Incontinence issues - whats the best solution?

[JackyS]

Hello all, i feel a little lost at the moment and am worried I've lost my way a bit.

Mum was diagnosed with Alzheimers and vascular dementia about 6 years ago. She's almost 92 and has been in a local care home for the last 3 years.

She still knows me and is always smiling, which is delightful - but her speech is failing and she is slowly fading - both physically and mentally. But she no longer recognises the signals that her body needs to wee or poo and so frequently has "accidents". The flooring in her room was changed from carpet to lino - and recently they've rearranged the furniture as she was apparently going to the loo behind the door and the furniture was starting to suffer.

The care home tell me she is under the incontinence service and they give her pads but my question is this - should she smell? No matter what time of day I go - and no matter how recently they tell me they have changed her, she smells - usually of stale urine.

Tonight, I found poo all over her bedroom floor and the carer expressed surprise and said she'd only just changed her before I arrived - but how could that happen? She'd have to go into Mum's room to get clothes to change in her into. And Mum still smelled.

Is this normal? Does it suggest to you that her care could be better? Any advice would be very much welcome. I am wary of moving Mum, because I know she would bet very anxious about any change like that - but in this day and age, surely she shouldn't smell???

 

[fizzie]

It certainly does suggest to me that the care is not up to standard. People smell of urine as it dries - stale urine smells so either they are not washing her properly or they are not using the pads (!) poo on the floor, wee behind the door all suggest to me that
a) they are not using the pads
b) there is a total lack of 'supervision' in the broadest sense - it really takes quite a while to make a room in a state like that
c) they are not attending to her personal care - these days there is no excuse for someone smelling constantly or at all in fact.
It may be that they are understaffed - no excuse
or that the carers are not trained - no excuse this is affecting the quality of your mum's life

I would put in writing to the manager that you are not happy and explain why as you have explained to us and ask for it to be resolved. Anything in writing has to be dealt with - verbal can be ignored. They should sort it out very quickly if they are a decent home
So sorry you are having to see your mum in this state xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[JackyS]

Thank you Fizzie. Your advice makes a lot of sense.

tHere is something about this awful disease that seems to rob me of any basic common sense I might have had! It's so good to get someone else's views!

xxx