high street stores, mail order and internet catalogues and from our equipment store. Such equipment includes:
- Raised toilet seats - these raise the toilet height by between two and four inches, to make it easier to stand up and sit down
- Hand rails - these can be installed on the wall at the side of the toilet to help you pull yourself up. Don't pull yourself up using your wash basin
- Frames around the toilet - these allow you to push up with both hands
You can also order commodes and urine bottles directly from our disability service. There is no charge for these and we can deliver them.
What we can do
If you want more advice or you feel that you need more support, use our online enquiry form or contact us. We may be able to assess your situation and discuss the type of support you need.
This page was last updated on 27 October 2011
