If your loved one has Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), he might not like going on trips or out to places to visit and enjoy because of his fear of his symptoms kicking in and wreaking havoc with not only his bowels but his day. You might notice he finds excuses to not go places or travel due to these fears. He might not even want to go on a walk with his elder care provider or watch a movie in a theater. And while IBS cannot be cured, the symptoms can be reduced with a little proactivity and he might find he can find the courage to travel if he makes preparations beforehand.

Here are some ways your loved one can still enjoy going on outings when he has IBS:

• Know where the bathrooms are. As soon as you enter a new environment, help your loved one know where the bathrooms are located in case he needs to get to one quickly. Your elder care provider can walk him to the bathroom so he knows the path or show him on a map.
• Keep visits short. Planning a shorter visit somewhere can reduce the risk of symptoms flaring up and causing stress and discomfort.
• Check the menus online. If your loved one is going out to eat, or having a meal is a part of the event he’s attending, help him check out menus online before he attends. If his elder care provider can find a menu for him to review, he can look for things that might trigger his IBS and be prepared to avoid them. It can also provide a snapshot into how much he can eat and if maybe he should eat beforehand if there’s not a lot on the menu he can enjoy. Remind your loved one that if he is going to a nice sit-down restaurant, he can also often ask for modifications to be made to a meal so that triggering foods are taken out of a dish.
• Bring along “survival gear.” Your loved one doesn’t want the worst to happen, but if he has an attack of his symptoms and can’t get to the bathroom on time, it’s helpful to have some backup items on hand, especially if the event he’s at is far from home. Bring extra underwear and slacks to keep in the vehicle just in case. You might find wet wipes and hand sanitizer are also helpful if a larger clean-up is needed.
• Stay calm. Stress often exacerbates symptoms, making an episode more likely. Have your loved one learn how to stay calm and reduce his anxiety when he’s out. Maybe it’s practicing some mindfulness or deep breathing.

Finally, make sure to let whoever is going with your loved one, whether it’s a family member or someone from his elder care team, know about your loved one’s condition and the need to take his request seriously to get to a bathroom quickly. Having a supportive person at the event with him will increase his comfort level to attend.

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Little Elm, TX, please contact the caring staff at Clear Path Home Care today. Call 817-928-5788

Clear Path Home Care provides compassionate, high quality home care in Denton County, Montague County, Cooke County, Grayson County, Fannin County, Lamar County, Wise County, Collin County, Hunt County, Delta County, and Hopkins County in Texas.

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Clear Path Home Care Staff

Staff at Clear Path Home Care

Clear Path Home Care offers a unique Total Care Management system to optimize each client’s happiness and wellbeing utilizing our carefully vetted Senior Advisory team. We provide coordination between families and all aspects of elder care needs, which may include Home Health, Hospice, Physicians, Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, or Assisted Living Facilities. Personal care consists of help with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, and transferring.

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