Sleepless nights with Incontanance

Picasso21

New member
Feb 24, 2021
4
0
My wife has Vascular dementia, started around 5 years ago. It is gradually getting worse. She also has major bowel problems with a possible stoma operation. Before Christmas, I awoke in the middle of the night & found my wife kicking my head & completely disorientated. She was trying to get out of bed to the toilet. This has happened a about a half dozen times now but with different stages of disorientation. The last one I found her in the corner of the bedroom opposite the door to the toilet. When she does wake, she has to get to the toilet quickly or she has an accident. She wears panty liners all day but between toilet visits, leaks frequently. It's the disorientation that concerns me most. Looking for suggestions.
 

karaokePete

Registered User
Jul 23, 2017
6,534
0
N Ireland
Hello and welcome @Picasso21

That is a worrying thing and I wonder if your GP may be able to help with an alteration to any meds and a continence service.

Beyond that, your wife may simply be unable to find the toilet - that was an issue with my wife and I found leaving some lights on at night to show the way helped with that.
 

Thethirdmrsc

Registered User
Apr 4, 2018
744
0
Hi @Picasso21 do you have night lights in the bedroom and elsewhere? I find them invaluable as my OH gets up almost every hour to the toilet. I have them at the bottom of the bed, in the hall and the loo, and I also have a baby’s night light on all night. Maybe a little light would help.
 

Picasso21

New member
Feb 24, 2021
4
0
Hello and welcome @Picasso21

That is a worrying thing and I wonder if your GP may be able to help with an alteration to any meds and a continence service.

Beyond that, your wife may simply be unable to find the toilet - that was an issue with my wife and I found leaving some lights on at night to show the way helped with that.
Hi Pete
We live in a 2 bed semi det' bungalow, the toilet is only 5 yards away from her bed. I did think of getting one of those low wattage nigh lights that plugs into a socket, but not sure if it would interrupt my sleep pattern.
Got an appointment to speak to the doc tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. Thanks for the reply.
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,134
0
Southampton
would the night lite disturb your sleep pattern more than the way your wife does now. it could go in a plug right next to the floor so your wife can quickly orientate herself. your wife might have forgotten where the toilet is.
 

karaokePete

Registered User
Jul 23, 2017
6,534
0
N Ireland
As @jennifer1967 has said, your wife may no longer know where the toilet is, despite it's proximity.

My wife could walk out of our bathroom, close the door behind her, then be unable to say where the bathroom is.

There can also be an issue with recognizing things. My wife can very often be standing beside something like the fridge and if I ask her to reach me the milk out of the fridge she won't know which object is the fridge or which object is the milk. I usually have to point at things and name their colour.

Dementia is a tricky syndrome.