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Dad, who lives in a MC facility, has been wearing permanent foley catheter for little over 2 years now. In late 2024, he forcibly pulled it out. It was bloody and traumatic; the balloon on the tip of the pulled out foley was still intact! I am sure it was super painful and thought he would never do it again. But, within this past week, he pulled it out twice! This time around, the balloon was deflated and less bloody. Has anyone whose LO/PWD have the same issue? How do you resolve it?

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Dad can be dressed in anti strip Alzheimer's clothing preventing him from accessing his genitals. Available on Amazon.

Get him a hospice evaluation stat as they may have other ideas for you and remedies for incontinence.

Good luck to you.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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In all honesty you can't and you don't. It is impossible. You can TRY by keeping a good bind on the closing of adult incontinent briefs, and no front openings on anything, but the truth is that they will get to the tube and they will pull it. No matter how clean you keep it and no matter what you do these catheters inserted into the penis are exceptionally irritating. As a nurse this was a constant problem for us when confusion is involved. Youtube has good brief educational films on catheter care; you will want to pay particular attention to how to tape a catheter safely and securely to the leg, but even this seldom works over time. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But worse yet is the suprapubic catheter which is actually stitched in place.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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If he's in a memory care facility, he can wear disposable briefs and they can change him. He's gone past the point where a catheter is a good idea.

Dementia patients eventually get to the point where they don't understand what things are for. If they're uncomfortable, they want them off. My DH has tried to eat his eyeglasses and his hearing aids. He may have succeeded eating a hearing aid because it's never been found even though it should have been trackable through its app on my phone. If they have dentures, they may pull them out and even throw them away or try to gift them to someone such as an aide.

Certainly you should discuss your dad's catheter issue with his care team and invite their input on the best way to handle it.
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waytomisery Oct 29, 2025
OP says he needs the foley on a permanent basis .
My father had to have one the last 3 years of his life or he could not void urine at all . A lot of people are not aware that there are medical conditions where this can happen . My neighbor also has to have a foley for the rest of his life due to his inability to void.
I agree though to check with the doctor about whether or not the foley is in fact necessary.
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This is why many if not most MC facilities will not accept a resident that has "tubes" Feeding tube, catheter, IV's will all be pulled out. Dementia patients do not do well with things like this.
Options would be to place him in Skilled Nursing, hopefully they would have a closer eye on him.
Using anti strip clothing so that he can not get access to the cath.
Mittens would make it more difficult for him to grasp but mittens may be considered a restraint and are not legal.

Is there a medical reason he has a catheter and is not using disposable briefs? If not then have the catheter removed and they can begin changing him when he is wet and they should also be taking him to the toilet.
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Grandma1954 Oct 29, 2025
my recent thought is that anti strip clothing may be considered a restraint. so it can not be used.
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Doesn't that facility know about anti-strip clothing?
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Grandma1954 Oct 29, 2025
Maybe anti strip clothing may be viewed as a restraint
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THANK YOU all for responding so fast, truly appreciate it. Dad wears permanent catheter because his bladder no longer works and unable to push urine out. We have tried everything to prevent him from pulling at it -- we use StatLock to stabilize his catheter, he pull it and breaks the StatLock; he wears a onesie that zips up in the back; he still managed to pull the foley out with the balloon intact; we then added a pair of thermal pants that hugs the ankle underneath his onesie......guess what...... he still managed to pull out his foley twice within one week!

All of your input tells me what I dread; there is no sure way to prevent him from pulling it out and hurting himself.

Again, thank you all.
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Reply to LearningByDoing
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CaringWifeAZ Nov 4, 2025
I'm so sorry you are going through this! It must be painful for him, but I don't know that you can stop him from doing this.
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Maybe try giving him something
to hold . Stuffed animal maybe ? . Not sure it will work though.
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waytomisery Oct 30, 2025
If going forward , he keeps pulling out the catheter perhaps ask the doctor about a suprapubic catheter . It may be more comfortable.
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My uncles roommate at the NH is always fiddling with his Catheter. His Alzheimer's prevented any reasoning with him to stop pulling it out or emptying the bag. They need to cloth him in the dementia adaptive clothing to prevent him from any access to the tube or bag.
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Reply to AMZebbC
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Your parents are both in their 90s, both have dementia and other health issues, and their quality of life is very low. There is much discussion about length of life rather than quality of life, and the poor effects on the elderly, the cost of the medical system, and the younger(?) people whose lives are taken over. When the discussion gets personal, it's hard to remember this bigger picture.

Have you considered hospice?
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LearningByDoing Oct 30, 2025
Hi MargaretMcKen,

Thank you for your response. I do appreciate it.

So far, Dad does not qualify for hospice -- no weight loss, no broken/crack/fracture bones, no persistent fever, no signs of pain -- without these, his doctor won't be ordering hospice. Having said that, if Dad continues to forcibly remove his foley causing irreversible harm or sepsis or something then we will definitely have that hospice discussion.
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Get rid of the catheter! He will continue to do this, now that he knows how!
He needs to be in adult diapers. And the MC he is in may not manage incontinence care for an adult in diapers. That means he would need to move to a different level of care.
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Reply to CaringWifeAZ
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I would discuss the matter with the nurse and social worker to develop a plan for why the matter keeps occurring. It is not uncommon for patients with dementia to get confused or reasons or agitated with medical procedures. Have them check to make sure there are not other medical issues that are involved.
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Reply to Senior8
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Just curious if there had been any discussion about a suprapubic catheter?
Minor procedure where a tube is inserted into the bladder in the lower abdomen.
I think it could be secured so he would be less likely to pull it out.
There is always the risk of a person with dementia pulling out any "tube" but maybe this would be less obvious to him.
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LearningByDoing: Speak to the social worker.
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