Dear Denise,
I am caring for my husband and having difficulty trying to find someone to contact in case of an emergency late at night. I manage fine during the day and get some help but last night he lost control of his bladder and soaked the bed, his clothing etc. I was unable to find who to call at two in the morning that could help me turn the mattress over. I’m a senior and have a back problem so all I could do was switch the mattress around and wash all the clothing so he would have someplace to sleep.
Hi,
Night-time help is difficult to find! And, you did a great job managing the situation last night. Some families do hire a home health aide for night-time; any local home health agency can tell you the cost of a home health for the night shift. This can be expensive, though! Typically, however, your other options are family, friends and, in emergencies, 911.
Take precautions so that his incontinence is managed at night. Purchase a urinal that is within easy reach while he is in bed and buy a commode that sits next to the bed. In addition, you can purchase quilted pads that absorb an amazing amount of liquid to place under your husband (or under his sheet, whatever your preference). Consider purchasing adult diapers that he can wear which will also keep his bed dry. You can purchase incontinence products online which can be delivered to your home. A few web sites include:
–www.hdis.com
–www.northshorecare.com
–www.caregiversmarketplace.com
If this is the first time you are purchasing incontinence briefs for your husband and you’re not sure what products to purchase, ask companies for samples. Explain your situation, your current about keeping your husband dry at night: What products would they suggest given your husband’s height and weight?
Of course, you’ll want to limit his intake of liquids in the evening. And, some family members do get up once during the night to help a care recipient to the bathroom.
It doesn’t hurt to call his doctor to discuss his incontinence. His doctor can ensure that his medications are not causing his incontinence. If they are, the doctor can change the schedule of the medications so that he won’t have a full bladder at night.
You can learn more about incontinence, including ways to manage it, on this page: http://www.nafc.org.
Finally, you can make a list of answers to the “What if” questions. Brainstorm all the potential problems that may occur at night and how you would like to solve them. Then, take steps to put those potential solutions in place, i.e., calling friends or family members to ask if they can help, calling your local emergency respondents to ask how they can help during certain situations.
Hang in there!
Stumped by an on-going struggle? Searching for meaning in your journey? You’re not alone! Family caregivers ask Denise M. Brown, Professional Caregiving Coach and Editor and Publisher, Caregiving.com, for her insights and suggestions to their caregiving conundrums. Have a question for Denise? Just e-mail her. Denise will do her best to answer questions within 24 hours.
If you or your care recipient are in a crisis, we urge you to call a health care professional immediately for assistance. Denise only provides general insights about general situations. You should always consult your own lawyer, financial planner, health care professional and other professional advisors for advice specific to your situation.
I have a cousin that wants to do in home care for his father. The problem is my cousin is on SSD. He takes several meds. and his doctor told him he is bi-polar and schizafinic(sorry I don’t know how it’s spelled). Can he do in home care?
Hi Tracy–I’d be happy to help, but need a little more information. Would you mind sending me an email? You can learn more on my Ask Denise blog: http://www.caregiving.com/?cat=10
Great advice. One other option to add to Denise’s advice would be to have a platic cover put over the matress. You can buy such cover, or you can purchase a matress with a hospital grade cover already on it.
The nice part about this option is that you wont have to turn the matress. Bed pads do hold a great deal of fluid (it’s actually pretty amazing), but sometimes my Father wind up off the bed pad as he turns throughoput the night. As his matress has a plastic cover, all I need to do is wipe off the mattress and replace the sheet. It’s been a huge help.