Helping dementia patients with toileting involves establishing routines, modifying the bathroom for easier access and recognition, simplifying clothing, managing fluid intake, and using gentle, patient communication to reduce accidents and anxiety, focusing on visual cues and consistent support.
Playing music, having objects to touch and interact with, and hand massage can all help people with dementia in the later stages.
Try setting a regular schedule for toilet use. For example, help the person to the bathroom first thing in the morning, every two hours during the day, immediately after meals and just before bedtime. Identify when accidents occur, then plan for them.
Don't correct, contradict, blame or insist. Reminders are rarely kind. They tell a person how disabled they are – over and over again. People living with dementia say and do normal things for someone with memory impairment.
Put a sign, preferably with a picture, on the door to the bathroom. Keep the door to the bathroom open so the person can see the toilet. Use a commode or urinal by the bed at night so the person doesn't have to get up and walk to the bathroom, which increases the risk of falls and incontinence.
If you have the arm strength to assist, you can place a toilet safety frame around your toilet or add a raised toilet seat with handles. Other options include installing permanent grab bars on the walls near your toilet or adding a transfer pole that runs from floor to ceiling.
Seroquel is the brand name for quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic that is used off-label to treat severe behavioral signs of dementia. It can help with bad symptoms, including agitation, aggressiveness, and hallucinations, that other drugs don't help with.
The following techniques may help reduce agitation and promote relaxation in people with dementia. Music therapy, which involves listening to soothing music. Light exercise. Watching videos of family members.
Signs of late-stage dementia
having a limited understanding of what is being said to them. needing help with most everyday activities. eating less and having difficulties swallowing.
Tips to Help Make Your Bathroom Dementia Friendly
The 3-Day Potty Training method is an intensive, "cold turkey" approach where you dedicate a long weekend to staying home, keeping your child diaper-free (bottomless or in underwear) to heighten body awareness, and focusing solely on the toilet to teach them to recognize urges and use the potty quickly, requiring immense parental commitment, patience, and preparation for accidents. It involves lots of liquids to trigger the need to go, frequent potty trips (every 15 mins), and positive reinforcement, aiming for rapid results but often needing continued practice beyond the three days.
Commode over the toilet is an inexpensive alternative, while toilet base risers permanently raise the entire toilet. Alternative flush mechanisms promote hands-free operation, while seat covers enhance comfort and protect delicate skin. Toilet lifts cater to individuals with significant lower body weakness.
Smoking, low physical activity, and a poor diet are all lifestyle and environmental influences that have been linked to rapid dementia decline. Physical activity promotes cardiovascular health, which in turn improves brain function. Those who lead a sedentary lifestyle may experience faster cognitive decline.
Remember the 90-second rule? Give patient's at least 90 seconds to process what you are asking and allow them to react. If you keep asking your patients to complete a task without letting them process it, your request often gets lost in translation.
Tips for Everyday Care for People With Dementia
There are a range of memory aids to help people remember important things.
Life expectancy with dementia varies greatly but averages a few years to over a decade, often 4 to 8 years for Alzheimer's, depending heavily on age at diagnosis (younger means longer), type (Alzheimer's generally longer than Vascular), and other health conditions, with newer research showing averages like 5.1 years for women and 4.3 for men from diagnosis, but with wide ranges from shorter for older adults to longer for some.
The term "sundowning" refers to a state of confusion that occurs in the late afternoon and lasts into the night. Sundowning can cause various behaviors, such as confusion, anxiety, aggression or ignoring directions. Sundowning also can lead to pacing or wandering. Sundowning isn't a disease.
Donanemab, like lecanemab, is a type of drug called a monoclonal antibody. Antibodies form part of our immune system and bind to harmful proteins to destroy them. Donanemab contains antibodies that bind to a protein called amyloid, which builds up in the brain in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Meaningful activities are a great way to bring joy, connection, and comfort to a loved one with dementia. Simple things like enjoying a favorite song, moving a little each day, or engaging in familiar routines can make a big difference in their well-being.
Common Drugs to Avoid
Benzodiazepine antianxiety drugs such as diazepam (Valium®); lorazepam (Ativan®); alprazolam (Xanax®); clonazepam (Klonopin®); temazepam (Restoril®); chlordiazepoxide (Librium®) and anticholinergic medications such as hydroxyzine (Atarax®).
Toilet tissue wands are the solution. The long handles on these wands allow the seniors to reach between their legs and wipe without having to bend.
Toilet Rough-In Dimensions: A toilet's rough-in measurement is the space between the wall behind the toilet and the center of the waste pipe. Standard toilet rough in dimensions are 12 inches, but can be anywhere from 10 to 14 inches in some cases.
The Toilet Aid holds the toilet tissue in place for wiping. The Easy Squeeze Trigger locks the tissue in place. When done, the tissue can be released by pushing down on the actuator release button in one of two positions.