I am having difficulties with persuading mum, who's now been 6 months in residential nursing home, to desist from drying her knickers on the radiator in her room. I got her a laundry basket and marked all her clothes but she always denies that she has a laundry basket so I have to sweep her room for things needing a wash and put them in the basket when she's not looking - and I cant keep up with the knicker turnover. Recently an engineer had to dismantle the radiator to retrieve the 8 pairs of knickers she had somehow managed to insert into the narrow slots on the radiator top and now the housekeeping staff have made a complaint about it and I have to persuade her to stop. She has dozens of pairs and she seems to be hand washing at least 4 pairs a day, often more.
I wonder if there is any point in my bringing her a clothes drying rack as the care staff have suggested, because she doesn't seem able to understand the laundry basket. I also wonder if the real problem might be continence because when out with the family she is definitely having accidents and near or complete misses. It is very difficult to get her to discuss why she won't let the home do her laundry. All the same I foresee trouble ahead if she won't stop using the radiators. I wonder if I should try to get her to use some incontinence pads or pants and how on earth to get over her defenses about admitting to such an intimate problem.
I wonder if there is any point in my bringing her a clothes drying rack as the care staff have suggested, because she doesn't seem able to understand the laundry basket. I also wonder if the real problem might be continence because when out with the family she is definitely having accidents and near or complete misses. It is very difficult to get her to discuss why she won't let the home do her laundry. All the same I foresee trouble ahead if she won't stop using the radiators. I wonder if I should try to get her to use some incontinence pads or pants and how on earth to get over her defenses about admitting to such an intimate problem.