I did not expect the bath mat to be damp when I stepped on it this morning, since my last shower was the day before yesterday. Then I sniffed. Then I sniffed closer. Yep. During at least one of Jeff's middle-of-the-night disoriented stumbles into the bathroom (the door to which is right next to his side of the bed,) he evidently decided the bath mat was an easier target than the toilet.
This was a first for us, I think. My dad used to do this when his Parkinson's segued into dementia. I wonder if in the more primitive areas of the brain that work a little longer a bath mat just seems a more reasonable place to pee than the floor. I know there are apartment dwellers who pad-train their doggies.
Well, it was a potty-stink morning all around as my mentally ill kitty decided last night was special poop night. 3 in the litter box, but one small one reserved for the kitchen floor.
That Emily is a pretty Sh**ey morning. We too are experiencing missing the target. Each night is spent with Bathroom cleaning. Have already replaced mats in both bathrooms. Now keep 409 and paper towels in both bathrooms, just won't put a trash can ......don't wish to offer any extra spot options :) Last night he lost his glasses, we have extra's but it devasted him to such sadness. Couldn't find the glasses anywhere, I can't tell you where they are but I know were they are not. Sadley I must ask the question must I stop working, the service we used sent someone and it was great for two weeks. Then the Careperson took him to lunch one day and then to her house to pick up her mail and introduced him to her family. She was gone the next day. Then the agency had me interview a 20 year old, a 20 year old with a 62 male Alz person .......am I the only one saying, what, NO !!!! I don't want to stop working but burning the candle at both ends, I going to be broke anyway ............I think this will place me in a depression ...........oh my
Your situation makes me wonder about something...I have an elderly kitty of about maybe 13. Of late, she will not use her litter box in the bathroom. We had a flood in there earlier this summer so I thought maybe that is why she would use the carpet in front of my sink to leave her poop..( she has had to have the glands expressed a couple of times this year). Then the problem stopped, but then she started to do this again minus the booty scooting on the carpet leaving a trail. Vet said it is a behaviour. I am wondering if somehow the kitties and dogs know there is something wrong with the LO and this behaviour is related to stress they feel in connection with our LOs progressions? I notice that kitty how also snuggles up more to him at night in bed when she never did this before..Any thoughts?
on the contrary its my experience the plastic waste cans near bathroom areas and spread around can give them a new target and at least it catches the urine - the carpets may look like a hole in the floor to them with the visual agnosia issues AD can create. dont use a dark plastic but a light one. dark means doom to AD:) and they usually cant see past the hole effect. once this starts its a question of sniff/where they will target the place to pee. laying out water absorbant carpets is easier to wash then having to scrub the whole floors and risk of slipping. as far as pets knowing, i do believe its true. my chichuahua 15yrs old very well knows his daddy is impaired and goes out of his way to protect him from visitors. and he knows to get out of the way if hes on his feet:) he also tries to 'share' his foods i think he wants to share as he knows he cant provide for himself. aww. i find treats at DH feet all the time. :) and yes when pets get stressed then tend to leave us surprises in areas we are sure to see.
When we used to take care of my husbands AZ Mom, she would get up and down all night, (how I try not to dread this will happen) She would "think" she had to pee every 5 minutes. Of course not knowing how to understand as I do now, when I would tell her she did not have to pee she would say "Well I will just pee my pants then"
And she would also pee right on the floor beside the toilet, sitting on the chair..
My sweetie is probably not far off with the "missing" I have seen a bit already. However he still really likes to bathe and brush his teeth, though he forgets if he did.
I have to say, again, this place is amazing! I just learned about shadowing, and now I know why he stands directly behind me in the stores. And, if he senses it irritates me, he will wander away.
He used to love to shop, sad to see him gazing and uncomprehending at objects.
Yesterday some tough love from my sister made me straighten up a bit, and for now at least, stop the hysterics. I felt quite bad like I had been stressing her out on the phone.
And trying to take advice about loving him more, so less regrets later, and so he can smile a bit.
DW goes to bathroom a lot also. She is so unstable she needs help getting there. That means all night long I have to help her to the bathroom. I have taken some steps to make things better. I moved the bed so that her side is up against the wall and now she has to climb over me to get out, which will wake me to help her. To try to limit the need, I have started eating dinner earlier 5:00pm so that after that, all fluid stop. She goes to bed around 8:00pm and when I goto bed I wake her and make her go then. That will last till around midnight, then again at 2:00 and usually around 4:00 This seems to be the most difficult part to me so far as I am not getting any sleep.
I get up about every 2 hours now - and I don't have AD (or don't think I do)! My kidneys seem to be like many people I know - seem to go into overtime at night. The days I retain water are the worst at night.
I'm up at least three times during the nite and I quit liquids after supper. The strange thing is I only go a couple of times during the day even drinking liquids. It seems like I need go more when I'm laying down. You would think it would be just the opposite.
Well we are having new bathroom issues too. DH now tells me when he has to go, but he doesn’t know where the bathroom is. So when I show him where the bathroom is, now he asks me what he should do. The first time that happened I thought he was kidding (silly me) but it didn’t take me long to realize he was serious. So now I go with him whenever he asks me to. The last time I asked him if he had to go poop or pee & he said that he didn’t know. So I made him sit down. I guess that is a sign of things to come.
Be the poop. All cow flops are existentialists. They're just there - there's no reason why. Their existence is the essence of simplicity. That goes in. This comes out. Ugh. Ok, think of it as guano. If you don't know what guano is - here's a very short, informative video:
I was joking that my kidneys worked only when lying down.Found out thru a trip to ER that one of my kidney was blocked,I had no indications of problems other than it worked better when lying down.Had a stent put in yesterday and will have surgery monday to correct the problem,am worried about DH.since I will stay for 2 nights.But, really ,have your kidneys checked out if they only work when reclining.I'm lucky my problem was found before it got worse.
Caught him this morning standing on the (clean) bath mat. "What are you looking for?" I ask. "I'm waiting for a turn." "A turn for what?" "To pee." "Well, let's do that over here."
Yesterday my wife pulled a new one on me. I was in the dining room putting the medicines in the weekly boxes. I thought she was peacefully sitting in her chair in the den. When I came to get her I noticed that her dress was wet. On pulling it up it was covered with feces, and her depends were around her knees. After getting her cleaned up I found a small pile of feces on the carpet in the corner of the den. This was surprising since she has been able to get to the bathroom by herself on occasion. I guess I can't let her out of my sight.
yhouniey I hope your surgery goes well and you are back to better health soon. I will be praying for you and your spouse. Both the surgery and leaving him will be stressful for you but it is important that you take this time for yourself. Hugs and prayer..........
I have begun putting "chux" on the bathroom floor. DH will stand there and just piddle away if I can't get him to sit down. I know it sounds like a tripping issue but he is careful and I make sure I am with him when he goes in.