Hello @tsoy I am Scott and wish you strength and courage along your caregiving journey. I cared for my mother-in-law, who had dementia, as one of her secondary caregivers and my wife, as her primary caregiver for 14 years as she battled brain cancer, suffering many symptoms of dementia later in her fight.

I love the idea of the lights! I wish I had thought of that one! Genius! Thanks for sharing it.

I, too, struggled with smells and found that scented baby wipes worked best for this than any of the way higher priced 'adult' brands.

Thanks again for sharing!

Peace,

A BIG Welcome! The lights and the doggie poop bags are both great ideas that I had not thought of, so thanks for adding value for the rest of us before you even know us! I'm implementing both today! Hope I can return the ideas to you as we participate in this group.

You are welcome. You can buy extra large bags @ Petsmart. I can get a brief and a bed pad in one bag. I hope together we can come up with many helpful ideas to make like easier.

I also have resorted to Babywipes as they are less expensive and can be purchased in larger quanities. They help keep the skin from getting so dry.

Puppy pads work well for males ( I believe this would help females also ) who cannot hit the urinal or who have bed wetting prob. ,,,,I use them instead of the adult pads for the floor as he misses a lot and could be very messy, also when on commode he seems to urinate and it would make a mess, so putting one in his underwear and under him while on commode helped a lot .He has a few bed sores as he watches tv non stop all day , and I have to use the thick butt cream which is hard to clean out of clothing , so I put one of the puppy pads in underwear so it doesn't get all over everything else ...and they are less expensive then the adult ones . you get more of them also in a pack then the adult ones, ..Some of them are scented, I also found at the dollar store baggies to put in the commode which are rose smelling (they have other scents too ) I put the scented one is on the outside with the other clear baggie , which helps a ton with the smell, Its so embarrassing to have the house smell. You can also use the baggies to keep soiled cloths in until wash gets done, I also almost always have scented candles burning , this helps a lot ! Still haven't figured out how to shower him though. I have the VA coming out this thurs to evaluate our bathroom so maybe get a walk in shower as he cannot stand long , and cannot lift leg up over edge of tub, I have been giving him baths while he sits on commode, which is ok but I want him to be able to shower , we all know how much it makes us feel better I cant imagine not being to sit under shower , it feels so good .,I tried the shower chair and because our shower is in a trailer and because he is so large they don't fit in , and hang out by 2 feet , The pads also work awesome for putting under him while washing him , or shaving ...they soak up a ton of water..I used them on a ceiling leak and the pads weighed a ton when done , they must hold a gallon of water ...( just a hint in case any of you want to use for leaks, or spills ) ... He wants to start taking all these vitamins now because he says it will help his brain...Does anyone know if this is helpful ? I do not believe brain cells grow back , is that true ? I told him he eats enough already and doesn't need to eat vitamins also , they are expensive , and he argued with me saying he would re build his brain...Do I just let him believe what he wants or should I tell the truth ..If what I believe is the truth that brain cells do not grow back ?? I have heard you can build new pathways in your brain , is that true ?

<br><br><br><br><br>Oh my goodness you are creative. Hey do what works I say. Stay strong. Don't hurt yourself. <br><br>

@michiganstressedlady, I take care of the smell of "diapers" in my house by having a trash can just outside the back garage door.  I keep plastic trash bags in it and when its trash day, just close up the bag and put it in the big trash can for pick up.  Now this may not be the best thing for the environment but it is the best thing for my home.Also, you can find the flame less candles - one company is Scentsy - and NO I DONOT SELL THESE but they also have other brands at Walmart.  I use these as it saves me the worry of having open flames in the house and it never gets hot enough to burn you, your mate, or your pets.@TNTredheadThe Redhead