Mom wears diapers at night and starts to urinate before fully seated on commode getting clothes wet. Any ideas how to prevent the extra laundry?

This all was good advice. And a reminder for all of us, because some day we will be there too. My MIL has constant UTI's and incontinence at 92. When we discussed with her doc what to do and why she has these issues, he talked about prolapse of her bladder, how it is common for elderly women, how hysterectomy plays a part in all of this, etc. Trying to explain to her how to do a Kegel now - let's just say, forget it. But I am sure she never did them, ever. And I am sure she had her uterus out when her doctor told her it needed to come out, no questions asked.
My son, who is now 33 and the middle child, was a very big baby with a particularly large head (he is 6'6" now and played offensive tackle in college!) and came out face up. Two weeks after giving birth when I was showering I felt what seemed to resemble a water balloon coming out of my vagina while showering. I freaked out! Went to the doctor and he told me that I had a prolapse due to childbirth and the fact that he was so large (also face up and a difficult labor). The prescription was Kegels - 1000 a day! Believe me, at 25, I didn't want this anomaly plaguing me all my life but I had no idea the seriousness of it then. I did my Kegels and continued to do them/ do them still! I have been told when I go for my annual pap that I have 'great muscle tone'. I know this sounds way like TMI but it all came together when I heard what was going on with my MIL. That is where we are headed, ladies, if we don't take care of our WHOLE bodies. So we have two things here - we need to care for our elderly parents/mothers but we also do not need to necessarily follow in their footsteps. We need to be for them and for us, informed patients and caregivers, and as for us, start today toning up and caring for our bodies if we haven't already started. Ten or so years ago a female doc that was my PCP said "We are all going to live to be old. It' just a matter of how healthy we are going to be". There is so much to keep us alive now but quality of life is everything. Constant UTI's are not inevitable just because women are old.

My mother wears two pads in her underwear night and day. When she first had a stroke she couldn't hold her bladder at all - - so we tried the pull up type adult underwear with a pad in it and it worked very well. now we are just using the double pads. good luck.

Hi Chitchat! First of all - want to say "My three son's" answer was an excellent idea for over night help! Thank you!!
My Mom leaks sometimes too. But...found by having one of those plastic raised toilet seats (solid one that snaps on or a more removable one as a raised seat w/side handles helps TREMENDOUSLY. It shortens the "distance" between getting there and dribbling. With the seat lifted...you can position Mom better and faster. Works for us!

When my hubby had this problem, I had him put on his Depends, then a pair of men's underwear over the Depends. Everything felt more secure. I keep a lot of cotton toweling by the toilet for quick wipe ups with Lysol spray.

Thanks - I'll definitely check into it, although we did just switch her over from a medicare HMO to the medi-gap insurance instead.

@purplesushi -Not sure if its the medicare or her part B but yes they do if the doctor prescribes them.

P.S. - @Beecindy - are you telling me Medicare will cover them if the dr. prescribes them???? That is one thing I never THOUGHT to ask about!!!

The same thing happens to my Mom - luckily she is able to stand well enough on her own at the commode, so she doesn't take the Depends off until she is standing over it. She prefers the "diaper style" briefs for this reason - the pull-up style is just too cumbersome at this point, and if they get soiled she has to completely undress to change them. I bet the company didn't think of that when they designed them for adults...and it's getting harder and harder to find the tab-style in the stores now.

Oh and one more thing. I found a more expensive option for the chucks which I will use form time to time because they are sooo nice. Huggies came out with a pad for little ones that have a bed wetting problem. They are about 10.00 at Target and come in a pack of 10 I believe. The nice this is that in addition to being wet proof. They are larger than normal chucks and have a peel off sticky side to each corner so they do not move or bunch up like standard chucks do.... Makes it really nice for my mom to lay on and me to clean up!

Well, In my situation, my mom is elderly in addition to dementia. She has worn disposable briefs for years now. originally to just be there for the "dibble" between trips to the bathroom. Slowly over time it has become a necessity. She too will have the issue of starting to go before you have her set on the stool. All I have found is that its a good thing that the wheel chair seat is washable. I have Clorox wipes and gloves available at all times. She cannot help it. I also use chucks. Two in her bed in case she wets through and I have used them in the wheel chair or other chairs to protect. To KABEEENA: Chucks are the pads that hospitals use in the beds and such to keep the bedding dry and clean under ones bottom. Mom's insurance pays for the briefs and chucks because her doctor prescribes them for her.

Purple Sushi- Thanks for the answer! I have been thinking I need to get something like that as my mom has just begun to be incontinent, and I'm sure soon enough we will have some overflow problems. Thanks for the advice about puppy pads, I'll try them.

Bubble- I have that problem, too, I was just too embarrassed to admit it. If I wake from a deep sleep, the need to go may be too urgent, and I have had accidents in the transition from standing up clothed to sitting on the toilet, and it's upsetting. I was able to describe the solution I described to ChitChat from my own experience, and then Kegel exercises helped so it almost never happens anymore anymore.

Diane- The nursing home my dad was in put their patients in slipper socks with a rubber-like stripe pattern applied to the soles. Easy to remove and throw in the washer and replace with clean ones if an accident happens.

My mother starts pulling down her depends in the hall and wets on the hall hardwood floors and into the bathroom marble floor. I have put area rugs down in the bathroom thinking that will help absorb some of the urine, but am worried that she will slip on the marble floor. We try to go with her when we see her headed to the bathroon so we can help her remember to keep her depends up until she get over the toliet and is able to sit down. This is a hard habit for my mother to change.

I like the idea of taking her to the bathroom more frequently. But if it still happens, here's an idea that might sound kind of odd, but it might be worth a try, especially if it's the squatting action that triggers the urination. When she is standing in front of the toilet, pull her pants down around her ankles, and try to get the bulk of the fabric away from the toilet. Pull the waistband of the diapers down but leave the crotch area snugly up between her legs (the diapers will end up inside out and hanging upside down around her upper thighs.) Have her start to squat over the toilet with the crotch of the diapers still in place. When she is sufficiently situated over the toilet bowl so any stream will go into the toilet, but just before she is actually sitting on the toilet, then you quickly pull the diapers forward, away from her crotch area. She may start to go before you can remove the diapers, but, then, it's no loss because they're diapers and they're probably wet already anyway. This may take some practice to get the positioning and timing right, and you may get some splashes on the toilet seat and/or the floor, but it will minimize wetting of clothes.

It would have to be a different story if she has also defecated in the diapers. If that is the case, I would pull down the outer pants and have her sit on the toilet with the diapers still on. When you get a sense that she is done peeing, have her lean forward so her bottom is lifted off the toilet seat a little and you can pull the diapers forward and out from under her bottom, then have her sit back up and you can pull them out from under her legs. This could get messy, but it would spare the clothing getting messed up.

I hope this helps!

@kabeena - "chucks" are the absorbent pads that are (usually) blue plastic on one side, and absorbent material on top that are kept underneath patients to protect the bedding and whatnot in case of an accident. I have found it's cheaper to buy puppy training pads (as long as they're not the ones that are 'scented' with an attractant - read the label.) and use them for the same purpose.

I have that problem.Ditropan,a pill helps. Now I am doing kegel exercises too.Poise pads are the best.

I am wondering if the pads inside the diaper of a male would do the same? My dad takes medicine that prohibits him from waking during the night. When he gets up, as my mom would say, "he is wet to the ears". We haven't had any issue with rashes so far.

It may be that her pelvic muscles are too loose and the action of squating is causing her to accidently release. Try raising the toilet seat height. You could also try doing some pelvic muscle stregthening exercises with her. Could be a fun activity for her.

What's a chuck?

Kegal exercises! They take awhile to kick in though. It will strengthen everything in the pelvic region. Though they initially developed it for pregnancy, many therapists are using them for incontinence and there's no reason why most seniors can't do them. Start small and work up. Google Kegal exercise for tons of informational websites on it.

Adding the (overnight) pads inside seems to work best if you slit the plastic (bottom) layer for the fluid to go down through. I did this for My Mom with two diapers (inner one slit in outside plastic, too) and one pad (to reduce bulk & lower spine pressure).

My mom will do the same thing, chitchat. She can go to the bathroom two or three times a night sometimes and will still do that. She has diabetes and her doctor told me that her nerves have been compromised so she doesn't have the sensation that she needs to go sometimes or doesn't even know that she is going. Her muscles are completely shot as well, so she really has no control over her incontinence issues-makes life difficult. I just do a lot of laundry because I really haven't been able to find anything to help the situation. (Until right now, with the pollen count through the roof, I have been giving her some benadryl to help with the drainage, and strangely enough it has seemed to help her sleep through the night and evidently dries her up enough that we haven't had those issues in a couple of weeks-unless it's a bowel movement!) I hope someone has another suggestion because my mom is not together enough to ask for help or change herself if she does make a mess. Oh-she wears a nighttime pad with cotton panties at night because the Depends hold too much moisture and she ends up with rashes so I only use the Depends if we are traveling or going to be out for an extended time just to protect her dignity and clothing. Sorry, I'm not much help....

add Poise pads, sometimes two inside the pull-ups

Have you taken her to a gynochologist who specializes in incontinence? My mom had a Botox like injection that helps her urinate more slowly. It's not very invasive, done in the doctors office every 6 months

Happens here too! As seven said-take her to pot more often... At night, my mom only wears a pj top to bed and a Depends. I have 2 chucks on the floor-one on top of the other. When she leaks-she will change her own Depend as I keep everything within arms reach. And, sometimes, she will roll back the top chuck if she gets it wet and then there is another one there if she gets up again. I am blessed that she can still do that much for herself...not sure of your situation. Funny, during the day she acts like she can't do a thing for herself! But, for now, at night she will do that much. I have a monitor in my room so I can hear her and if she has any trouble-she calls out to me. Doesn't always know it is me she is calling-but she knows the routine and frequently calls out to "somebody!" Good luck....

Take her to the washroom on a more frequent basis and hopefully she will start to go normally without the leakage. Does she awake in the night to go? If so change her to a dry diaper after the last urination. Hopefully if she goes more often it will prevent the "flood" wetting her clothing. ie the longer before urinations the more chance of wetting clothing.