We recently moved back home from Phoenix, AZ and she is not adjusting well. Prior to our move she was self sufficient (able to dress herself and go to the bathroom) and when we returned to our hometown I put her in Depends and she won't go to the bathroom. Sometimes I feel like it is deliberate!
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Change can be tough for many people, especially those with dementia. It is possible that she will adjust after a period of time. Try to be patient and make life as simple for her as possible. Have routines that she can get used to.
In your profile you said you are going to get some help. I think this is an excellent idea. It is so easy to burn out when giving this level of care. You need to take care of yourself too.
Good luck.
If it's the opposite and she now only uses her Depends, and not the toilet, then her Alzheimer's may have progressed more, as incontinence is quite common with mental decline.
Do you have a bedside commode that has handles she can hold on to, and get up easier over the toilet, and do you have either nonslip or no rugs in the bathroom so she feels safe when going in? Often a person as they get older are afraid of falling in the bathroom or shower, so you must make the appropriate changes to make them feel safe. That includes grab bars in the shower along with a shower bench too.
And as BarbBroolyn states, people with any kind of mental decline do not do well with change, so try and be patient. She is not doing anything deliberately. Her brain is broken and she cannot help it. If it gets to be too much for you, you may have to look into other options for her care. I wish you well.
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Have you heard of Teepa Snow? She is an occuaptional therapist who has some great videos on YouTube about how to talk to manage Dementia patients.