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Dementia and Alzheimer's

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DM with dementia and incontinence. Any advice?

6 replies

Neolara · 30/04/2022 20:09

My DM has late stage dementia. She has gone rapidly downhill in the last 3 months. She is still very mobile but has absolutely no idea what is going on, can't hold a conversation and is often withdrawn. She is also now incontinent most of the time. She is sufficiently aware of what is going on to become very agitated when she has wet herself and she rubs her legs rapidly and repetitively. However, it is increasing difficult to get her changed. She becomes angry, tells you to go away and pushes. It's like dealing with a very stroppy adult sized toddler. She doesn't really understand what's going on other than something feels horrid. She point blank refuses to put on disposable continence pants and takes out pads within minutes. She will wear Modibodi pants, but they are pretty ineffective. It's very difficult to get her to sit on the loo and if she does, she almost never wees in it.

Usually my dad has to cope with this as I live 2 hours away. I was there today and it took me 30 mins to persuade her to get changed and she was wet again ,30 mins later. That time, she just point blank refused to change.

It's very, very stressful for my 84yo Dad. I wondered if anyone had any ideas at all about what to try. Dad had spoken to the Admiralty nurse last year who didn't seem to have any ideas at all. This seems to be the thing that's tipping me Dad over the edge in being able to cope.

OP posts:
CMOTDibbler · 30/04/2022 20:16

I found my mum reusable incontinence pants which were designed for a full bladder wee wheras the Modibodi ones are intended just for a leak - it was ones like these. Dad did have to take her to the loo on a schedule which was fixed to get her to go at all, but these worked well.

Neolara · 01/05/2022 08:59

Thank you. I've ordered some pants from that site.

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 02/05/2022 09:50

If your DF is struggling, has he had a recent Carer's Assessment @Neolara?

crimsonlake · 02/05/2022 10:00

Surely at your mothers advanced stage of dementia your elderly father should not be having to cope with this? I work within dementia services, but not as a carer and see residents and service users with the same issues as your mother. It takes at least two carers to toilet them so I cannot imagine how your father is dealing with this.
Has your mother been assessed by social services? Is there a dementia day centre that she can at least go to? This cannot go on.

Neolara · 02/05/2022 13:27

My DM was assessed last year by social services. Because my parents are relatively wealthy, at that point social services appeared to wash their hands of them. My dad is now trying to employ carers himself. He has been trying to find live in carers but this is proving tricky. At the moment, he has a number of different carers coming in for several hours a day. Basically, mum has to be watched constantly or she does things like empty out the rubbish bin all over the floor. We've started to look for care homes as even with one other person around, things are proving very difficult. The dementia day care she attended once a week kicked her out just before Xmas as her needs are now too great. It's a pretty terrible situation all round really.

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 02/05/2022 17:00

That does sound untenable.

Have you had a look at any of the local care homes?

We looked not only at the official reports but also at reviews. DM is in a very caring one but it's not got things like a Gin Bar (she wouldn't use it anyway).

In your situation id perhaps give the Admiral Nurses to see if they have any suggestions and look at booking DM into a local care home for a month to give your DF a break and give you time to plan for the future care Flowers

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