I realize this is a very embarrassing situation but one that we are very frustrated with. We are concerned that our mother will get an infection or give the rest of the family an infection because of her bathroom habits. We have already gone into the bathroom after her only to find feces smeared on the toilet from her digging herself out. We have tried talking to her about this many times but her short term memory is gone and she continues to do what she wants.
She is on stool softeners, we try to get her to take in more liquids, she doesn't eat very well, is on Coumadin (have to watch the vit K foods). She craves sweets and we find her up very early in the morning eating gumdrops and candy.
We have talked to the doctor about this nasty habit without much luck on what to do to get her to stop. He told us to give her Miralax which we do.
All suggestions appreciated.
I know of 2 people personally, who had to hire professional cleaners to come in and clean their bathrooms due to the dementia patients messing it up with their feces. All over the walls, floor, sink, etc. Apparently, there is some kind of a compulsion and the patient is not aware of the issues and/or cannot prevent themselves from doing it.
Regardless though, I would restrict her going into the bathroom by herself. That way someone can attend to her needs appropriately and get her help, if needed, for her digestive problems. You may need to independently verify, what is going on so you can confirm it to the doctor.
We can't over medicate her in the laxative dept or now you are dealing with another problem.
This lady is set in her ways and will become very argumentive if she is pushed. She is obsessed with lights being on, wants to sit in the dark all the time, is a hoarder, the house is a mess! Very disturbing for all of us to go there for a visit. I tried cleaning up after her but she just drags out more stuff to the area you just cleaned.
If she actually can't go then there are countless threads dealing with constipation, even others with your same issue. You can see what others have had to say by using the site search box on the upper right.