New day New challenge

blacksparky · April 9

If I’ve learned anything about this terrible disease is everyday seems to bring on a new challenge to deal with. My current challenge is my DW is going into the bathroom to urinate and stands in front of the sink and just pees. This happens in the middle of the night when I’m sleeping. I’ve tried to prepare for when she can’t use the bathroom by having pull ups ready to go. After I showered her and got her all cleaned up, I was able to get her to put on a pull up with no problems. I guess if I could find something positive it would be she didn’t pee in the bed. My question for you guys is what have you used to get that urine smell when mopping up tile floors?

tucson anne · April 9

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/75776/new-day-new-challenge

Vinegar and water and a dash of dawn liquid. absolutely no smell. and vinegar in prewash for pee-soaked clothes..

harshedbuzz · April 9

Odoban is great for getting rid of orders on clothing, furniture and hard surfaces. I found it at Home Depot. That said, fresh urine on tile shouldn't have that strong an odor; if it does, she could possibly have a UTI.

A motion detection alarm mat would alert you to her being up.

HB

Quilting brings calm · April 9

@blacksparky

I’m reading between the lines so I might be wrong ….are you saying she went to bed in regular underwear? Or did she go to bed in pull-ups and take them down herself in the bathroom?

I’ve read comments here about clothing that fastens in the back so that the PWD can’t remove it themselves. Maybe someone can answer if they make pajamas that way. So that you can put her in nighttime depends with pajamas that she can’t take off?

blacksparky · April 9

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/269961#Comment_269961

To clarify my DW has not been incontinent until now. She just had regular underwear on. I did buy pull ups a while back for the eventual time. She has always (until last night ) toileted by herself without any problems. She doesn’t like to shower and it takes a lot of coaxing to get her to every 4-5 days. This morning she was back in bed without any clothes on so I figured something was going on. She wears the same clothes day and night until each shower and then I’m able to change her. Maybe this is a one time event but who knows. It might be a UTI but she can’t figure out the peeing into a cup. I will probably take her to Dr and have them get her tested. Another interesting thing was that she got really agitated with her caregiver that comes for a couple of hours twice a week so I can get some errands taken care of. She’s had the same lady for several months and never has gotten agitated before. Coincidence or not!🤔

jfkoc · April 9

ASAP…protect the mattress…all 5 sides!!!!! Waterproof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get these:

https://www.amazon.com/Urine-Hats-Toilet-Reinforced-Collection/dp/B0B5FH7CMY/ref%3Dsr_1_3?crid=3MEJQPC13Z49O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3_FED1zb553GsqllGIMOiboYvUsUPoJ9j71LKkdaXeQWc5HDZ1uxanrRsUD_RDewbpixolbIfCk5k8_9Ld1LpsXcBiLOPjKn9kWKypmqQOxXlyWtrNCKQAD58X-5f8gmElGUh8DgJZgIbRnzcImYqLJWQtxKlSwg96pvAR_HLunxhSMWTB7Z7a3a-J1m_1y3Alf9tUK8vsbHcfJVEvbM9uOodFbO0dSu3FGQsufUEIQ.27brpyL1vHhtXDN8Z4Gz6HaLqP3cWly6PdujDdM2mtY&dib_tag=se&keywords=toilet%2Bhats%2Bto%2Bcatch%2Burine&qid=1775771904&sprefix=toilet%2Bhat%2Caps%2C210&sr=8-3&th=1

remove the regular underwear from the drawer

blacksparky · April 9

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/269980#Comment_269980

Thanks I’ve already taken care of these items. Mattress protector a couple of months ago and underwear drawer replace with pull ups. 👍👍

persevere · April 9

Get ready blacksparky. I would suggest you always have her in pullups when she goes to bed. I think depends are the most comfortable for them. Later on you’re going to need rubber gloves, big wipes, and a trash bin for soiled pullups. Just when you think it’s getting hard….also, I’ve mentioned in prior posts that you can get a cheap motion detector on Amazon. You set the sensor under her side of the bed and the receiver over on your nightstand or take it with you if you’re in another room.

Jeff H · April 10

It's such a terrible disease where the caregivers cannot get an ounce of sleep. I leave the light on over the toilet and the shower when my DW goes to sleep. I placed two signs on the wall near the toilet with arrows pointing to the toilet. That has been working. I removed the trash can from the bathroom so she can't pee into it. So far, my DW will wake up to go pee as long as those lights are on. I'm not nearly as bad off as my friend blacksparky but that stage comes next… Prayers to everyone going through this.

jgreen · April 10

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/269973#Comment_269973

Hi @blacksparky - I think you are on the right track thinking this could be a UTI. Yes, do get her to the doctor to have a work up. You have good intuition - go with your gut.

Timmyd · April 12

Hi, @blacksparky you should get a "nun's cap" for urine collection. Also speak with her doctor about having a standing order in place for testing. Even with the nun's cap, it can be hard to catch a "clean" sample. Most of DW's samples came back as inconclusive because of possible contamination.

DW's incontinence started when she would make it to the bathroom but not pee in the toilet. There were a few times she wandered into a bedroom to pee. It seems she always felt the urge to urinate and attempted to get somewhere, she was just not always successful getting to the toilet. Of all the accidents she has had, she has never had one in bed. DW wants to pee in the toilet, the disease limits her ability to successfully navigate to that position. Things got better when I made sure there was a clear path to the bathroom (keeping light always on and other doors in the house closed). I have learned to detect the signs that she might need to go and gently guide her into the bathroom. She wears pull ups regularly now, but accidents are less than one a week and usual happen when I let me guard down a bit.

Good luck, the initial onset of urinary incontinence was very scary, but with a few adjustments, things got much better.

blacksparky · April 12

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/270146#Comment_270146

Thanks for your input. I do now have some nuns caps and will use them. After her pee incidence at the bathroom sink, I introduced the pull ups to my DW. I showed her the underwear drawer now full of pull ups instead of her usual underwear. I told her that she has new underwear and after adjusting the process of putting them on her, she seemed to accept them. It has been a few days now that she has been wearing the pull ups. So far every morning they are dry. Since she sleeps in her clothes now for several days in between showers, I try to get her to change her pull ups but don’t push it as the ones she has on are dry. The last two nights I have had to guide her to the bathroom and direct her to sit on the toilet and she has peed and pooped both times. I’m realizing that she knows that she has to use the bathroom but it becomes to difficult for her to navigate the steps of finding the toilet and then pulling down her clothes and sitting on the toilet.

Timmyd · April 13

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/270196#Comment_270196

I will add that I now have to guide her to the toilet when she needs to pee at night. She will wake up and start talking which generally wakes me up. I then get up and guide her to the toilet. Sometimes it can take a while before she goes. Occasionally we have false alarms. It is not ideal having my sleep interrupted by this, but I adapt because she needs me and I love her.

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