water water everywhere

Lgw

I hope someone has an idea but no one has had to deal with this. Okay my husband has vascular dementia. He has been bedridden for 2 months. He has developed a UTI. Now he just pours his water in the bed. When he drinks it goes everywhere. He has a cup with a lid and I put a straw in it to help. I think he no longer knows where the opening is so he just tilts it. He is already dehydrated but I'm toying with the idea of just letting him have it at meals. He is pretty much asleep any other time. Any humane ideas?

loveskitties

Do you have hospice in for assistance? If so, perhaps they will know of the best solution.

If not, you may need to be the helper to get the cup/straw to his lips. If all else fails, there are sponge swabs on a stick which can be used to at least keep his lips moistened.

Lgw

Now on top of everything else my grand-daughter in-law told me she needs my help with the 3 kids and to keep them in the living room. They moved in here to help me but...

Ed1937

I don't have a solution for you, but I'll say you don't want him to be dehydrated. That's another problem. Could you add something to give the water flavor so he will be more accepting of it? If so, maybe just give it to him every so often while supervising the drinking.

Your grand-daughter in-law is way out of bounds IMHO. It sounds like she might be looking for an unpaid baby sitter. Unless you're really breezing through caregiving, you need to tell her you can't help with the kids. I'm guessing you are not breezing through this.

Denise1847

Hi LGW,

Try Amazon for a no-spill cup for elderly. Hope it helps. Gotta love Amazon.

Amazon.com : adult sippy cup for elderly spill proof

harshedbuzz

Lgw-

You don't want your DH to become dehydrated. It could lead to painful constipation, skin complications, and all manner of unpleasant consequences.

It sounds like your DH needs your hands-on assistance to drink. Perhaps has unlearned gravity and doesn't have the executive function to understand how to drink from a regular glass. My dad used to try to drink while lying down on the sofa; he'd lift his glass off the side table, tip it as if he was about to drink and then pour it all over his face. He did this a lot because he was unable to learn not to. Or perhaps he doesn't understand how the new straw cup works.

Is he in a hospital bed with a head that can be raised to an upright position for meals and drinks? If not, this is one of those things hospice can provide quickly. He should not be eating or drinking in a reclining position. I would also ask for a swallowing evaluation before offering a straw or sports cup; these can be aspiration hazards especially if he's reclining or pocketing food.

As for your granddaughter-in-law. She gets no shade from me. I can't imagine why anyone thought a woman parenting 3 children too young to understand a simple boundary would have the time and energy to help you. Let that poor young woman go home and focus on her children.

HB

Lgw

Just ordered 1. Never even thought of a sippy cup for the elderly. Thanks so much! Y'all never fail me! Yes I don't want him more dehydrated than he is already. He stays dehydrated no matter what I try.

LJCHR

One thing I keep in the freezer is Pedialyte popsicles. My DH has a tendency to dehydrate and these work well. They are packaged in plastic tubes and you push them up from the end so you may need to assist him with these. I'm so sorry for both of you, the UTI's are so hard on people with dementia - my DH has them constantly. They really exasperate the dementia.

And agree with other comments, your plate is full enough without having the extra stress of tending grandchildren. It takes all of your energy to tend to DH - and keep a daily routine that will help both of you.