divvi - what's a poor girl to do? On Thursday we had to drive 100 miles to Hank's appointment at the Alzheimer's and Aging Institute. I didn't give him anything to drink before we left since he can no longer use the 'jar in the car' and there is no easy place to stop en route. I also think all that water just goes in to urine! We see the urologist next Tuesday to address that. Usually when he gets up at night he gets up, goes back to bed, and immediately gets up several times to void. Whatever, I will get some of the suggested supplies on hand in case we have this happen again.
i powder my DH with the depends as the plastics and chemicals in them cause him to get 'rash' if he gets sweaty or any humidity. i can also say that if you dont promptly change the depends after urinating it can be the cause of horrible fungal infections. we have meds to counter act this as well just in case it happens again. its always something to deal with, divvi briegull, i have heard that powder in females can lead to some infections but have no docs to back that up. divvi
Ah, frand, been where you are more times that I wish to remember. There is a prescription strength stool softener that I gave my husband..I think it was Lactulose. It helped most of the time, but once in a while he would get blocked up and I had to put on the rubber glove and go for "it". He also experienced a hospitalization because of a bowel obstruction and I was determined we would never deal with that again.
You are doing everything you can and sometimes things just don't work the way the used to....
Sandi - Thanks! I wasn't even in the bathroom monitoring process a month ago and I've already graduated to this! Do we get a degree - what would it be called? (My Mom was organist of our church and had her name with BM after it. Of course that meant Bachelor of Music, but as a kid I thought that was pretty funny.
i keep saying how fast it can happen one day your LO is in and out of the bathroom all on their own, then BAM!! you are up to your elbows and yelling i cant do this...:) but just like many of us know here, it can be done= doesnt make it something we want to do or like. divvi
Brave and wonderful caregivers here and my hat is off to you. I hope this is one thing I can escape, but it is really great that you all are willing to tell the tale so we can all be prepared.
I don't know about baby powder causing cancer if used in the vaginal area, but I do know that it just feeds a yeast infection. Yeast just loves baby powder. Terrible!!
I'm new to this site (yesterday) and in luv with it. After reading almost all the comments in "incontinence" my depression had all but dissappeared, and I'm in tears from laughing. We all deserve prizes for "PP" (Poop Patrol). DH is in Wal-Mart pull-up type depends and so far OK. His problem was pooping his pants every 2 days or so and poop very soft. Had 2-3 showers a day. Thank goodness for hand helds. I would stand him in the shower. I realize not everyone can do that. I'm gonna look at some of the other suggested sites. Hang in there people. Sadly this stage of our lives shall pass.
Me again.. re: Briegull remarks about pants. I was having lots of problems with DH's. He lost lotta weight and nothing fit. I went to a St. Vincents DePaul (not sure spelling) store and got him some of the pants you described, not pj's more like chinos, for $1.00 pair. Lucky for me found 3-4 pair that fit him. He is very happy with them.
.. and now mine won't wear them. THIS week he's back in his LLBean chinos which have a zipper and fastener and he put a belt in. And when he disrobed I noticed that the vital "piece" wasn't tucked into his briefs!
Which reminds me: I was reading a nice memoir of an English woman who'd grown up in Italy and left there during WWII. Italian-style, she was letting her little kids run around naked in the summer. Mother-in-law, veddy British, said, oh, dear, I don't mind (the little girl) running around naked, but boys are so.. UNTIDY, don't you think!
I've realized that I've gone well past the stage of regarding things as .. UNTIDY! and just ignore them now.
divvi, Thanks, we'll try meds for bladder spasms. Shouldn't AD and it's losses be enough to handle without trying to decipher the pains and complaints? DH also told me today that at mid-day, breakfast seems a long time ago, although he remember what he had. He also doesn't like to stay at home by himself and would rather go out with me (and complain, complain, complain).
I'm am so thankful for all the support on this board. I can't imagine going this "alone".
That veddy British lady reminded me of an incident that happened many years ago. We raised 4 little boys and there were lots of boys in the neighborhood. One day, the whole bunch of them was outside playing and our very proper little girl (our oldest child) came in to inform me that all of those boys were being very naughty. I went outside to find my 4 plus 4 or 5 neighbor boys all with their pants down around their ankles. They were valiently trying to pee over the telephone wires. They couldn't quite make that but they did manage to pee all over themselves and each othe. I sent the neighbor boys home and marched my own inside for a group shower and a 'talking to.' I managed to get through the 'talking to' without cracking up. But the funniest thing of all was our daughter's supersilious (sp) attitude and she made sure those other mothers knew just what had happened. We all laughed about it later. They are grown men now and don't want to be reminded of that episode. How fun that was!
This morning while having my coffee something came to me that I had not thought of in years. When I was young my father had his back broken and it also affected his kidneys and he could not control his bladder. He wore a device shaped like a cup to cover his private parts and the device was fastened with a strap around his waste. The cup was made of a rubber type material and had a long rubber hose that was attached by straps to his leg. He would empty this this device by unscrewing the hose down near his ankle. This pre-dates depends, etc. I am talking about 60 years ago. Has anyone heard of this type of device? I got to wondering why they don't have it now for men who are incontinent or maybe they do and I just don't know about it.
Judith, there is a condom sort of device that works like what you are describing. I think it might be good for someone who is bedridden and couldn't "fool" with the apparatus, but I can see that most of the men would be "messing" with it and cause more problems than the Depends.
But, that being said, I have no real information about such a thing....I would imagine you could google and find data online.
ok, the Poop Patrol issue is back with a vengance. Its my turn today to vent=, I lost it completely with this poor dear soul- i feel soooo badly. i absolutely KNOW he has no fault and is sick, - usually i am contained and can find something humorous in it and keep my cool, but today was one of those horrible displays of displeasure from ME about having to clean him, the marble floors, then shower him AGAIN. my hormones are outraged:) i am starting to settle down but i screamed like a banshee and not proud of myself and am begging for some patience again. it just makes you feel like 'cr** when you lose it.. divvi
divvi, I don't know what a banshee sounds like but I'm sure I can equal one or do better. Been there, done that. More than once. I think it helps to blow my cool occasionally, thereby keeping my cool most of the time. Now I don't worry about it because he don't remember from one hour to the next. Sometimes he looks at me as if hes wondering what my problem is. I feel for you & others going thru this...
I think what JudithKB and frand are talking about is the "Texas Catheter". This is a device that goes on the penis like a condom, but has a drainage tube at the end connected to a bag on the leg. It is used for incontinence when an indwelling catheter is not needed.
Today, for the first time I had to put DW in the shower to clean up "poop". Not a fun process, but we got through it.
Marsh, I did the same thing with my DW in the shower this morning, although sadly not for the first time. Rubber gloves and a flexible shower wand are a big help for me.
I don't think Texas catheters are a good idea. They are not comfortable-thus will probably be pulled off. They are difficult to put on sorry guys-but there has to be something to put them onto. I have also seen gangrene occur when put on too tightly. I guess this is more than you wanted to know.
No, sorry I am not talking about a Texas catheter or any type of condom. What I am talking about was a device used years ago. It was shaped kind of like a funnel but made of soft rubber that the private parts rested in and had straps that went around the waist. A small hose was attached to this funnel that went down the leg and was also strapped to the leg. To empty this device it was unscrewed with a small cap near the ankle. I recall my father telling someone the only good thing about it was the laughs he would get when emptying the device in the urinal and the men would joke about how long his penis must be to have to pee at the end of his pant leg. Of course I was not suppose to over hear this conversation but as a kid it was so unreal I couldn't believe what I was hearing and that is why it has stuck with me all these years. My father used this device for years and worked. He had several of them and my Mother would wash them and keep them clean for him.
On the subject of taking one's spouse to the restroom out in public ... The Alzheimer's Store just announced a new product, the "One Moment, Please" pads. Caregivers assisting a loved one who is unable to use the public bathroom unassisted can post these notes on the door outside. Pads of twenty-five - 4" x 6" self-adhering "Post-It" sheets have a big red Stop Sign and say:
One Moment Please This bathroom is being used by a member of the opposite sex to assist an elderly person. Please be Patient. We'll be out in a moment. THANK YOU
Pads of 25 stickies (Item #0257) cost $2.50 at www.alzstore.com or call (800) 752-3238.
...the benefits of subscribing to the Alzheimer's Daily News email broadcast...
NICE!!!! great news. divvi thanks, sunshyne. of course now you mention it, could just print the same thing on a puter and take some sticky dots.:)haha.
As long as Joan gets kickbacks from The Alzheimer's Store, then it's OK for me to go ahead and post the rest of that email:
The new 2009 Alzheimer's Store catalog will be available in November with more than 30 new products. To receive a copy please call (800) 752-3238 or email lindsey.markey@alzstore.com.
Ok we all have the problem of poopy pants bed pads and bedding, and stinky hubbies,, My question, you can give hubby a shower, put sprays on him power , to get rid of the smell, , but what do you people use to get the smell out of the cloths and bedding, we live on a farm have well water, Ive tryed everything to get the lingering smell out of his cloths and the bedding, , I have a ringer washer I use to soak them in I used pine sol once to pine y smelling, I ve used OderBan , still can smell it , so any help on this matter would help, , we have Hard water, and power soaps will not desolve,,, speaking of poopy husbends,, I ve got one I have to clean up,, can smell him ,, so will be back later,, and since I work 10 hour days, I dont get up in the middle of the night to change him once hes awake there is no going back to bed, so first thing in the morning , I get him up and in the shower, , every morning,every morning he is soaked and poopy,, I think at night he takes it out of the depends and pees , cause I hear him saing, I am putting it back in I am putting it back in, and he will have his hands in his pants, both hands, ,,, Has anyone tryed the exsternal cathaders ? kathy
Katanshelties I don't know much about the urine and poop smells but I have been using a cup of white vinegar along with the soap in all my laundry this summer to clear up that "sour clothes odor" we have had this summer. Soda might be good.
Katanshelties, I have not tried the catheters you mentioned. As for the "smell", we don't seem to have that problem -- I use TIDE with bleach (powder), but I bet they have it in liquid form too. You might try the "big depends" on first & a "smaller depends" over that one to help with keeping it all in??? We use "ultimate Tena Pads" inside the depends @ night & that helps 'some', but we often have leaking too so we have to wash bed clothes & the 3x3 pads as well, but never have had a 'lingering' smell. Borax worked on a urine smell on our mattress before I found the 3x3 pads to help with that problem...maybe adding in some borax to the laundry, altho it's powder...you might have to "mix up" some powder & water in a container to dissolve it & then add to the washer...or get some distilled water @ the store to mix it up & then add that to the washer??? Just trying to come up with something that might help!! Hope this works!!
Thank you for the info, my brother in law e mailed me and said when he worked at the hospital he used white vinager, to get the urine oders out of the mens restroom and floors, so I may try that,, hubby is doubled diapered now, will see what happens tonight,, , kathy
I did housekeeping for a while and we used white vinegar in all the restrooms but it was very effective in getting the urine smell and stains out of the uninals and off the backsplash and floors. It probably would work in the laundry, too. Good luck. I hope it works
I would think it likely that if you tried to put a catheter on he would try to take it off. I agree, double diapers, 3x3 pad over another pad held in by a beach towel.. we don't USUALLY have to change the sheet.
If he's really that poopy, try immodium to limit the problem..
briegull, do you use the beach towel like a draw sheet? Or just put it on top of the lower 3x3 pad? Is your LO in his own bed? Hospital bed? Or are you sharing a bed?
OK, I started this thread and if you will notice on the first page of the thread I was almost desperate for a solution to this. I went through the hands all in everything, the depends taken off in the night, the bed soaked each am, The whole 9 yards, nothing I did kept my DH dry. I also always had a plastic cover over the mattress, I went to the Baby Store and bought the vinyl backed crib pads, I put them across the top of the first sheet. I do not have to use the draw sheet yet as we are not bedbound. When Hospice came in they told me to use the Medium Diapers, not pull ups and they choose a slightly larger diaper than my husband really needed so we would have overlap protection. I also use a Tena insert in the diaper at night. I also use a depend over the diaper at night for added protection. I bought the zipper backed pj from Buck and Buck, and what can I say, my problems were solved. We use the pullup with a tena insert during the day and the diaper combination at night. No more leak through, it seems so good to have the problem conquered.
Starling, my husband's in a hospital bed (one side up to hang stuff on, gets out other side on his own.) I put a big cloth-top waterproof pad down, stretch a beach towel across it. Then a 3x3 (disposable) on top of THAT. I don't have to change the sheet often; he almost doesn't touch it. Two pull-ups, one inside the other, works some nights but I swear some nights he pulls things out and soaks everything! I just bought a couple more cheap pj pants (lounge pants, $5) at the local outlet store.
Jane, when you say diaper, do you mean the ones called "briefs" (the pull-ups are described as "underwear")? with the 3 tabs on the back to fasten to the front? I can't make those fasten around tightly. I need to find the tena inserts around here, I haven't, yet. Do THEY have a plastic back? then how does the moisture get through to the diaper?
briegull, OK, what I am calling diapers is a diaper that Hospice provides and also I would imagine can only be bought at a Medical supply house, most likely not at the department store or drug stores, I don't think I have ever seen them there. The Diaper has two sticky tabs on each side. Hospice describes the depend underwear as pull ups, why I do not know, I learned new language when they came in. Anyway the pull ups,(Underwear) they provide is not as good as the Depend or Tena but with the insert are just fine. The Diaper was my salvation. I looked and they order their supplies from Tyco Healthcare Retail Group inc. 601 Allendale Road, King of Prussia PA 19406
I had thought I would see if I could find a web site for them just in case Hospice ever leaves us I would definitely want to order the diapers. My husband weighs 133 and he wears what they call the blue diaper, they have the white which is the small, the cream colored which is large.
With the diaper, tena insert and the pull up at night he is just fine.
I also have noticed when I buy the tena insert, they are different, I try to get the full protection and it is somewhat larger. Tena is also known as Serenity. If you have a large Medical supply house you might want to go there and get a package of the regular two tab each side diaper and try them. The diaper seems to have padding that comes up high and all around if you get it large enough to overlap.
Ok again briegull, I called the briefs diapers because that is what Hospice called them when they brought them in, they say Diapes and Wipes, or Diapers and Wipes. I looked up the website for tyco and they do call the diapers briefs.
You asked if the tena inserts have plastic on the back and if so how does the moisture get through, Yes they do, they tape inside the brief or underwear but if the flow is heavy enough it spills over and goes through to the brief.
this is the website and you can look at the different briefs, I am pretty sure the one they bring my husband is thewings classic They do not bring the briefs in wrapped in the container they come in as they order by the case and they are wrapped in sections so I can't tell the exact kind but they look like the ones shown.
I know the underwear is the Sure care, and the wipes are the wings also. Just click on the part that says briefs,then click then click briefs again and it will show you a wide range of the briefs. http://www.dhphomedelivery.com/prodincontinence.asp
Jane, thanks for the great advice. That looks like a good site, esp. since I note that it's FREE SHIPPING! I've been mostly getting stuff at WalMart because the shipping makes things so expensive.
briegull, if you will notice the classic wing brief has some padded area in the wing that goes around the top and also all the way up the top, that helps a lot at night, it is more padding than just at the bottom area.
HI Jane ,briegull... I tryed the two diapers and the pull up, with a diaper, I have a hard time getting the tape diapers on, cause he wont be still, he weight 186. and keeps doing circles, when I try the tape kind, so I did a pul up over a pull up plus , a Booster pad, ( another name for the inserts) he was very patted,still he got up soaked from head to toe, I will try getting the baby pads, but I have the quilted, bed pads, and if he leaves them on the sheet doesnt get wet , but still have to wash pads, and his cloths, I mean he is dripping wet when he gets up, the pad will be soaked and the first pull up is soaked, the second one is dry , I know he is pulling the thing out at night and peing, this morning not only was he soaked but I went in the bathroom and , the whole floor was soaked, the toilet seat was soaked, and there I stood legs crossed.. I almost didnt make it, by the time I was able to go,, so I know he has to be taking it out, I can hear him at night saying I am putting it back in, and he has his hands down his pants,,last night I think he got cold cause he was so wet, been getting cool at night , I havent turned on the furnance yet, want to clean out the vents first, , hes also peed down the vents, , thats going to smell good when the furnance comes on,, I went today and got 4 cans of air freshener to go in my despencers, one in every room, I hate to see winter come when I have to close all the windows, ,, well I have to go make his bed,, and get him diapered, so will catch ya all later,,, God Bless, and hang in there,,,,, Kathy