Is incontinence a symptom of Alzheimer's disease?

Has Urinary Tract Infection been ruled out?

Yes, incontinence is part of the process. My dad has both types. Sad! :( Just hate seeing him decline in all aspects = continual grieving.

I would definitely check for any infections. My mom has Alzheimer's an usually can go to the bathroom, but then there are times that she completely forgets how, where, what, and every other detail regarding bathrooms. Her "undergarment" which is what we call her throw away underwear really help with messes.

You have to pop her on the pot every hour or so. Pain in the butt I know.

These days I just lead Mom into the bathroom and put her on the pot and tell her, take your time, relax, etc.

It has worked and her accidents have almost stopped for the time being. I know that as the disease progresses it will become bad again but for now I am happy for the respite of pee and poop.

When someone does not know if they have pooped or peed they have dementia...whether it's AD or any of the other dementias our there.

Try to maintain a sense of humor with it because it's gross!

Bobbie

Thanks Everyone. Yes, urinary tract infection has been ruled out but that was awhile ago. It seems like whenever I have her go to the bathroom she doesn't have to go much but her Depends is full. Bad timing I guess. I'll have to do it more often. The mornings are bad because I can't get her up to go during the night and this morning, for example, she was sopping wet. I got a pad to put over her sheets and that is helping. I don't have to wash her bedding so often now. I think it's her dementia. You're right, Bobbie. It IS gross!! I didn't have any kids so I never had to deal with poopy diapers before now. :)

Maybe try and limit liquids before bedtime also would help. My aunt has dementia and by the time she gets the signal to go, she doesn't always have time to make it to the bathroom. It's all just part of it, I guess.....

Didn't we just do a thread on pooping and peeing. After being with Mom for four days int he hospital, I saw how the CNA's handled peeing and pooping issues, and duplicated all the STUFF at home:

Some washable pads (30x36) layered over the mattress. Then a sheet blanket thing, Then one of those washable pads taped to the blanket with packing tape. Then a 30x36 disposable over that, held with packing tape. Have portapotty right next to bed. I cut her out of her Depends (with poise pad inside). She can go through two of those per night. Roll them into the disposable sheet and put those into plastic bag.

Get foaming cleaner and use with paper towels. Get bacterial cleansing foam...plastic gloves.

Mom sometimes remembers to wake me in the middle of the night,b ut I think she now senses that warm and wet is comforting and "real." I've given up chiding her about wetting herself.

Poop is more dangerous health wise. See "Sunshine Cleaning" for more tips on handling biotoxic waste. ha ha.

Bob DeMarco, editor of the Alzheimers Reading Room, said he "solved" incontinence by discovering the exact schedule needed to get his mother to the bathroom. He couldn't SOLVE incontinence, just manage less incidents.

yeah i would ask dad need go to bathroom . no no no he says haha .
i got a call from his dr today yes he has uti again . they just keeps comin back all the time . he refuses to let the dr use scope thru his penis to see whats causing the pblms . dad just flat out said noooooooo. :-(

I didn't know this was a form of dimensia either. My mom does not realize when she has to go either. Sometimes she says she has to go and when I check she's already gone. Then sometimes when I'm changing her she goes at that time. I have just started waiting to make sure she is finished. But I use those bed pads too, they work real well on top of the sheets.

Incontinence is a part of AD, but my mother didn't become incontinent until she was in the later stages, long after the diagnosis. She still tells me when she needs to have a bm, so that hasn't become a problem for us yet. It's just all so sad, isn't it?