Could my mother's constant bladder infections be caused by the adult diapers she is using?

Not the pads, but improper pH in the urine from lack of fluid intake or excessive use of antibiotics. Most antibiotics kill off the good intestinal flora along with the infection. So the gut has to re populate via probiotics, good fluid intake and more recently, by transplanting good flora from a donor via enema. Sounds weird to donate your poop, but it works.

My mother is 98 and we have recurring UTI. I just put her back on an antibiotic Unasyn (something I prefer to avoid, certainly limit) this is the second time in 3 months. I also make a liquid out of pearl barley (boil the barley for 40 minutes and reserve the liquid which I add to fresh orange juice). Mum loves tea and maybe this is an irritant. I think, though, that the main culprit are the pampers we use. I think she needs to be "aired out" as mentioned above. I will try Burt's ointment (hope I can find this here in Egypt, where we live) and wash front to back. Thanks for all your help.

Why not just change the diapers frequently? Let's not get complicated. A little more water and maybe some AZO with water.
If she does have diagnosed UTI's, did the Cipro work for her?

Yes, thank you, she changes them quite frequently. And drinks water, takes AZO, and other medications. Cipro works, but the infections still come back. It's a problem.

Pam, Let's not get gross. Since the antibiotics kill the intestinal flora, why not try the old-fashioned acidopholous ( sp?) such as yogurt or Activa? It won't cure the UTI's, but it may make her feel better.

I am only 70 but have prolapsed bladder. I use disposable pads only when I go on holiday and keep them on night and day. At home for economy I use my own cut up old teeshirts to make washable folded pads, and leave them off at night. I have come back from holiday with yet another UTI and found this article while searching for a reason and think disposable pads could be the cause.

FYI ~ Pam is correct. Fecal transplantation FMT (while may sound gross) is a thing. A life saving thing with a phenomenal success rate. I learned about it from a physician friend. No personal experience with it, but I read up on it as I'm a curious sort.

I can only speak for myself as a longtime caregiver for a mom with recurrent antibiotic resistant UTIs, but been there done that (and STILL doing that) with yogurt/acidophilus, cranberry, hydration, impeccable hygiene, no/low sugar diet, changing 'Attends' frequently, etc. UTIs are, sadly, the bane of existence for many folks which is just a heartbreaking reality. My dad went sepsis twice due to UTIs via enlarged prostate issues and now my mom is fighting her sixth UTI this year... And is running out of antibiotics to try. A crying shame, as she is the most vibrant albeit compromised lady in her outstanding six person board and care. I am intrigued by the estrogen cream suggestion (thank you for sharing that here!!!) and will pursue that if it has potential for mom.

Lastly, speaking as a fifty plus woman, do any of you wizened folks know if doing kegel exercises now would be helpful for blade health later in life? Many thanks~

Typo alert. ...that would be 'bladder' health. 😜

Please don't give up on cranberry juice and pills. I have the icon-problem too. I started taking the juice (make sure it is just cranberry, vitamin C., no cocktail!) first thing in the AM, on an empty stomach. About 30 min. later, `1 cup of coffee, then I have a whole bottle of water later. Then, I have about 1/2 cup of plain yogurt with about 2-3 tablespoons of granola, only then do I have the cranberry supplement. I keep drinking cranberry juice through the day. A large bottle is gone by evening. I heard the juice actually helps the infection to slough off the inside of the bladder. One day, and most of the worst symptoms were hardly noticeable. I kept it up until I no longer passed cloudy urine. Now I take 2 capsules a day as a preventative. Keep drinking smaller amounts of cranberry juice daily. Best of Luck!

Stop the cranberry juice and the pills as they don't agree with everyone. Plain water and no drinks before bed. No Citrus fruits.
Berries and melon are ok to eat.

Hi there, my mom has had exactly the same issues. We took it a step at a time. First we started using wipes to help with wanting her up throughout the day. We got her on a probiotic that we had her taking daily. Then since she is mostly pees at night in her depends, I have had her (with the Drs blessing) add a few drops of beytadine (sp?) to the wipe she uses first thing in the am. This with having cranberry pills 1x per day has done wonders. She went from having 6 or more utis in a year down to 1 or less. She also struggled with cdiff. This was bc she was in a rehab place. We got her home. Started the above and probiotic and we're finally able to get rid of the cdiff. Note that there is a relatively new procedure out there called a fecal transplant. If your mother is chronic with the cdiff -this may be the answer. The procedure can be done similarly to a colonoscopy. Since I am not a Dr. Please consult her Drs to see if any of the above will help her. Good luck. It's a rough combo but can be wrangled.

My Mom was having UTIs every 3-4 weeks a Dr friend suggested d-mannose cranactin. She hasn’t had one in 1.5 yrs. Good luck.