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AD goes in stages, with distinct plateaus. Check this link http://m.alz.org/stages-of-alzheimers.asp for all the symptoms to gauge your loved one's progression. Best wishes.
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Incontinence can come at a much earlier stage for some people so this isn't a likely gauge. If you are wondering about a specific person - such you in your case - it's best to talk with the person's doctor.

In late stage dementia people often can't swallow, can't communicate, doesn't recognize people and has other symptoms. As I said - people all vary as does Alzheimer's.

Take care of yourself,
Carol
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This is one of the many things i hate about it....i continually worry about whats going to change in my mom next....
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Not necessarily. It depends on the foods and liquids she has consumed, but a consult with her doctor is certainly in order. My mother went six years before her passing with incontinence.
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Stages are not set in stone. There are usually numerous indications or "symptoms" from stage to stage. One symptom may be more typical in on stage or other, but not always. Sometimes incontinence may be only temporary. I still try to teach people about Kegles and strengthening the muscles that shut off urine flow. Use them or lose them. Also, sometimes withholding BMS or urination will result in incontinence, so a regular schedule to the bathroom might be in order. Above all, be sure she is getting plenty of fiber in her diet and enough liquids to keep things moving and soft.
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I always wonder about my husband, and I read the 'signs" as mentioned above, but some of these things we all do, i.e. forgot the names of people we just met, etc. My husband does have incontinence issues...but not sure what is causing it..and he won't go in to have it checked! He also is disorganized but then he has always been that way and a procrastinator. So that's his 'normal'. He doesn't bath very often either and that has been an issue. So really don't know if I'm seeing signs of dementia or Alzheimer's or not.
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A protruding tummy (from childbirth or weight gain) can cause incontinence.
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I think that some patients are late stage with some things, but not others. Eventually, they may end up with all of the symptoms of late stage, if they survive.

I look at the symptoms of the stages regularly to monitor my loved ones status. She seems to have all the symptoms of Late stage, except that she can still talk and feed herself. She's incontinent both ways, can't walk or take care of any of her daily needs, except feeding. She can use her feet to propel herself in her wheelchair. She doesn't really carry on a conversation, but she can answer your questions yes or no. Mostly, she says she doesn't know or can't remember to everything you ask. So determining her stage is difficult, since she does have some ability left.
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Incontinence is not always a symptom of dementia or Alz, though it does go hand-in-hand with it in the very late stages. It can be a symptom of many other things. It depends very much on your loved one's health and other medical issues before demential or Alz even comes into the picture. My mother, for example, had 4 children and is very overweight. By the time she was in her mid-60's, she was leaking urine quite a bit of the time. Not major floods, mind you, but stress incontinence, where she would leak if she coughed or sneezed, or when she stood up from a sitting position. Anything that would put stress on the pelvic floor muscles (which we use to "squeeze" to hold urine in). Now, over 10 years later, she is almost completely incontinent of her urine, but is still continent with her bowels and is at stage 3/4 with her dementia (memory issues, can't remember how to do things in proper order, misplaces things because she doesn't know where to put them, can't make decisions without help).
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sorry, that's "dementia" not "demential". I fat-fingered the keys.
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Good answers and very helpful. So far my partner has no issues with this. I am not looking forward to that part of care. He still goes to the bathroom with no issues, other than constipation now and then. KASHI, with regards to bathing. My partner is short on the bathing also. I talked to the nurse in Memory Care (he is not there but I have a friend in the memory care unit), and she said they bath the patients twice a week. She told me that the skin of the elderly is not helped by to much bathing. I have no idea what that means. But, she also said some only get a bath once a week. So, I don't worry to much with my Partner. We do not have a walk in shower so, I have to struggle with getting him into the tub in stages. It is horrible. I finally made up my mind that he will not be using the tub any longer. It is too much for me. So, I will be bathing him as I dress him every morning or at least twice a week. He is sensative and gets rashes easily. We have to keep his skin moist with Triamcinolone Acetonide (prescription). On top of that, moisturizer. This gets on his clothes and he has to wear socks to bed and even after washing the clothes still feel like they have moisturizer in the fabic. The dermatologists WANTS this. I have to run hot water and bleach in my washer at least once a week as a build up occurs around the tub. I wish I had two washers.
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My mom is on 5 years now with incontinence, she also hasnt been able to walk, or talk, has swalllowing/ choking difficulties, nor really can understand anything. I can make her laugh sometimes. I have a hoyer lift and puree her foods and thicken her liquids. Her doctor told me with good care she will have a long life and die a natural death here at home. Dont go by stages, i have found them useless.
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Oregon girl, i have bathed my mom every day for 7 years and she has never had a bed sore. Please dont go by the nursing home standards because thats ridicous 2x a week. You have to when incontinent especially, no wonder they get sores. Those areas get moist and warm and urinated. I also use desitin and vaseline mixed as a barrier lightly powdered with caldescene. Its no picnic argh.i hoyer her to wheelchair and lift her on toilet to bathe her. It took years but on her strict schedule she will do her bm on the toilet every morning during her bathing. Good luck.
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My mother just went from being incontinent to wearing cotton panties again at age 103. You never know if its a UTI - that's what it was with mother - low grade for years. She finally got it cleared up and now she is fine during the day and wears a depends at night because she can't hold it overnight and can't make it to the potty. The Incontinence may have nothing to do with AD.
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REVERSEROLES Yes, you are so right. If he was incontinent, I would surely wash him down daily and maybe twice. But, so far that is not the case. Bed sores. Yes, I keep an eye out for that. I started cutting the tops off of his socks (the white ones they wear with tennis shoes) and I slip them on his elbows at night. He is still sitting up all day. He watches TV from morning till night. He never liked playing board games or I would try I might try anyway. What the heck.... I go get the mail everyday and we sit and go thru the mail even the junk mail. He is just happy he is getting mail. He can still use the phone to call my cell. I got the phone set on speed dial for about 6 people. So far, he is able to do it.

I called the doctor this afternoon and told him that his urine output is REALLY low. I was so concerned. We live in a small town and our doctor has been our doctor for nearly 20 years. His nurse usually calls me back. But, since my Partner has worsened, my doctor calls us direct whenever I call him We are so lucky. He is also our friend. He is Jewish and my partner is German from Germany. The two of them laugh all the time about the stupid war. The other day the doctor asked my partner what Hitler was thinking?? My partner said there was no control over Hitler.
I just sit and listen to the two of them and I smile. I am SO hoping that he can die at home. I guess according to the doctor he is in his last stages of Parkinson. I have no idea what the stages are. I saw a chart and it appears that the brain is affected. He shakes and has little control over his walking or his hands. I wondered about that lift. Is it expensive? Thanks for your help
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OregonGirl, if your Dad needs the hoyer lift his doctor will just write an RX for it and medicare pays for it, it includes one sling. You can keep him home if you really want to but hire part time help to give yourself a break. When you said your Dad watches tv my heart melted, you're so lucky! My Mom wouldn't know what a tv is, nor can she see it, walk or talk. Everyone's different, who knows. I never thought my Mom would go this long, sometimes I wonder if she will outlive me and I will not ever have a free life? lol I can probably answer any questions you have, been there, done that, still doing it. IF you do get a hoyer make sure it spreads enough to straddle a recliner!! The electric one I got didnt and I had to exchange it for a manual (ugh) because I put Mom in her recliner daily. Good Luck!!
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My wife has VaD. She has bladder incontinence for times (3-5 days perhaps) and the rest of the time does not have it. A friend's son showed his first sign that he had family dementia recently at 31 through the onset of both bladder and fecal incontinence but his memory and reasoning are still intact. They both have micro-bleed stroke genetic VaD. Her mother and his father passed from it.
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