Hi, looking for advice on a toileting issue. I'm the caregiver of my 80 year old mom (mid stage Alzheimer) who is going to need help in the bathroom soon. She's had 2 UTI's in the last 3 months.
She goes to the bathroom between 20-30 times a day. She's been checked by a urologist and he said physically she is fine so I know the constant need to go is related to the dementia and her inability to do things on her own. I also think part of it is boredom and using the bathroom is something she still knows how to do. I've tried engaging her in activities at home but she's not interested (she does attend senior daycare 12 hours a week and I take her out daily to run errands).
When at home she wanders the house aimlessly, stopping to go to the bathroom. I have no problem helping her with bathroom hygiene but not 20 plus times a day. Do I lock the bathrooms (suggestions welcome on a convenient way to do this!) and put her on a toileting schedule?
https://www.verywellhealth.com/coping-with-obsessive-compulsive-behavior-97616
Best of luck!
One question is, does she demonstrate the same pattern at day care? I don't know that locking the bathroom door will help; she will probably just bang on the door. I doubt you can put her on a schedule; it is her broken brain that is driving this behavior. It may be that as she moves to another stage, this will diminish. For my MIL, finally after the non-stop getting up, even in the middle of the night, and refusing to learn to use a walker, she fell, and broke her hip. She is incontinent and still does ask, even in the diapers she is wearing, but it is much less.
thank you.
It gets worse! Sorry🙁
My Mom had 8 UTI’s for 8 consecutive months! It really does a number on their brains with the confusion, balance & MOOD SWINGS! Very STRESSFUL!! Suggest to your urologist to start a UTI PREVENTION!
Nip it in the bud, NOW...for YOUR sake as well as for your Mom’s. How can the urologist tell you everything’s normal when she’s having UTI’s?! I believe the frequency of urinating is a symptom of UTI.
Anyway My Mom’s urologist put her on a 6 month anti-biotic program.
METHENAMINE 1 GM TABS. 1 tab twice daily. She is month 3 & we have an appt. w/ urologist Friday. No UTI’s so far!
Start there before moving forward on a schedule which in itself sounds like an impossibility w/ someone w/ Alzheimer or dementia.
Good Luck.🙏🏽
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