I am with Alva. Your Mom is having the urge to go anfpd that is caused by an infection. Older Seniors do not get the itching burning sensations. A UTI will cause sepsis if not treated. Mom may get aggressive too.
You need to supervise her in the bathroom. yes this means going with her and standing there. Yes it probably means handing her a few pieces of TP. It also means that you should be making sure that she is properly cleaning herself after toileting as well as washing hands.
Your mother should never be left alone, #1. Dementia reaches a point where it's way too dangerous for an elder to be alone b/c there's way too much trouble she can get herself into while alone. TP in the toilet bowl is the least of it; trying to cook on the stove & leaving a pot on hot burner is only one scenario that'sa possibility. Moving into AL together is a good idea (per your profile), whether mom is agreeable to it or not. That way, when you're gone, she still has caregivers available to her.
#2, remove the toilet paper from the bathroom and accompany her to the bathroom each time she says she has to use the toilet. Otherwise, you're going to have a huge plumbing issue on your hands in short order. You cannot reason with an elder who's suffering from dementia; so telling her not to dump a load of tp into the bowl won't do the trick. She doesn't necessarily have a UTI; just an obsession with the toilet, which my mother also had (with advanced dementia). Once she's cleared of any medical reason for going to the loo every 5 minutes, then you can attribute it to the dementia instead of anything organic.
She may need to start wearing incontinence briefs at some point if/when the toileting becomes a big issue.
Wishing you the best of luck with a difficult situation.
This is a symptom of a UTI, among other things. I am assuming you have seen Mom's doctor and that her urine has been tested by urinalysis and by culture? That would be step one. You have then the problem that you could be dealing with an irritation, a cystitis, a fungal infection. It's time to see the doctor or see the doctor AGAIN.
yes this means going with her and standing there.
Yes it probably means handing her a few pieces of TP.
It also means that you should be making sure that she is properly cleaning herself after toileting as well as washing hands.
#2, remove the toilet paper from the bathroom and accompany her to the bathroom each time she says she has to use the toilet. Otherwise, you're going to have a huge plumbing issue on your hands in short order. You cannot reason with an elder who's suffering from dementia; so telling her not to dump a load of tp into the bowl won't do the trick. She doesn't necessarily have a UTI; just an obsession with the toilet, which my mother also had (with advanced dementia). Once she's cleared of any medical reason for going to the loo every 5 minutes, then you can attribute it to the dementia instead of anything organic.
She may need to start wearing incontinence briefs at some point if/when the toileting becomes a big issue.
Wishing you the best of luck with a difficult situation.
You have then the problem that you could be dealing with an irritation, a cystitis, a fungal infection. It's time to see the doctor or see the doctor AGAIN.