Mom has fractured lower leg, the hospital put on a huge "boot" because I need to periodically undo it in order to check her fracture blister. She has dementia, she tends to lie on her side. I'm having a hard time changing her diaper when she's sleeping (from 5pm - ?, she normally gets up in the middle of the night).
I cut her diaper on the side, put between her legs and taped only the left side (she's sleeping on the right side). I ended up shoving pads and a chux between her legs, and taped it over her hip. Does anyone have a better method?
And yes, mom shouldn't be laying on her side all the time, esp as is pretty immobile. A hospital bed will really help with that, you won't be reaching so far, and maybe mom can use the side rails for support.
I wish you luck in this---it's hard, for sure!
It might be useful to get her one of those special electric air matress pads that inflates and deflates in different areas. They help to keep any one area from being under pressure all the time.
Lower on the thread Beatty asks if you have access to both sides of the bed. This is very important for changing the diaper. Using a sturdy waterproof bed pad under your mother's hips will also be a great help. You can reposition her with the bedpad and these bedpads can be used with the pressure air mattress underneath.
In the overnight it will help if you line her diaper with a trimmed-down diaper (cut the tabs and elastic away). She will stay drier.
I found a video that may help -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWplqKvYlo8
I would think Mom needs to roll both sides of the bed to secure the tab on each side. Are you wanting to avoid this step? (So she stays asleep)
You mentioned Mom "normally gets up in the middle of the night".. so is the aim to do a pad change in the evening?
I'm thinking a slide sheet could be used to help slide the pad under her hip so the tabs can be accessed from the front side?
If you can explain a bit more about your aim I will see what I can think of..
PS can you access both sides of the bed, or is it up against the wall?
Right now, she's still mostly asleep, and is on low dosage daily antibiotics. Everytime I clean her, while she sleeps, she's constantly pooping small amounts. I clean her the best I can, I have a hard time pulling out the bed pads. I put a sanitary pad in between her legs, the one for incontinence, I place more bed pads, disposable, underneath and in an hour, it's more poop to clean up!
So far, no bed sores.