HELP: Any ideas on how to keep carpet dry.

[dancer12]

My husband has lost control of his bladder, so he pees whenever & wherever he feels the need to. He refuses to wear depends (a quilted underwear that will absorb the wetness from his skin and contain the pee). Any ideas on how to keep the carpet in the bedroom dry.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[TNJJ]

Would he wear a conveen with a bag attached??
He will need reassessing by the nurses and that would help you.
I’m not sure what to suggest for the carpets tbh.

There will be others on here that will know more about it then me.

 

[Bunpoots]

I had problems getting my dad to wear pull-ups @dancer12 and I remember how horrible and smelly it was with wee all over the floor.

It took me weeks of being persistent and sneaky but I did eventually manage to get him to use incontinence products, although it was a bit hit and miss.

Dad loved his food so the promise of going out for a meal, but only if he wore his special pants would sometimes work.

I used double sided sticky tape to tape pads into his normal white pants - he’d take them out if he noticed them. These helped but weren’t as good as pull-ups.

I told dad he had to wear the pull-ups as his doctor had prescribed him extra comfy padded pants to stop him getting a sore bum as he sat on it so much! I used this one a lot!

And finally (as it was a battle every time he needed a change) I got carers for him...he was more co-operative with them.

 

[dancer12]

I had problems getting my dad to wear pull-ups @dancer12 and I remember how horrible and smelly it was with wee all over the floor.

It took me weeks of being persistent and sneaky but I did eventually manage to get him to use incontinence products, although it was a bit hit and miss.

Dad loved his food so the promise of going out for a meal, but only if he wore his special pants would sometimes work.

I used double sided sticky tape to tape pads into his normal white pants - he’d take them out if he noticed them. These helped but weren’t as good as pull-ups.

I told dad he had to wear the pull-ups as his doctor had prescribed him extra comfy padded pants to stop him getting a sore bum as he sat on it so much! I used this one a lot!

And finally (as it was a battle every time he needed a change) I got carers for him...he was more co-operative with them.

Hi Bunpoots:

Thanks for your reply. I have tried it all, but the one thing I'll have to do do is be more persistent. He doesn't seem to smell it, but I do. I do notice he listens to the carer's more than me, I'm only his wife. I'm more concerned about the wood rotting underneath, the cleaning up I can live with, the smell not so much but the rotting wood if it doesn't dry would bring bug, pests & diseases and that would bother me.

Thanks again & have a nice day.

 

[dancer12]

Would he wear a conveen with a bag attached??
He will need reassessing by the nurses and that would help you.
I’m not sure what to suggest for the carpets tbh.

There will be others on here that will know more about it then me.

Hi TNJJ:

Thanks, there must be an answer out there somewhere. I have the incontinence nurse coming in December.

Have a nice day.

 

[Bunpoots]

Hi Bunpoots:

Thanks for your reply. I have tried it all, but the one thing I'll have to do do is be more persistent. He doesn't seem to smell it, but I do. I do notice he listens to the carer's more than me, I'm only his wife. I'm more concerned about the wood rotting underneath, the cleaning up I can live with, the smell not so much but the rotting wood if it doesn't dry would bring bug, pests & diseases and that would bother me.

Thanks again & have a nice day.

Have you got one of those electric carpet washers that sucks up liquid as well as washes? Mine made it much easier to clean up and if I got there quick enough I could get rid of the smell and mostly keep the wee out of the floorboards.

 

[Canadian Joanne]

If I were you, I would remove the carpet altogether and have one piece vinyl flooring installed. No cracks for urine to disappear into.

 

[dancer12]

If I were you, I would remove the carpet altogether and have one piece vinyl flooring installed. No cracks for urine to disappear into.

Hi Canadian Joanne:

We are almost neighbours I live in Mississauga. Your idea about the flooring sounds great, I was worried about the hardwood underneath. Thanks Much EH!.

 

[dancer12]

Have you got one of those electric carpet washers that sucks up liquid as well as washes? Mine made it much easier to clean up and if I got there quick enough I could get rid of the smell and mostly keep the wee out of the floorboards.

Hi Bunpoots:

Yes I finally bought one, I haven't tried it yet, but I hope it works and takes the smell out Thanks Much.

 

[Toony Oony]

Hi @dancer12 - I hope your new carpet washer helps. Remember that most carpet washer systems will have a shampoo product available for cleaning up after pet accidents (I know my one does). The pet variety would be better than than the usual stuff as it is even more effective at neutralising the smell. (This to prevent animals 're-offending', as they pick up a whiff of where they have been before, think 'toilet' and repeat ...)

 

[dancer12]

Hi @dancer12 - I hope your new carpet washer helps. Remember that most carpet washer systems will have a shampoo product available for cleaning up after pet accidents (I know my one does). The pet variety would be better than than the usual stuff as it is even more effective at neutralising the smell. (This to prevent animals 're-offending', as they pick up a whiff of where they have been before, think 'toilet' and repeat ...)

Hi Toony Oony:

TP is such a good place for answers to almost anything. I appreciate this info more than you know, I'm smelling urine everywhere - NOT HIS FAULT I KNOW.

Again thanks much & have a nice day.

 

[cobden 28]

If I were you, I would remove the carpet altogether and have one piece vinyl flooring installed. No cracks for urine to disappear into.

Vinyl or laminate flooring is a lot easier to clean that carpet, and you can get washable rugs with grippers for flooring so they don't slip and slide. Damp rugs can be easily washed at home, not so with fitted carpets !

 

[Roseleigh]

Vinyl would be best , but you should not feel you have to put up with his refusing to wear any absorbent underwear, when there is a solution out there. Why not tell a white lie, the dr or nurse has said he must wear them or the incontinence will get worse. Likely he will believe this in his confused state and its not going to do him any harm!!

 

[dancer12]

Vinyl or laminate flooring is a lot easier to clean that carpet, and you can get washable rugs with grippers for flooring so they don't slip and slide. Damp rugs can be easily washed at home, not so with fitted carpets !

Hi cobden 28:

Yes that might just be a solution. Thanks. Have a great day.

 

[Ribby]

Hi cobden 28:

Yes that might just be a solution. Thanks. Have a great day.

I had vinyl flooring fitted all over the house to replace 20 year old carpet, as I had elderly cats who had accidents and I thought of wood, but went with vinyl. Thank goodness I did, as hubby has developed vascular dementia and we have lots of wee accidents, spilt drink and good - you name it! Vinyl is also good for wheeled equipment like commodes , wheelchairs and turnaids.

 

[dancer12]

Vinyl would be best , but you should not feel you have to put up with his refusing to wear any absorbent underwear, when there is a solution out there. Why not tell a white lie, the dr or nurse has said he must wear them or the incontinence will get worse. Likely he will believe this in his confused state and its not going to do him any harm!!

Hi Roseleigh:

Thanks for responding. Yes I have tried that, I have tried telling him other people prefer to stay dry, I have told him he is going to get infection from wetness close to his skin, I have tried telling him he is going to get an infection and it is going to be painful to pee, I have tried telling him he might get blisters from infection, I tried telling him he will have to pee in a bag and I will have to empty when it fills. Don't know what else to try. Am at my wits end. I know I shouldn't put up with it but what else can I do. He pees his pants all the time, the other night he went to bed wearing no underpants, no nothing except his skin on the bottom. His PSW (personal support worker) got him to wear them but the moment she left he took them off. She didn't put underwear on him so when he ripped them off, he only had his pants next to his skin. It might be mean but I was almost hoping his pee thing would get caught in his zipper, ALMOST. So off he goes leaving his trail of pee behind him and myself & my son step in it and bring it all over the house. So I get a mop and start cleaning and off he goes peeing in another location.

Thanks so much for your response but I'm at my wits end. He sees these incontinence pants as baby diapers and nothing is going to change his mind. I never realized how stubborn he is and I thought I was the stubborn one, but he takes all the stubbornness prizes. Have a great day.

 

[dancer12]

I had vinyl flooring fitted all over the house to replace 20 year old carpet, as I had elderly cats who had accidents and I thought of wood, but went with vinyl. Thank goodness I did, as hubby has developed vascular dementia and we have lots of wee accidents, spilt drink and good - you name it! Vinyl is also good for wheeled equipment like commodes , wheelchairs and turnaids.

Hi Ribby:

Yes vinyl flooring is a great idea, it's also warm on the feet. I had vinyl on the kitchen & bathroom floors & replaced them with ceramic tiles, they look nice but my feet tend to get cold.

 

[Jaded'n'faded]

Are you prepared to get really mean? Could he be shamed into wearing the pull-ups?

How about every time he pees, you take a photograph of him doing it and the trail he leaves behind him. Show him the photos - lots of them. Tell him that you will show them to everyone if he doesn't wear the inco pants, because you are not prepared to spend all your life cleaning up after him.

Would that 'get' to him? You know his personality and his 'triggers' and I don't, but there were times I had to get really mean with my mum because otherwise there would be total refusal.

Resorting to the threat of public shaming is awful... but it's not as if you're actually going to do it! (And let's be honest, you've tried all the reasonable ways and nothing has worked.)

Fingers crossed for you - no one wants to live somewhere that smells like the Gents in the park so you have to find a solution to this...

 

[Bunpoots]

Hi again @dancer12

Remembering how my dad was I noticed that my dad tended to pee in two places more than anywhere else - at the side of the bed and in front of the sofa - so I assume he was losing control when he stood.

I wonder if, as a temporary measure, you could put down small rubber backed rugs which can be washed in the machine. That would contain some of the urine.

It’s such a difficult situation to deal with. My dad didn’t believe he was causing the wet patches all over his home so he didn’t see the need for pull-ups and he got annoyed with me if I dared to suggest he might have a problem with continence...I never did see that man with the watering can that dad said was causing all the problems!

 

[dancer12]

Are you prepared to get really mean? Could he be shamed into wearing the pull-ups?

How about every time he pees, you take a photograph of him doing it and the trail he leaves behind him. Show him the photos - lots of them. Tell him that you will show them to everyone if he doesn't wear the inco pants, because you are not prepared to spend all your life cleaning up after him.

Would that 'get' to him? You know his personality and his 'triggers' and I don't, but there were times I had to get really mean with my mum because otherwise there would be total refusal.

Resorting to the threat of public shaming is awful... but it's not as if you're actually going to do it! (And let's be honest, you've tried all the reasonable ways and nothing has worked.)

Fingers crossed for you - no one wants to live somewhere that smells like the Gents in the park so you have to find a solution to this...

Hi Jaded'n'faded:

I get so nasty I don't even know myself anymore. The other day he said he had to go get a haircut, I told him fine go put on your Depends (that's what th name is here for incontinence pads). We never went, his hair is so long, he says he looks like a girl. I told him unless you put them on I'm not taking you out. One morning, I was in the bathroom, he had to go pee so he peed down the stairs (we have about 5 stairs beside bathroom). He made it look like a waterfall. I'll never forget that one.' opening up the bathroom door and there he is with his pee sprayer out and making it look like he has a hose in his hand putting out a fire I had to contain my laughter - even now I've got a smirk on my face just thinking about it. . He never does anything it's always that guy or me.