Life today in dementia land, incontinence questions.
Hey, everyone!
Today in Dementia Land (My mother is in stage 6+), my husband did the visit to my mother (she's in Memory Care), while I baked for Thanksgiving.
Although he's usually nose-blind to smells, he noticed that her room REEKED of urine. He spoke to one of the caregivers, and they said that they would take care of cleaning her up. Mom was sleeping when my husband came in. She had no idea about the urine she was laying in. This was the first time that we've seen this issue for ourselves. She has been wearing regular ladies' underwear for this past year.
Back before my mother graduated from Hospice a year ago, Hospice supplied the Depends (which she didn't actually need, so the boxes just piled up).
Here are my questions:
1. For your LO, was incontinence linear, and it kept up? Or, did it appear periodically?
2. Anyone have a LO qualify for hospice by the addition of Incontinence? Mom's dementia wasn't enough for her to stay under their service. (She had come into MC VERY underweight and qualified. She gained back enough weight for them to discharge her.)
3. Anyone have success with Amazon's "Amazon Basics Unisex Protective Underwear, Overnight Absorbency" They're Amazon's version of Depends.
Thank you!
Yep. This is new to us. I'll request a test for a UTI. Thanks!
OF COURSE, when I went in to Mom's MC today, the caregivers were not given any instruction on what happened yesterday.
They haven't sent me a new Care Plan, either, as promised.
One of the Caregivers that I trust told me where to place the Depends, as well as where to put them in her closet, so that my mother wouldn't see the bag and throw it out, like she does everything else that I bring into her room.
On Dec. 4, it will be four years since my mother moved to Memory Care. I am soooo weary of this journey.
Thanks for listening.
But I do think that replacing all her regular underwear with disposable is a good idea.
It is more absorbent than other underwear so even if she is not incontinent any dribbles will be absorbed and not remain close to her skin.
They also contain odors much more effectively than regular underwear.
And if she is becoming incontinent then fecal incontinence is not far behind (no pun intended)
As to your Hospice question. have her evaluated for Hospice. It does not cost anything for the evaluation and I am a firm believer that the sooner you can get on Hospice the better. She will have more personalized care with the Hospice Team and they will keep and eye on her and will watch for other declines.
Incontinence is a decline that they may consider.
Other declines are eating less, walking less, sleeping more, unable to do things she was able to do recently, talking less and there are many more.
So Mom is in Memory Care? And typically hasn't been so incontinent?
I think if this is NEW I would give a call to memory care, ask them to place hat in toilet, get a specimen and check for cloudiness, odor, and do a dipstick for nitrites, leukocytes and blood in urine. She might have an infection if this isn't typical. She might need a urinalysis. You can buy these over the counter after Thanksgiving feast, if you like. They are cheap.
Otherwise you are looking at a progression to chronic incontinence. And I think that the MC should have ideas about what works best for that.
They may now be short staffed as well.
Check with them after Thanksgiving.
Hope you'll update us how mom's doing.