Alzheimer’s disease has affected almost half of the senior population in the country. While some are still seeing the subtle symptom of the disease, others are already living with it for a long time now. Senior adults who are diagnosed in the late stage of Alzheimer’s disease tend to suffer more.

In its late stage, incontinence or the loss of control of bowel and bladder movement of seniors will be evident. It will become a stress for family members cleaning their senior loved ones, and of course, trying to keep up with the mess created.

Incontinence is often the result of someone who cannot discern anymore whether they should use the bathroom or not. Alzheimer patients simply lose their memory on where the bathroom is, how to use it, or they are not physically capable of bringing themselves to the bathroom to dispose of their waste.

Due to this need, incontinence care is vital. There are caregivers who have long been trained about incontinence care. They are primarily responsible for cleaning the patient, they will have to change adult diapers, and of course deal with their tantrums. With our highly trained caregivers in Aztek Nursing Registry Inc., a growing health care center in Miami FL, we deem it important to inform you about Alzheimer’s and its need for incontinence care.

What is a typical day for Alzheimer’s patient and the caregiver?
Perhaps, the hardest part of caregiving is dealing with the patients. Alzheimer patients usually do not act their age. Their memory does not serve them well anymore. Some of them may do some childish acts, while others would throw tantrums for no reason at all. Later on, they would just pee on the chair or dispose of bowel while walking.

The challenge then for the caregiver is how to inform the patient that she just “wet on herself” or fell on the chair. Communication is essential in this situation. It would require the caregiver to inform the patient about it while maintaining one’s dignity.

Patients are very sensitive about this. They would think how irresponsible it is for them to not take care of their own waste or they must be that helpless because they could not even do anything about it. Giving them encouraging words would indeed motivate them.

What can caregivers do to minimize unwanted accidents?
If you know your patient cannot control their bladder and bowel movement, you can suggest to the family to create an accessible bathroom for the senior. You can even put a sign or a picture on the door just to make it easy for seniors to see where to find the bathroom. You also have to stack up on hand wash, alcohol, and toilet paper to make sure that you can disinfect them after urinating.

If the house is quite risky for the patient, you might want to create a ramp that will make it easier for them to pass through. This can also help them avoid meeting an accident or falling from the stairs when they are in a hurry.

When you see your mother or your father peeing on the floor or when they accidentally messed in your living room, scolding them will not help. Be their ultimate source of motivation; tell them it is okay and that it happens to everyone anyway. You can tell them that they do not have to worry about it. Your words can be the strongest proof of love for them. Make sure you choose your words wisely.

For your professional incontinence care needs, let our caregivers at Aztek Nursing Registry Inc., handle it. For details, you can visit our website www.azteknursing.net or call us at 305-252-7511.