Mom (78 y/o and generally healthy/active) may have dementia, while not formally diagnosed, after recovering from a life threatening UTI last Spring her short term memory is nearly gone (but not long term) and all the emergency room doctors, out of nowhere began asking us if she had ever been diagnosed with Dementia which shocked us! I think we have been in denial because she was always the healthy parent. After she was released she has been staying with my sibling with the goal of eventually taking her back home. She has paid caregivers 32 hours per week and they said she has been pooping on the bathroom floor ( 3 times total over the past 7 months). We are worried about new UTIs and are looking for ways to prevent them. I have 2 questions:
1- my Mom is a “germaphobe” and would never use the bathroom on the floor! Ever! In fact it’s so small in there we can’t figure out how she physically did it on the floor as it’s much easier to sit on the toilet. Is this an indication of dementia? Can it be treated?
2- we are terrified of her getting another UTI especially from hygiene issues. Are there daily anti bacterial wipes we can use to aid in prevention in between bathing?
Short-term memory loss is jumbled together with dementia. Here is an article that you may find helpful:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/memory-loss/art-20046326
Also, elderly women get lots of UTIs. This is not necessarily from hygiene. One reason is due to physical changes as we age and the bladder not being able to fully void. Using antibacterial wipes may irritate a sensitive area of her body so please discuss with her doctor before doing this.
Can dementia be treated? Not if it's age-related dementia and not a symptom of an illness (like UTI, thyroid problems, etc). If you or someone is PoA for your mom, then please have her doctor perform a cognitive exam so you know facts and can make best decisions for her based on accurate information. If no one is PoA for her I strongly suggest this happen, if she can comprehend what PoA is, before getting a diagnosis. This will greatly aid in your legal ability to provide care and make important medical and financial decisions on her behalf.
As far as UTI prevention, giving your mom a supplement called D-Mannose (a simple sugar with no side effects) can be given to her AFTER she has been cleared of a UTI. Since it is a supplement and not a medication there is no real dosage guidelines but others on this site can make recommendations. You can't give her too much, she will mostly pee it out any excess. I've resorted to this for my own MIL in a LTC facility and getting UTIs every other month. It has definitely helped to cut down occurrence by about 90%. I wish you success in helping your mom!