Elder Care Zone - Caring for the Elderly, Elder Health Care Services, Elder Home Care and More
    (Add to Favorites  |  View All Articles  |  Resource Directory)

Getting your senior to wear adult diapers


The Dryer Ate Your Underwear!


Q: My mom is in the early stages of dementia and she is also incontinent we have tried to get her to stop wearing her underpants and have her start wearing pull-up diapers, she throws the Depends out the door and puts her underpants on. Of coarse we have a lot of laundry! How should I handle this?

A: This one should be fairly easy to solve. You have a few options actually! And hopefully you won't have to try them all!

First, you should take all of the regular underwear away, and replace them with the Depends. That way there is no other option. Hopefully in a few days she will adjust to the change and not even notice the difference.

If that doesn't work you may have to resort to under-handed, underwear tactics.

Sometimes with dementia you have to be a little bit dishonest. Somehow to me it never felt right telling little old ladies, little white lies. But, perhaps you could look at it like you are just stretching things a bit, or since we are Irish, it is just blarney!

One of the only ways to effectively deal with those who have dementia or alzheimer's is to enter into their reality. In your moms' mind, she doesn't have a problem and doesn't need them. In our reality we are smelling the urine, finding wet clothes, the furniture might be getting soiled etc. So here are a few one liners that might help you.

1. Mom we sent the underwear to the dry cleaners, they won't be back until next Monday.

2. Sorry, mom, they had to keep them another week.

3. I'm going to have to call and complain, because it has taken them so long.

4. The ladies' department at JC Penney, told me that they don't make that kind of underwear anymore mom. They only sell this kind.

5. Mom, you are hip! It's what all the chics your age are wearing!

6. Mom the washing machine is broken, can you just wear these until we get it fixed.

7. Mom, the dryer ate your underwear.

8. What underwear?

Get a little creative!

Renee "Dutchy" Reeves is an Elder Care Consultant with over 10 years of working with the elderly and their families. Her online advice column, "Ask Dutchy" provides practical ideas and advice for assisting the elderly with Alzheimer's disease, Dementia, Parkinson's, disability, and those needing long term care. See other articles by her at http://www.askdutchy.mycarelink.net


MORE RESOURCES:

News provided by Yahoo! News and Google News

You and Yours - Minister questioned on review of funding elderly care - DeHavilland (press release) (subscription)

You and Yours - Minister questioned on review of funding elderly care
DeHavilland (press release) (subscription)
The Government has initiated a review of funding options for the care of the UK's elderly population. Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat, Care Services Minister ...

Caregiving Spouses of Alzheimer's Patients Put Own Health at Risk
Here's a shocking statistic: Elderly caregiving spouses have a 63 percent higher chance of dying than people the same age who aren't caring for a spouse, says the American Medical Association. Why is caregiving such a health risk? And what can a caregiver do to protect herself? Here's what you need to know ... read more

Scott & White granted $2M - Bizjournals.com

Scott & White granted $2M
Bizjournals.com
Scott & White Healthcare has received three grants totaling nearly $2 million to fund nursing education, elderly care and assist in child abuse prevention. ...

and more »

Course Teaches Officers To Spot Elderly Abuse
South Florida police officers are learning how to spot abuse of elderly people and what to do about it.

Child Abuse Education, Elderly Care, Nursing Students To Benefit From Grants - Medical News Today (press release)

Child Abuse Education, Elderly Care, Nursing Students To Benefit From Grants
Medical News Today (press release)
Texas-based Scott & White Healthcare has received three grants that provide education support to working nursing students, set up a senior health research ...

home | site map | articles
© 2006