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Lydiastoy Asked November 2022

My 92 yr old mom poops on the floor, gets it on her hands, counter, and doesn’t know it. How can I help her and my sister who cleans her?

CaringinVA May 2023
Hmmm. This post is from Nov 2022. Hopefully, the situation has been addressed.

lkdrymom May 2023
This is not a situation that can be continued at home.

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Jennycap May 2023
She lives with your sister???

Beatty Nov 2022
".. on the floor" could be urgency - unable to hold on until in place.

Maybe temporary with an upset? A good diet, sufficient fluid & fibre intake may hopefully restore things.

But unfortunately many seem to get unruly bowels. Intolerances increase, side effects from meds, gut bacterial gets out of whack (& stays whacked), neurological changes too (eg strokes).

If unable to CURE or Retrain, aim to CONTAIN.

Contain as best you can by;
1. Good fitting absorbent incontence pad/pants.
2. Easy access clothing - elastic waisted pants or skirt to quickly flip up.
3. Help with toileting.

You may already be doing all of the above?

*Help with toileting* may start as mostly hands-off. Is this what Sister is doing - then finding the mess?
Direct supervising & verbal directions are next level. Then hands-on assisting.

It sounds like hands-on assistance is required here.

Have a chat to your sister.
Is she happy to do this?
Short term? Long term?
Is Mom alone for much of the day? Who else can help? Are paid aides part of the longer term plans?

lealonnie1 Nov 2022
Why is your sister trying to care for your mother with THIS level of dementia at play and no experience??? She needs to be placed in a Memory Care Assisted Living Facility where teams of caregivers work in 24/7 shifts to care for her, including changing soiled disposable briefs & monitoring her in the bathroom.

In the meantime, if your sister is not accompanying mom to the bathroom, she needs to start doing so immediately, so she can wipe her and then clean her up afterward. She needs to be dressed in an Alzheimer's anti strip suit, with a disposable Depends on underneath it, in the morning when she wakes up. She then needs to be toileted by your sister every 2 hours and have the anti strip suit removed, along with the Depends, and put on the toilet to see if she needs to urinate or have a BM. Then your sister cleans her up immediately, and dresses her back in the Depends and the anti strip outfit. This is the routine that needs to develop for the duration of the time she lives in the house. That way, she can't 'poop on the floor, get in on her hands, counter and doesn't know it.' Elders with THIS level of dementia at play need 24/7 supervision, period. And to be accompanied to the toilet EVERY time they go. And if she has a BM your sister is unaware of, the Depends will collect it and mom can't get her hands into it, thanks to the anti strip suit she's wearing.

You can also purchase a bidet toilet seat attachment to make clean up a bit easier. But it's dressing mom in the anti strip suit with Depends that will prevent the 'accidents' from happening in the first place. And not leaving her alone at ALL, which is why Memory Care AL is a much better alternative; so your sister can have a life of her own.

Good luck.

funkygrandma59 Nov 2022
You can help her and your sister by looking into the different facilities in moms area where mom can get the 24/7 care she needs and your sister doesn't have to clean up moms poop off everything, as that is a so unhealthy for all involved.

AlvaDeer Nov 2022
The only thing I can think of here is working toward the sort of bowel training that many colostomy patients do, which is to ensure one BM daily, in the a.m., and not a lot otherwise. This can sometimes be done with something like citrucel daily. Do not use metamucil. It ferments in the gut differently tho it is basically still a psillium. It causes a lot of gas for some people which means more frequent and more explosive stools with a lot of flatus. Something you definitely don't want. This is almost a problem so severe that it may or may not have a good answer. At some point care in the home is almost impossible to manage 24/7 and this is something you and your sister may need to start discussing and thinking about. Sure do wish you the best. Definitely go to some colostomy forums and ask about bowel training and what works for people. This can work for some individuals so well that they don't have to always wear colostomy bags.
Cover999 Nov 2022
So no "BM in the PM?" (song on Bob's Burgers)
Fawnby Nov 2022
This is an unhealthy situation for all. Feces can spread all sorts of conditions that could damage the health of everyone involved. Your mom needs to go to a memory-care facility where they have the expertise to manage this difficulty. She really cannot live at home anymore.
Jennycap May 2023
Agree. I am so sad when I read what people tolerate. I feel so bad for them.

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