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Interested in how other caregivers survive
Caregivers | Last Active: Aug 4 11:08am | Replies (123)Comment receiving replies
My parents are no longer able to take out the trash like they used to. They both have significant mobility issues with my mom also having severe bladder incontinence. My dad has congestive heart failure, CKD and Alzheimer’s. My mom wears pullups occasionally and pads everyday. My dad just started wearung a pullup at night. She claims she constantly leaks urine. Is this possible? She has consulted with her primary and a urologist, who did cystoscope and found nothing out of place and no reason for her incontinence. Maybe, things have changed since then. Idk. But, even if someone used incontinence products around the clock (I know she still urinates in toilet too.), how much product would they accumulate ? Wouldn’t the bladder eventually empty?
I cannot understand the enormous amount of trash that leaves the house each day! They have a pickup trash service that retrieves a 95 gallon bin from the street once a week. It is always stuffed full. The pickup is Fridays and by Saturday afternoon, the bin is almost full again! It’s ridiculous. I also get repeated requests for more and more toilet paper and paper towels! Where does it go? I cannot figure it out.
Any insight on this type of situation would be appreciated. I’m having to drive to a drop off location everyday with bags of trash. It makes no sense.
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Are you on her paperwork as a POA for medical stuff and on the HIPPA release at all the doctor's offices? Yes, women have been given short shrift in addressing the urinary incontinence, often seeing male doctors trained by malemptying doctors, on male patients.
My mom had leakage issues (7 pregnancies, 6 live births) and likely had pelvic organ prolapse issues, and no pelvic muscle tone left.
She was taking 2 urologist prescribed meds (the names escape me) One was an a.m. dose of a diuretic, to help her release/relieve/empty her bladder during the day. The other was prescribed for bedtime use, to help her keep dry. She (college educated, lab scientist) did not read or retain the information from the package inserts so she was taking both meds at the same time of day. No way they would work as prescribed--they were in direct competition with each other.
The other thing with women, as our reproductive hormones are responsible for so many functions, is that we can develop genito-urinary syndrome of menopause. It used to be called "vaginal atrophy" Essentially, as estrogen hormone levels drop the tissues of the vulva, and vagina, aren't maintained in the same robust manner and especially as we age, that can irritate and exacerbate the urethra (the tube from the bladder to outside the body) Now they recommend all women use external estradiol (cream or suppository) til the end of life, so those tissues can be maintained in a healthier manner.
You could try to find a uro-gynecologist for her care--to have someone who specializes in womens health in the genito-urinary system.