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I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
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V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Has weekly bowel incontinence episodes that are always fluid. She also has dementia, HBP, diabetes and dysphagia (swallowing problem) so foods/meds need to be soft &/or grinded down. Thank you.
The first comment hit the nail on the head, find a gastroenterologist. Our parent company, Kline Medical Supply sells a few bowel management products. We hear great things about Banatrol Plus
Whwn my Mom gets loose I give her a Banana that I puree in the bullet mixer. You can puree it alone or with a yogurt. You can also peel and puree an apple with yogurt, they love it. My Mom has severe swallowing issues too. Add warm water if you need it a bit thinner to drink, your choice. There is also a high fiber oatmeal I have used, but sometimes only, not daily or it can cause stomach cramps. Hey, better loose than constipated, good luck.
yes I am in that situation, 5 of us and I have the complete burden. I love my dad and will care for him no matter what but I am definetly having burnout symptoms.
My mom has similar complaint, we have pretty much solvd it by keeping a container of soft cooked white rice in frig. She puts about 1/4 c in microwave with dot of real butter, and eats this before a regular meal, or even as a snack. But her doctor also tried the Metamucil approach, and described how lack of sensAtion and lack of large enough or firm enough stool could encourage episodes of incontinence. The white rice might be worth a try (or rice flour) as long as it fits her diAbetic protocol.
On the subject of probiotics the best is natural fermented sauerkraut
It is amazing. Totally squared my digestive system away. Now this is not sauerkraut you buy at the grocery store, you can find it at health food stores, Fresh Foods, and I just picked some up at Trader Joes, it has to say Fermented and it will be in the refrigerated section. Bubbies is the brand I generally use. You do not cook it when you get it, put it on your sandwich drink a bit of the juice, etc, doesn't take much to square away the problems. It's very good!
Where do we find a dietician? i have this problem every day and my husband doesn't even seem aware of it. Even though his depends is always full, and sometimes its running out the sides.
sorry, loose stools don't come from dehydration... dehydration makes for hard, difficult to pass stools.... introduction to too much fiber too quickly, in a elderly persons diet can do a lot of damage... sounds like a lot of liquid is added to her foods to "grind them softer.".. it could be something simple like too much apple sauce added to the ground food... ask questions of the dietician... they can help!
Nothing like more fiber, as natural as you can get it in her. Also one silly thing overlooked is water. If you're thirsty, you're dehydrated. If there are only loose stools, one is dehydrated. As ferris1 states, Metamucil works too. It makes me wonder what her intake of food & fluids is. You also need to be aware that many medications can't be crushed up, like Potassium. I wonder what her electrolyte panel of blood work would reflect. Has she been assessed by an gastroenterologist? Assed, not put through testing, but for blood work. Many things can influence loose stools. Medications can just be one of the factors. The entire situation needs to be assessed, properly. More information need to be given. See her physician.(with her please)
remember people,94 yr.old folks have totally different issues than a baby or a dog .....rice and cheese can be a bad idea for a 94 yr.old w/dementia,diabetes,etc....each elder is different.......i spent almost a full 6 months, documenting ,discussing w/ generic health care people, including docs.,nurses,caregivers,hospice,pharmacists,and constant research and reading on my part before i discovered the method that works for my 92 yr.old mom......we tried everything.....suddenly,the right combination worked..... to have it all change again in another month down the road......caregiving is NOT finding one solution and sticking with it, its listening, researching and being able to help your mom,dad or other feel the best he/she can in everyday life....everyday!
My mom with dementia has had chronic D for as long as I can remember. She is now on a probiotic that helps, sometimes too well. I had to take her to the ER for a bowel obstruction about a year ago. Then this last fall seemed like the same symptoms but I will be da##ed, she was constipated but should not have been. When she goes it is like turning on a faucet, I even think that sometimes she does not know to push since she has never had to. If she is slow eating her breakfast those are days that we skip the probiotic as she may be starting to get stopped up.
One more thought, I would also not put mom through rigorous testing, and I like the rice powder hint and the care team person coming to the house for a stool sample. That can allow testing for a specific bacteria cause and Dr will know how to medicate if that is an option.
I personally have better control with using a generic of Mirlax…it is a different fiber than Metamucil..less gas forming for me…I also use Acidophilus..2billion…just a bit different than probiotic products. I also sprinkle ground flax mullet on salads, omelets, add to greek yogurt..ect.. Most of the time it works fine, unless I do something silly with food because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. Hope this gives a few more things to try that will not interfere with the swallowing issue.
It sounds like our situation. 95 yo mom. It is improving, but not enough. Many BP meds and Heart rate meds have both side effects listed: constipation and/or diarrhea. Dr. discontinued the BP meds for now as her BP was too low. The diarrhea got less, but not enough. Sometimes mom says nothing happened or says, "Yes, I am making it to the bathroom" as "it" is running down her leg. I don't think she knows as she has dementia also. Our job is comfort care. That's all that's left now. It is not comfortable for mom or for us to have the diarrhea continue. We have tried Metamucil--no help, Probiotics--no help. We are still trying different options and keeping track over a few weeks. Once we find what works, I will report back. Seems this is a common problem.
I've been told by a trusted NP, to start with fiber. Yes, fiber...every morning Raisin Bran, and add Metamucil to a glass of water each day. See what happens. Track those stools. It's a start.
In third-world countries a tablespoon of rice flour in four to six oz water is used. In areas where dysentery is prevalent, or when very young children have both vomiting and watery stools, it's a common practice to avoid dehydration. Soft stools should'nt be a cause for alarm, it's the watery that will irritate the rectum and does need to be looked into. The answers above for the fecal test and Dr. alert are great. Follow those. Also porchpickles has a valid option. All great info. Keep in touch - we'd like to know how things are going, what worked and so on.
When my mom was placed on Aricept, within a month or two she had no control over BM & it was always extremely loose and messy. She has a wonderful general practitioner who reviewed her meds and decided to change her BP med. He changed to one that one of biggest side effects is constipation and said we'd take advantage of that side effect to counter act the diarrhea being caused by Aricept. Within a week the problem went from daily-multiple times a day to maybe once a week and within 2-3 weeks problem solved!!! I noticed you said she has BP issues and diabetes(which my mom also has) so maybe this will be an option. He switched her Norvasc to Verapamil. HTH!
You can try adding a liquid fiber mixture like Metamucil. Anything that will add bulk to her diet will make her stools firmer, however, with dementia her brain is making it very difficult to carry out daily bodily functions and she will further decline. Best wishes...
I was wondering if some kind of fiber in the diet will help. My husband is allergic to psyllium husks which is in most fiber products. I know that Flax will bind you up. Can anyone advise about sprinkling that on his food?
If you have home healthcare, call the Physician and he will come to your home with a test kit. Place a small sample of the stool in the kit and the Dr. can send that off to the lab. The results will come back, and the Dr. will know the best way to treat the diareah. This saves your Mom allot of embarrassment and transportation to and from a Specialists office. Easier on you, and much less stressful for her as well.
forget the doc& the yogurt, these both can aggravate the situation... is she at home with you? avoid the foods used to relieve constipation, such as sweet potatoes, peas, beans,bananas, and beef... once I removed these foods from my 92 yr. old mom,s diet and checked her meds for side effects, the loose stools stopped... with a little research, you can solve this problem without the stress of a doctor visit.
Is her DR aware of this problem with diarrhea? There are some meds that can cause diarrhea. May need to check side effects of all meds she's currently taking.
Chris is this a new problem for Mom? At 94 you might not want to put her through extensive investigations which might be worse than her current problems. By all means talk to her Dr but at the same time make a note of the foods she eats the day before she has her diarrhea. Possible triggers may be fats and milk. Once you have a pattern to guide you it may be possible to exclude some foods and keep her comfortable. Only a Dr should advise on specific medications that may help her. Some OTC meds may not mix well with some of her prescriptions. Try and manage this with the least possible intervention.
Consider probiotics, particularly if she has taken antibiotics recently. They usually come in capsules, but if you search, you can find powdered or liquid forms. These replace or increase the good bacteria that may be missing. This helped my 95 year-old mother. Yogurt provides similar benefits and is also easy to eat, but probiotics contain a huge amount more of the good bacteria. Can't hurt and is really beneficial for elderly gut health.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
It is amazing. Totally squared my digestive system away. Now this is not sauerkraut you buy at the grocery store, you can find it at health food stores, Fresh Foods, and I just picked some up at Trader Joes, it has to say Fermented and it will be in the refrigerated section. Bubbies is the brand I generally use. You do not cook it when you get it, put it on your sandwich drink a bit of the juice, etc, doesn't take much to square away the problems. It's very good!
It makes me wonder what her intake of food & fluids is.
You also need to be aware that many medications can't be crushed up, like Potassium. I wonder what her electrolyte panel of blood work would reflect.
Has she been assessed by an gastroenterologist?
Assed, not put through testing, but for blood work.
Many things can influence loose stools. Medications can just be one of the factors. The entire situation needs to be assessed, properly. More information need to be given. See her physician.(with her please)
Using Ensure?
Looks about the same coming out as it does going in….
lovbob