Originally Posted by kingpole
It is a theory my Anatomy teacher had. I’m thinking it may actually do some good. The muscles of the pelvic floor weaken as we age. This may actually keep people out of convalescent homes longer.
Kegels can do some good for urinary incontinence. We learn to do them as children when we become potty trained, as they call it. But it’s a stretch to assume that old folks can avoid nursing homes because they become incontinent, for which God invented Depends.
The majority are sent to care facilities because they can no longer feed, bathe, dress themselves, or they become immobile, or their families feel they can no longer cope with whatever obligations old people cause them when the old folks do lose various functions, including communication.
When I was a kid (in the just-post dinosaur era :) ) families found ways to care for their old and infirm at home. “Nursing homes” were few and far between, and were dedicated to short-term rehab, only, from serious health events. You usually ended up back home, with your family.
Not now, so much.
And, of course, we have the issue of global warming. Not so easy to take Gramma out in the snow and leave her there to meet her maker when frozen, nearly solid.
Among some societal changes that are not so good is the issue of how to care for our old and infirm. Not many politicians are paying attention to this problem, even with a fast-growing population of folks who face a changed life in a changed system.
Sorry for the little rant, but you gave me an opening I could not resist.
Yes, Kegels can possibly forestall your peeing in your pants. But sometimes other things are going on that make peeing in your pants inevitable. Thank God that when I peed in mine in a drug store parking lot years ago, walking toward picking up the medication that would help my problem then, I was not put in a home. We don’t get real cold weather here, either, so that, thankfully, was not an option.