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Dementia & Alzheimer's
Toilet accidents
tomboytown · 14/10/2019 11:48
My uncle is only 70 and has Alzheimer’s. He has no kids, we’re his kids.
He is physically very well and strong, he lives in his own apartment and we have organised his care between the family and carers and a day centre (which he loves)
He has an amazing spirit, fortunately still very cheery, despite not remembering anything from the last 2 seconds.
Recently he’s had a few wiping issues, not really accidents, but this morning a major clean up was required, so I’m not sure if we’re moving into new territory.
Fortunately we managed it with laughter, but it took a lot of time and patience.
Can anyone advise how they deal with this?
I mean how do you physically wipe them?!
We’ve looked at the local homes in anticipation of the next stage but his own home is preferable for as long as possible
ClientListQueen · 14/10/2019 11:52
Incontinence pads
Wipe with loo roll then wipes or wet flannel if needed and keep an eye out for sore patches
tomboytown · 14/10/2019 12:08
So would they literally work like nappies? You pull them away and it’s full?
He’d just take them out and God knows what he’d do with them. There isn’t someone there all the time. I feel like if we move to incontinence pads he would have to have someone there all the time.
It’s the wiping i struggled with
I was following him around the bathroom!
I think this morning he just had upset tummy, he still makes it to the toilet. It’s not like there’s a full poo in his undies, just skid marks
God this is gross to talk about.
If this is the start of proper incontinence it’s really not fair, physically he’s great.
ClientListQueen · 14/10/2019 12:50
Yeah exactly like nappies. Get him to stand and hold something like the sink so he's standing still, that's probably the easiest way or distraction like getting him to hold the toilet paper or something similar
If he isn't wiping properly then look at wipes but make sure they're not flushed
The caters should be able to help with advice
Windygate · 14/10/2019 13:04
We have this problem occasionally with DM. If she has a wobbly tum her wiping adequately can be tricky. The carers check in the mornings when they help with washing etc. We also use a barrier cream called Cavilon, I'm sure there others but Community Nurse gave us this one so we've stuck with it.
Ask for a referral to Continence Services they have lots of handy tips and advice, they can also supply pads etc if required.
You can get large size wipes but we manage with baby wipes and bin them. Also have a huge stack of flannels that are just for nether regions. I hot wash them with body towels (face flannels and hand towels separate) its a bit of a faff but it minimises infection and landfill waste.
MereDintofPandiculation · 18/10/2019 09:00
If it's just skid marks, it sounds like a wiping issue not an incontinence issue. You don't need to go to pads just yet. If he's still making it to the toilet despite a stomach upset, then he's still in control. If he's normally regular with evacuation, then a carer to help wash/clean after his normal evacuation time should be sufficient.
For the future - if you think he'd just take pads out, you can also get incontinence pants. A bit of a faff because changing them means also taking trousers off, but they may feel more comfortable and they'd certainly be more difficult for him to take off.
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