Suggestions with Bowel incontinence

That sounds quite daunting. When my cousin became double incontinent, the staff members at the facility put her in disposable underwear or diapers. They changed her on a schedule and according to when it was needed. Learning new skills is not typical of people who have dementia. Eventually, the ability to control bladder and bowel is gone.

Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect @siobhan21 ! I’m awfully sorry about your mom and incontinence. Have you taken her to the doctor lately to find out if something can be done?

Hi Becky,
Yep she has been to the urologist last week and the week before. The dr. performed a scope procedure to see if her bladder cancer had returned, and thank goodness it had not. He prescribed meds to keep her from having recuring UTIs. But her urine was fine this time. I just don't understand why she can't feel when her bowels are moving. This was not the case just 3 months ago. Does this mean she's nearing the end?

Thank you for your comments. Mom has been using disposable depends for the past 5 years. She has just recently become bowel incontinent also. I try to keep her on a schedule, but inevitably her bowels will move during the night and then I have a big mess when I wake her in the morning.

That’s a lot of work I’m sure. Most everyone I know who has advanced dementia is incontinent. They don’t seem to even know when they are going. Do you plan to get any help in the home?

I am dealing with the same. Mom will just go on the floor at times. I try to tell her her diaper only comes off in the bathroom, but it doesn’t always work that way. I did order some absorbent powder granules to make the mess easier to clean up. I also ordered a helio air broom. I’m in the midst of learning all this. Much has been trial and error thus far. It is has been very traumatic. Praying for you.

I will pray for you also. You are correct in saying that it is trial and error. I don't have any medical background and only have help for 4 hours on two days of the week when I am working my part time job. I had no idea how difficult this was going to be. She can't be left unattended, so unless I'm at work, I'm confined to my house with her. My husband has been so supportive. He is still working full time and is very concerned about caregiver burnout with me. We are going on 5 months of her living with us and honestly, I don't know how I'm going to continue. I'm so thankful for this forum. No one else seems to understand. Hang in there.

Thanks. My parents have been with me almost 9 months. It is getting harder. I’ve no medical background either. My husband is also supportive, thank God. I try to get out for a few hours weekly.

I’m cutting most dairy from mom’s diet, hoping things are less “explosive”. 🙃

@tschierk @siobhan21 and others, you may also appreciate the tips shared in these related discussions:

- Not Incontinence but bathroom messes and clothes soiling https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/not-incontinence-but-bathroom-messes-and-clothes-soiling/
- Tips for transition to incontinence? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tips-for-transition-to-incontinence/
- How to handle problem with bowel movements https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-to-handle-problem-with-bowel-movements/

I'm not a doctor, but what is her vitamin D uptake? My wife's doc put her on a high vit D level after a low blood test. Really high I thought, 100k units a week. It irritated her bowl with predicted results. When we backed off to around 20k a week, her problem went away.