Water infections/UTIs

Lozzer

Registered User
Jan 18, 2016
7
0
All carers please be aware of how water infections/UTIs can affect dementia. Not enough information is given to new carers about this. If your person with dementia has a change of behaviour or starts with hallucinations, please take a water sample to the doctor for ruling this out.

I can't express this enough after having the most terrible 3 months with my MIL. I look back now and realise that had I spotted this earlier, her fall and subsequent leg infection could have been averted. There were no symptoms except her being a little more confused and weaker than normal (she is very frail).
 

Owly

Registered User
Jun 6, 2011
537
0
Yes indeed. My Dad (who doesn't have dementia!) woke one night shouting, fell out of his bed, ended up in Mum's adjacent bed, was found by carer in the morning with blood seeping from his mouth and not at all coherent, so ended up in A&E for a few hours. Bladder infection.

Please also be aware that taking antibiotics for these infections can knock out a lot of beneficial bacteria in your body and make repeated infections more likely, because the good guys are no longer there to fight the bad guys. You can help replace the good guys with probiotic yoghurts (like Onken brand).