In 2010 social care is in crisis and in need of urgent reform. The main carers’ benefit is worth just £1.52 an hour, well short of the minimum wage of £5.73. (and even less than that if you’re retired, disabled or on a low income).

Carers are paying a heavy price – no money, no breaks, many forced to give up work and a constant battle for support. Some are pushed to the point of collapse.

The government has invested in carers’ breaks and other support for carers. But this falls far short of the action needed now if it is to make good on its promise that by 2018 carers will have a life of their own and not be forced into financial hardship.

Tell the next government it’s time to support carers by signing the letter to the next Prime Minister here.

A few days ago we brought you the news that Whoopi Goldberg would be starring in a series of webisodes to inform and help women experiencing light-bladder-leakage (stress urinary incontinence).

Today we bring you the first of these webisodes with Whoopi dressed as Mona Lisa. The former Golden Globe winner deals with this serious matter that affects 1 in 3 women in a fun way that hopefully will incite women experiencing LBL (light bladder leakage) to go and see a doctor or at least talk to someone about it.

Comedian and movie star Whoopi Goldberg has played many roles in her acting life but her latest perhaps is the most daring and touching of them all.

The star of Sister Act 1 and 2 will be the new face and voice of an American incontinence product manufacturer. Whoopi Goldberg will star in a series of webisodes that will talk about incontinence products and incontinence itself.

In the video below Whoopi talks to Missy Lavender, founder of the Women’s Health Foundation, about light bladder leakage or as Whoopi calls it the “sprits”. You can also see a preview of the webisodes that will be online soon.

For the first time, it will be possible for an unpaid carer looking after a loved one to build up a full basic State Pension based entirely on National Insurance credits. The Department for Work and Pensions and Carers UK are calling on the 4.7 million carers across the country to find out if they could benefit.

April 2010 will see the introduction of the new Carer’s Credit that will count towards their basic and second State Pension. People may not recognise the help they give unpaid to a disabled, ill or family member as caring but today they are being encouraged to come forward if they are looking after someone for at least twenty hours a week.

Minister of State for Pensions and Ageing Society Angela Eagle said: “We want people to tell us if they, or people they know, are looking after somebody for more than 20 hours a week so they benefit from this change. The State Pension is everyone’s foundation of financial security in later life and therefore, it’s only right that caring for others should be counted towards it.”

The natural focus for most carers is to meet the immediate needs of their loved one rather than on planning their own financial future. Results by the Ipsos MORI survey found less than one in five of the carers (19%) pay regularly into savings and only one in seven felt they had a comfortable amount put aside for the future. It also revealed almost half (46%) the carers it questioned are worried about their financial future and just over a third (36%)have dipped into savings as a result of caring.

Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive of Carers UK said: “We know saving for your retirement years won’t be your priority when you suddenly find yourself caring for a loved one. But there are simple steps you can take to secure your State Pension that will protect your long-term future as you care for others.”

If you are caring for someone for 20 hours or more a week you could get the new Carer’s Credit that will count towards your State Pension. Find out if you qualify by visiting www.direct.gov.uk/pensions or by calling 0800 678 1132.

Source: Carers UK

American and Canadian researchers are conducting a study that could bring an end to millions of men and women across the globe suffering from incontinence.

For the past 2 years researchers from the University of Toronto, William Hospital in Michigan and now from the Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, are experimenting with a new technique that implants the patients own stem cell into the bladder muscle to prevent urinary incontinence episodes.

The stem cells are harvested from a muscle in the tight, these cells are then reproduced in a lab and then injected into the bladder muscle, where they will regenerate and repair the damaged muscle.

Urologists believe the procedure eventually could be used to repair other damaged muscles in the body.

Dr. Melissa Kaufman, assistant professor of urologic surgery at the Vanderbilt University said:

“This is an enormous public health problem that has been put in the shadow for so long. It is a delicate issue and it has been thought of as a normal part of aging, but it can be treated.”

It is to early to jump into conclusions but early results are proving to be very promising and Dr. Michael Chancellor from the Beaumont Hospital in Toronto, started researching this procedure about 10 years ago and stated that 2/3 of the patients saw an improvement greater than 50% and he estimates that another 3 more years will be needed before the FDS approves the procedure.

Those who deal with sudden losses of bladder control usually have more than a challenging time attempting to sleep at night due to the number of trips to the toilet at night. Losing control of one’s bladder often impinges on other areas of life; particularly public recreation sufferers become less comfortable in social situations with time and commonly recourse from society because of they feel a sense of shame because of their condition.

If you suspect yourself that you’re encountering lapses in bladder control, there are certain means you can take in order to treat it. Ordinarily, loss of bladder control is continually triggered by multiple internal factors which may be pushed out of your lifestyle, with relative ease. The solution for shaky bladder control usually requires certain lifestyle changes. Here’s a couple of straightforward tips to help curb the problem.

Steer clear of excess coffee, carbonated liquid (like soda) and alcohol consumption. Caffeine addicts who experience positive symptoms of urinary incontinence should cut down their coffee habits significant since it will exacerbate the condition without fail. And – if possible – avoid drinking coffee altogether because it’s the caffeine which acts as a diuretic that worsens the condition – carbonated beverages and alcoholic drinks can similarly cause a diuretic effect. Add to that, the proven link between coffee and bladder muscle contractions which can, additionally, augment how frequently one urinates.

That said we wouldn’t recommend decreasing your overall water intake. It’s often assumed – quite mistakenly – that decreasing the amount of water you drink invariably prevents loss of bladder control. Inversely, that drinking loads of water encourages incontinence. This is simply a myth. The consumption of water is important for maintaining a healthy body – period. Not drinking water leads to being dehydrated – or on the brink of dehydration – and you should therefore not decrease your water intake ever. We’d recommend drinking a minimum of eight small-to-medium glasses of water every day. This is more a general health tip, if anything. It just happens to be extremely relevant to the issue of taking control of your bladder.

Having a baby is one of the most magic moments a woman can experience in her life. After birth women experience a few unpleasant changes to her body like soreness and incontinence. These changes are in most cases reversible.

Recent studies revealed that by combining Perineal Massages and Kegel exercises – pelvic floor exercises – risks of urinary incontinence are reduced considerably.

To perform Kegel or Pelvic floor exercises first locate your urinary sphincter (muscle that controls urine flow). To do that sit on the toilet with knees as far apart as possible.  Start and stop the flow of urine. The muscle you use to stop the flow is the one you will be working on in the exercises. (Note: Stopping urine flow is not part of the exercise routine)

Now that you identified the muscle tighten it and hold it for 4 seconds and then relax it for another 4 seconds, this is one Kegel. Do 10 to 15 Kegels, 2 to 3 times each day. Kegel exercises can be performed during and after pregnancy.

Recently another technique that is proving to be quite effective to prevent incontinence during and after childbirth is Perineal massage, this technique is used to stretch the tissues around the vaginal opening weeks before delivery.

To perform Perineal Massages first wash your hands and apply lubricant to the area (vagina). Then place your thumbs about 1 to 1 1/2 inches inside your vagina. Pressing downward, gently stretch until you feel a slight burning or tingling sensation. Hold the pressure for about two minutes or until the tissue begins to feel numb. Repeat this towards the right side of the vagina for two more minutes and then to the left. Perform this technique daily starting at 34 weeks of pregnancy.

We would love to hear your feedback on these techniques and how effective they are to each one of you. So please share your results via our comments section.

Researchers have found that urinary incontinence is more common in caucasian women than in Asian and black women.

Researchers have calculated incidence rates of urinary incontinence by frequency and type in Asian, black, and caucasian women in the US using data from a four year study of 76,724 participants aged 37-79 years.

They found that incontinence was more common in caucasian women compared with Asian and black women.

The reseachers suggest further studies to confirm these results and identify the underlying reasons for these differences.

Source: Nursing Times

Uncomfortable symptoms and menopause are known to go hand in hand. One symptom often credited to menopause is incontinence. However, menopause may not have much – if anything – to do with a person’s incontinence.

If you’ve started to release urine unexpectedly and for no apparent reason you may have either urge incontinence or an overactive bladder. If urine leaks when you laugh, sneeze, cough or any other action that causes internal strain around the abdominal area, then you may have stress incontinence.

Urine leaks are often seen as symptomatic of menopause, genetic make-up and a person’s age are often more accurate indicators of whether a woman will develop urinary incontinence. Being overweight and childbirth (particularly from vaginal deliveries) may be more decisive factors that increase the risk. Mark Walters MD comments that: “Menopause may just aggravate a situation that would have started anyway, but it isn’t the root cause”. Walters – who is head of urogynecology at Cleveland Clinic Foundation – strongly advocates having a physical exam conducted by a doctor and preparing a (if you like) “bladder diary” in the week leading up to your appointment – noting the time and amounts you urinate in that time.

The only way to be sure of the extent to which menopause is causing urine leaks is to make this consultation. Although many are hesitant, the reality is that doctors train to understand and deal with incontinence in women and can determine the appropriate treatment – which is, more often than not, harmless and straightforward internal exercises (known as kegal exercises) and following simple guidelines such as avoiding alcohol consumption.

Hypnosis has been traditionally used to emotional and psychological issues and can help to master state control – i.e. how a person feels within themselves – which is something that people would ordinarily say is out of a person’s immediate control. Hypnosis is also traditionally transmitted onto a person by someone who is well practiced in hypnosis. But there is an emerging process of self-hypnosis, whereby people can use the rules of hypnosis to affect positive and healthy changes in one’s self.

Advocates of self hypnosis describe it as an empowering tool that involves no withdrawal or sedation, prescriptive medication or patches or gum. In sum; hypnosis is both harmless and can be used to deal with conditions such as incontinence that have a psychological element to it.

A misconception about incontinence is that it’s a disease when it’s actually more of a symptom – the stimulus, of which, can be many things ranging from serious illnesses such as multiple sclerosis to a stark case of having a weak pelvic floor muscles. However, that’s not to say incontinence should not be treated directly. In either case, not asserting the incontinence itself can lead to tract and vaginal infections or irritations. Luckily hypnosis has been a proven method for controlling one’s bladder and sphincter muscles and thus, a route back to continence.

So what exactly is self-hypnosis and how does it work? Well, in essence, hypnosis (self directed or externally directed) is a process of accessing subconscious thought and directing it to support an internal goal. It’s rather like finding a holiday spot – a relaxing, safe place – in your mind that you want to be able to visit at will. Tapping into this peaceful state, bringing it to life with imagination, helps the mind to develop unnatural, immersive focus. With this ability, it’s possible to direct what some may call psychic energy towards retaining control of pelvic, bladder, or urinary sphincter muscles.

Many people have achieved continence through self hypnosis. There is little need to be ashamed if you have incontinence because many people suffer from this condition. You should consult your doctor for accurate diagnosis and a proper treatment plan.

We want to hear from you now. Would you try self hypnosis as an alternative treatment for incontinence?