Is bedwetting and hiding (soiled) clothes in the bed a sign of dementia?
This actually happened many years ago when Grandma started becoming incontinent. But I was talking about it with the family because we're not sure if Grandma has dementia and we're interested in maybe getting a diagnosis. We're thinking that maybe this incident is a huge clue. Here's what happened: At the time, my grandparents were living in their house and other than Grandma's mobility issues (she was using a cane and/or walker) they didn't really have any significant medical problems. Whenever I visitied, I noticed a pee smell in their small house. Sometimes I couldn't find a source, other times it was obvious it was coming from the clothes on top the washer or from the bed. I once remember seeing a huge wet spot in Grandma's bed. I should point out that Grandpa apparently didn't notice any of this because they hadn't shared a bed in decades. I told my mom who tried to talk to Grandma about seeing a urologist but Grandma got angry and refused to discuss it. Another time we brought over some Depends and told Grandma that her SIL couldn't wear them anymore and was going to toss them out. Grandma never wore them. The bedwetting went on for at least two years, then I noticed that the bed was lower on the floor. I asked Grandma if she wanted me to look at it because it couldn't be easy to get in and out of. She quickly refused help and said Grandpa would look at it later. Months went by and the bed was still low to the ground. After about 8-10 months, Grandpa told me he just found out about Grandma's bedwetting. He said he couldn't find some of his clothes and went looking for them all over the house. He realized the bed was low and checked it out. He said there was wet and moldy bedding, towels, nearly all of Grandma's clothes and some of his clothes stuck under the mattress and under the bed. And the wet clothes under the bed caused the entire floor to rot out and the legs of the bed went right through the floor, which is why the bed was so low. Grandpa took Grandma to the urologist, but I don't know what was done at that time. I don't know if that's when she got the pessary or not. After the floor was fixed and the mattress replaced, Grandma still continued to wet the bed, but not as bad. Within a year, they were both living in assisted living and Grandma was finally convinced to wear a pullup diaper. She lives with me now, but there hasn't been any bedwetting issues with her since she started wearing the diaper. Does any of that sound like dementia? Or could it be the actions of someone who was desperate to hide the embarrassment of bedwetting and didn't know of what else to do with limited mobility? I thought Grandma washed her own sheets and clothes, so I don't understand why she would stick the wet ones under the bed.
www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimers-dementia-aging/age-related-memory-loss.htm
How are grandma's reasoning skills?