My wife may have started to have urinary incontinence a few days ago. It became likely after she changed her clothes and started wearing white slacks. she has refused to change either the slacks or the underwear herself- also, refused to allow any caregivers to assist her. she sleeps in these clothes- I'm surprised it doesn't cause itching or a rash (the latter it may have caused since no one can see it). What to do?????????
She may have a UTI (urinary tract infection). Any simple infection can cause much havoc on their mental and physical behavior. I would make an appt. with her primary care physician and discuss these issues.
My husband was running a low-grade fever recently. He was declining quickly and I was hitting the panic button only to find out that he had sinusitis which was treated with an antibiotic. Within a few days he made a compete turn-around. I couldn't believe that a simple infection could cause such dramatic bodily changes.
Please don't delay in having her doctor evaluate her and followed by a urine analysis along blood workup
I haven't had that problem yet, but I'm sure someone will be along soon who has. Have you tried checking with a nh for advice? I have been fearful of that happening. She most likely is chaffed and itching poor thing. Bonnie
You might try Divvi's suggestion of 'accidently' spilling something on her lap, necessitating a change of clothes. Did she ever like baths? If so, you might entice her into a bubble bath - with a couple of candles (flameless would work well) and some soothing music. You might tell her that you will bring her a nice glass of wine (if she goes for that type of thing). While my husband is not comfortable taking his clothes off and showering, once the ALF added the med (Neurontin) to his med 'cocktail' he has been much more cooperative in changing and showering.
I would also check for a UTI just in case. 10 days is a long time if she's not been changing her underwear and clothes. Dressing and bathing continue to be a challenge for us with my husband. Nothing works to redirect him, no matter what we try so it's always a struggle.
Divvi's suggestion of spilling something "accidently" on her pants might work. DH's new dr. suggested a small dose of Ativan if nothing else is effective.
Know that you can get strips to check for UTI at the drug store. You don't have to go to the doctor necessarily. Obviously if it shows she does have one, you'll need to go see him. Also you have to be creative about checking for it. Does she use the toilet? Can you go in there while she's occupied on the pretext of getting something from the med cabinet? Somewhere along the line you're gonna gotta be able to do that.