Move to care home and new incontinence

[Mrstrikster]

Hi, we recently took the really hard decision to move mum into residential care. We lost our dad 3 years ago and we noticed more after that mum struggling with words, forgetfulness which lead to the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in Dec 2021. Since then we got companion visits in, carers to help during evening, then moving to twice a day carers, then recently to day care 4 times a week leaving weekends for us to manage.
since she moved into the care home, which is lovely, staff are fantastic, they have noticed she seems to be having more and more accidents, mum has never been incontinent, so we are really hoping this is a blip and she will settle. Problem is mum had been in the family home for many many years and knew where everything was. She is naturally shy and would find it hard to ask where the loo is or say she needs the loo.
has anyone else experienced a decline in this sort of thing on moving into a care home?

 

[sdmhred]

From my experience I think it’s inevitable. My mum has been in respite twice and both times her continence has declined. As you say there’s the unfamiliarity of the surroundings, I’ve been trying to encourage mum to say she needs to go to the staff but she won’t, and then sometimes it takes time for the help to arrive.

Ive chosen just not to stress about it - she’s got quite advanced dementia and what will be will be - heartbreaking as it is.

 

[canary]

My mum was already at the stage where she was beginning to have accidents at home before she moved into a care home. Within a few months she was frankly doubly incontinent.

I dont actually think it was because she moved into a care home - incontinence is, unfortunately, part and parcel of advancing dementia and mum was already starting with it before she moved. I suspect that the stage of dementia when incontinence starts is about the time when they start needing a care home because of other things that also happen at that stage.

 

[Ali1234]

My mum is relying more on the incontinence pads now because she requests to go so often as she isn't always sure when she needs to go. She is too worried now to ask because she was told she had just been - she thought it was hours ago. I got someone to help her when I was there and she decided not to go. Before going in the care home she would ask to go many times a day but needed help.