Mom, 89, and with dementia, has had chronic utis throughout this past year involving visits to the ER, 3 Day Hospital stays, and then extended stays in a Nursing Home temporarily for rehab and skilled nursing because of them.
She just came home from the NH two weeks ago treated for a UTI, and then three days later developed another which I detected by her altered mental status.
I feel like she is developing one every week, and that despite whatever I do with intake of fluids, UTI-Stat liquid, special overnight diapers and booster pads, good hygiene an aid comes in every am 5 days week to wash her, and every 2 hour visits to the bathroom, that it is not enough.
The geriatrician's attitude is that it is her age and dementia, and that we must be careful not to have her develop another bout of C-Diff which she had in the past. She does take probiotics.
To be blunt it sounds like we are now at a point where we have to treat her every other week with antibiotics until we encounter one so resistant that we do nothing and then the inevitable. I am very frustrated.
They did do bladder ultrasounds and the results are that her retention ability is typical of her age. The only time that she totally emptys her bladder completely is at night while sleeping so well due to Paxil and Klonopin to help her sleep.
Is this going to be the norm now rather than the exception? Am I the only caregiver who is experiencing uti deja-vu?
Lots of liquids
Vitamin C
pills to boost acidity in bladder
pills to control bladder
D-mannose caplets
estring vaginal inserts
topical estrogen for external use
unsweetened cranberry juice extract dilited in plain water
cranberry tabs
dried cranberries in oatmeal
a bidet
frequent changing of pads
Kegel exercises to help with continence
and after all that, we know we've done the best we can, and when we have to we just try to ignore it, and live with the inevitable. We stay vigilant for signs that the infection has moved up to her kidneys (fever, pain, blood, vomiting) which can be fatal.
I sympathize -- it is an unending battle. So many hospital and ER visits, too many visits to the urologist, too many fights with nurses over the best way to get "clean catch" urine samples from someone with arthritis who can't do it and the problems of catheters and the infections they can cause...
We are so grateful we did not take the advice of one doctor who offered that "mesh" for her bladder -- what a disaster they are.
I guess my best advice is just to do the best you can, accept the problems with as much grace as you can, and try not to get too caught up in the drama and emotions. It can be exhausting and frightening, I know. And not many of us have the training and knowledge to handle these things with professional detachment and skill -- we just learn as we go.
Best of luck.
Its worth a try, my mom also has dementia and is 88. I have personal wash toweletts that she uses to clean herself every morning when she gets dressed and changes underware. I never let her wear the same underware even if they are dry. Women can take on a very funky smell if not cleaned everyday.
Hope some of this helps. It is the hardest job I have ever done but I will be glad I did it someday. It just gets very isolating when I can't go out and even run errands ect. I have to wait till my husband is home so he can stay with mom while I run.
L
Probiotics after a bout of antibiotics. I even had a pharmacist recommend them and he recommended kombucha, which I drink often. I don't think I'd be able to get my mom to drink it since it has a very distinct flavor.
I'm interested in any other suggestions that others have on this subject. Seems like my mom is susceptible to contracting them also. I've started with the cranberry juice on a daily basis.
I could not find anybody that would do the surgery. I persisted and finally settled with one urologist. I begged, pleated and cried. He told me to let him try to treat me with meds first. I refused to take a low dose of antibiotics for the rest of my life. After begging and crying more, he caved. He told me that he had not done the surgery in over 12 years for the reason I stated above.
It was a complete success! It has been over 12 or 13 years ago. Here is how a nurse explained it to me.... When you get an infection scar tissue forms. You take antibiotics and it clears up, so you think. You may stress your bladder by holding urine, sexual activity, or any other trauma. The scar tissue rips as your bladder experiences trauma and bacteria that was caught in the scar tissue rips or stretches and releases the bacteria that was hiding deep in the scar tissue. You get into a horrible cycle of more in the same. See, blood carries antibiotics and distributes the antibiotics. However, blood cannot flow through scar tissue. That's the beginning of the vicious cycle.
Scrapping an elderly lady's bladder may be more dangerous. I have no clue. I am not a doctor. But I have suffered for many years only to be cured with this surgery.
Please keep in mind that the doctors liked the idea of not performing the surgery because there are some related dangers. I guess one could possibly be puncturing the bladder, but it was worth any risk for me. I have not had any bladder infections since the surgery years ago.
If you look into it don't be surprised of all the "no" answers you get. A confident and reputable urologist should consider doing it. I had absolutely no problem. My doctor however, cured and then lost a patient. I had no need after the check ups to ever return. I will always be grateful and I refer him every chance I get.
The urologist did tell me that he was going to perform the surgery again if mine was successful on another patient. She waited patiently for my surgery and recovery, then had the same surgery. Her surgery was a success as well.
Good luck! Prayer also helps!
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