Elderly Relatives Incontinence
Discussion
My Dad is 76, he has had several serious heart attacks, he has diabetes, and has done since 1991
He had bad memory problems, but it is not Alzheimer's according to the Dr - He's on medication for this, so now can't drive (evidently admitting he has a memory problem & taking the tablets means no driving - if he didn't take them, he could!!) but they don't make any improvement
The last few days Mum has told me that he had been missing the toilet when needing a No2
We have no idea why, he also doesn't want to shower/bathe very often (this is s guy who until recently showered at least once a day - and up until he finished work (1991 due to the diabetes - can't be in the Navy with it) 3/4 times a day)
It is happening when he is stood up to do No1
Obviously, this is worrying, and he doesn't realise that it is happening, it is distressing to my Mum, who has to clean it up (and has bad knees) so it is difficult for her to do so
I don't know what to do, I worship him and to learn he is deteriorating like this is breaking my heart - I know it is not anything like what others are going through but this is my Dad, and parents are supposed to be infallible and he is still so young.
Any advise/experiences/piss taking suggestions please?
He had bad memory problems, but it is not Alzheimer's according to the Dr - He's on medication for this, so now can't drive (evidently admitting he has a memory problem & taking the tablets means no driving - if he didn't take them, he could!!) but they don't make any improvement
The last few days Mum has told me that he had been missing the toilet when needing a No2
We have no idea why, he also doesn't want to shower/bathe very often (this is s guy who until recently showered at least once a day - and up until he finished work (1991 due to the diabetes - can't be in the Navy with it) 3/4 times a day)
It is happening when he is stood up to do No1
Obviously, this is worrying, and he doesn't realise that it is happening, it is distressing to my Mum, who has to clean it up (and has bad knees) so it is difficult for her to do so
I don't know what to do, I worship him and to learn he is deteriorating like this is breaking my heart - I know it is not anything like what others are going through but this is my Dad, and parents are supposed to be infallible and he is still so young.
Any advise/experiences/piss taking suggestions please?
Edited by ali_kat on Saturday 25th December 17:50
First question , especially with a chap like the OP's dad , who has multiple chronic problems and may have some cognitive impairment is is there anything simple to explain his sudden deterioration , e.g. a chest infection , urinary tract infection , sinusitis or even being constipated ...
This needs a good physical examination, a good history being taken and some collateral history helps ( i.e. asking the OP, his siblings , his mum , neighbours etc who see his dad on a regular basis what and when they've noticed things ) also a few simple tests like blood sugar ( which he'll be doing regularly if he's on insulin), ECG, urine dip and routine bloods tests from a sample sent to the lab. ...
Today is probably the worst day of the year to be asking this question as primary care won't be back to normal service until Wednesday, so you'd be at the mercy of out of hours services unless he is already known to community Nursing who will probably have their normal weekend provision ...
Not a lot else to say without face to face , if you are genuinely concerned he's really unwell take him to A+E or get an Ambulance out , but sometimes this can only make things worse for people with memory problems ...
This needs a good physical examination, a good history being taken and some collateral history helps ( i.e. asking the OP, his siblings , his mum , neighbours etc who see his dad on a regular basis what and when they've noticed things ) also a few simple tests like blood sugar ( which he'll be doing regularly if he's on insulin), ECG, urine dip and routine bloods tests from a sample sent to the lab. ...
Today is probably the worst day of the year to be asking this question as primary care won't be back to normal service until Wednesday, so you'd be at the mercy of out of hours services unless he is already known to community Nursing who will probably have their normal weekend provision ...
Not a lot else to say without face to face , if you are genuinely concerned he's really unwell take him to A+E or get an Ambulance out , but sometimes this can only make things worse for people with memory problems ...
Edited by mph1977 on Saturday 25th December 22:41
Hugs Ali, I have similar with my Grandad. It turns out, after loads of tests and prodding, that he takes something to do with his diabetes that builds up in the system and causes the body the need to rapidly evacuate the bowels, often with the patient not knowing they need to go or only having a few seconds notice which isn't enough time for someone to get to a toilet. It can be effected by the 'relaxing' by the local muscles when urinating. For the life of me. I can't remember the name of the drug but I can ring someone in a bit who will remember. I hope it is the same cause for your dad as its easily sorted with a change of drugs.
As others have recommended, get him checked out for infections etc as soon as, just to be sure.
Also, for your mum, we found it better if grandad wore jogging type trousers rather than zipped and belted type as it made it a bit easier to remove and clean, should the need occur.
Sorry, I can't help more, I know how horrid it is to see some one who has always been big and strong in your eyes be 'realised' can't think of the words, but I hope you know what I mean.
Take care, you have our number
Hannah
X
As others have recommended, get him checked out for infections etc as soon as, just to be sure.
Also, for your mum, we found it better if grandad wore jogging type trousers rather than zipped and belted type as it made it a bit easier to remove and clean, should the need occur.
Sorry, I can't help more, I know how horrid it is to see some one who has always been big and strong in your eyes be 'realised' can't think of the words, but I hope you know what I mean.
Take care, you have our number
Hannah
X
Glad this may help. Without wanting to be too graphic, the bowel movement tend to have a very srong smell (worse than normal) to them and can be 'explosive!'
Copied from Diabetes.co.uk:
Metformin Side Effects
Metformin does have several common side effects. Like almost all medication, Metformin will affect different people in different ways.
The following lists details Metformin side effects, but this does not mean that all people taking Metformin will experience any or all of the following side effects.
To make it easier to understand the frequency of the side effects of Metformin, we have divided them by how often they occur.
Very common - affecting over 1 in 10 people taking Metformin
Disturbance to the gut
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Abdominal pain
Loss of appetite
Common - affecting between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people taking Metformin
Taste disturbance, usually a metallic taste
Very rare - affecting under 1 in 10,000 people taking Metformin
Elevated levels of lactic acid in the blood (lactic acidosis)
Decreased absorption of vitamin B12 during long-term use
Skin reactions such as rash, itching or flushing
To find out more about Metformin side effects, people with diabetes should discuss the medication with their doctor and read the information provided by the manufacturer. The list of side effects above does not purport to be a full list of all recognised side effects of Metformin.
What should I do if I experience Metformin side effects?
All medicines take some getting used to. You should speak to your doctor if any of the side effects become troublesome or painful.
If you find your breathing is being affected, along with drowsiness, dizziness and confusion you should stop taking Metformin at once and seek urgent medical attention. These are the symptoms of lactic acidosis, a rare but very serious condition that can be caused by Metformin.
[/i]
Copied from Diabetes.co.uk:
Metformin Side Effects
Metformin does have several common side effects. Like almost all medication, Metformin will affect different people in different ways.
The following lists details Metformin side effects, but this does not mean that all people taking Metformin will experience any or all of the following side effects.
To make it easier to understand the frequency of the side effects of Metformin, we have divided them by how often they occur.
Very common - affecting over 1 in 10 people taking Metformin
Disturbance to the gut
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Abdominal pain
Loss of appetite
Common - affecting between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people taking Metformin
Taste disturbance, usually a metallic taste
Very rare - affecting under 1 in 10,000 people taking Metformin
Elevated levels of lactic acid in the blood (lactic acidosis)
Decreased absorption of vitamin B12 during long-term use
Skin reactions such as rash, itching or flushing
To find out more about Metformin side effects, people with diabetes should discuss the medication with their doctor and read the information provided by the manufacturer. The list of side effects above does not purport to be a full list of all recognised side effects of Metformin.
What should I do if I experience Metformin side effects?
All medicines take some getting used to. You should speak to your doctor if any of the side effects become troublesome or painful.
If you find your breathing is being affected, along with drowsiness, dizziness and confusion you should stop taking Metformin at once and seek urgent medical attention. These are the symptoms of lactic acidosis, a rare but very serious condition that can be caused by Metformin.
[/i]
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