We have an alarm that goes off in our bedroom and alerts us when my Father in law gets out of bed.
I make sure to try and keep him awake during the day by putting his favorite music on (on headphones) and also make sure he doesn't have anything to drink after 6:30 pm because he saturates his diaper which leaks through his plastic pants and onesie. We also take him to the bathroom right before bed at 10pm.
Despite this, he's still wide awake and getting up several times at night...and soaking himself through (literally saturating his diaper) by morning when my husband gets up early for work between 4:30 and 5. I've given him melatonin which doesn't seem to help.
And the bed wetting... (to this extreme) is a mystery.
Any suggestions?
I've talked to a few of her doctors about this (including her primary care) and her nurses and no one has given me a definite answer. She was found to not have a UTI and no other issues thus far.
My mom has always been one to go to the bathroom often, so I really think her dementia has magnified the situation.
I cut off her fluids between 5-6 p.m., she goes for the last time at night around 10 p.m., and she STILL wets through about 3 diapers per night, on top of getting up and going to the bathroom throughout the night!
Her PCP initially reduced her fluid intake to 32 ozs., but then she was found to be slightly dehydrated. Mind you, she wasn't drinking all that much during the day to begin with- maybe around 40 ozs. Reducing her fluid intake did not help- she went just as much as she did before.
He then placed her on overactive bladder medicine- that didn't even help- and it gave her diarrhea.
So now we're back to her regular fluid intake and no medicine.
I've even bought her the Wellness brand briefs with NASA technology- nope, they're still not powerful enough.
I could see if she drank a lot of water all day long, but she doesn't. She doesn't eat or drink anything either that could stimulate her bladder (caffeine, spicy foods, etc.). It makes no sense at all! So, the conclusion for me until I hear differently is dementia.
As I still try to get answers from her doc, I think I am going to get her the PureWick system for women (it's an external catheter) as I would rather her not get up at night.
There are condom catheters for men- maybe that is something that may work for your dad?
You might try thicker Night Time Diapers and also put a pad under him.
Sometimes they just get their days and nights reversed.
Maybe you can try leaving a TV on for him to watch so it might occupy him and he won't leave his bed.
You should check with his Dr to let them know.
Dob't think about catherizing him because that is very painful and causes UTI's
You can also try letting him listen to stories on his headphone
Staying in bed- Good Luck with that. When I worked as a nurse in a Alzhemers unit, we had residentss that would not stay in their rooms no matter what. Tying them to the bed was of course not an option, as it is dehumanizing, and unsafe. We had one guy who insisted upon scooting with his feet in his wheelchair around the ward, we could time him, he'd gat tired of doing his NASCAR Wheelchair run, then go to bed. He later needed help sitting in his chair, so we tried using a lap belt, but on one of his NASCAR rounds, he slipped out f Wheelchair and the belt got tuck around his neck, I found him by the candy machine sitting on the floor with his neck and one arm in the belt. Good thing we checked on him constantly. We had to confine him to his room at night when he started going into other patient's room , ladies specifically and wheeling himself up their bed and groping them while they slept.
I would have chucks on the bed besides a plastic bed cover if you haven't already done that. Also look into a different diaper that maybe for nights that may hold more urine than most. People tend to urinate more heavily at night. Looking at some diapers they have night ones that hold up to 34ozs of liquid(Carewell tranquility) which is 4.25 cups of liquid and a bladder hold about 2 cups but it can retain it too. Have you had your father check by a urologist because he maybe retaining the urine where he isn't fully peeing it out. BIL had to go on flomax because he was retaining his urine.
Prayers that you find the answer.