Understanding Dementia and Behavior Changes
Dementia currently affects over 55 million people globally with numbers expected to triple in the next 30 years. Alzheimer's disease makes up 60-80% of dementia cases. As dementia progresses, it impacts mood, personality, and behaviors.
Why Behavior Changes Happen
Dementia damages areas of the brain impacting reasoning, judgment, language, and impulse control. Confusion grows as the ability to interpret environmental cues declines. Frustration over losing abilities often manifests through emotional outbursts or withdrawal.
Behavior changes stem from complex brain pathway disruptions. The person lacks awareness over these happenings. For caregivers, learning why behaviors shift brings compassion during difficult times.
Common Dementia Behavioral Challenges
While behaviors differ among individuals, many family caregivers describe dealing with:
- Repetitive questioning or conversations
- Wandering or getting lost
- Sundowning - increased confusion in late afternoon
- Agitation, anger, stubbornness
- Hallucinations
- Inappropriate behaviors
- Changes in appetite, sleep
Caring for someone with dementia demands huge patience and empathy. Learning techniques to handle challenging behaviors makes the role more manageable.
Coping with Dementia Toileting Troubles
Along with behavior and personality changes, many dementia patients experience declines in toileting abilities. This normal part of the disease progression often troubles caregivers greatly.
Why Toileting Problems Develop
Using the bathroom independently requires multiple complex steps we take for granted. For someone with dementia, the sequence breaks down through:
- Declining memory
- Weakened ability to interpret urges
- Disorientation regarding bathroom location
- Difficulty manipulating clothing
These factors result in accidents, needing reminders to go, or obsession over going to the toilet when less frequent trips suffice. Understanding why this happens prevents frustration.
Signs of Toileting Issues
Look for these common signs a dementia patient experiences bathroom challenges:
- Urinating or defecating in inappropriate places
- Frequent small leaks or dribbles of urine
- Sudden, urgent need to go
- Need for reminder prompts to use toilet
- Increased bathroom trips without need
- Discomfort or irritation around genitals
- Inability to identify need to go
Tracking patterns around accidents or frequent trips guides adjustments in care like timed bathroom visits. This protects dignity when abilities decline.
Responding with Care not Criticism
Remaining calm and patient when accidents inevitably happen avoids compounding embarrassment. Offer gentle assistance cleaning up without criticism. Explain soiled clothing needs washing not because the person was "bad."
Similarly, react with understanding over frequent demands to use the bathroom even with little output. The dementia causes obsession over toileting rather than intentional disruption.
Practical Approaches for Dementia Toileting Fixation
When dementia results in fixation on toilet use, tailor responses to ease unnecessary trips. This benefits both the caregiver and person needing excessive bathroom time.
Rule Out Medical Reasons
First, have the individual assessed by a doctor to identify if urinary tract infections, prostate issues, diabetes complications or side effects of medications contribute to frequent urination or leaking. Treating the underlying cause sometimes helps resolve behaviors.
Use Habit Training
Try implementing a routine toilet schedule tailored to the person's needs and abilities. For example, establish a reminder system promoting trips every 2-3 hours. Stick to this for several weeks until it becomes an entrenched habit requiring less obsession.
Track Accidents
Logging accidents for a couple weeks identifies whether leakage links more to certain times of day like overnight or after meals. Adjust the routine or external triggers based on patterns. For night leakage, limit fluids before bedtime and promote an evening bathroom visit.
Consider Incontinence Products
Incorporating incontinence briefs or pads reduces risk of accidents between toilet trips. High-quality adult disposable underwear manages light leakage securely with antimicrobial protection.
Make the Bathroom Accessible
Improve accessibility through grab bars, raised toilet seats, safety frames, and night lights allowing independent use. This empowers the person while decreasing demands for help.
Avoid Conflicts
When obsession surfaces, agree to accompany the person for support rather than arguing about necessity. Remain positive and avoid reasoning why they shouldn't go.
With compassionate consistency, dementia toilet fixation improves. But it requires carefully assessing needs, structuring routines, and allowing dignity.
When to Seek External Dementia Help
Despite best efforts to structure a tailored care plan, behaviors sometimes escalate beyond what family can sustainably manage at home. Professional assistance then serves everyones wellbeing.
Signs It Is Time for Outside Support
Consider bringing in trained dementia help if:
- Behavior problems turn disruptive, stressful or unsafe
- Caregiver exhaustion, burnout, or illness sets in
- Work or family obligations conflict with care duties
- Financial costs of care escalate
Seeking resources like respite care, adult day programs, or residential facilities allows the dementia patient continued quality support. It also prevents caregiver breakdown.
Explore Payment Options
Financing assistance to ease escalating dementia care costs comes from multiple sources, including:
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Veterans Benefits
- Long Term Care Insurance
- Private Pay
Every situation differs, but help navigating public benefit programs or private payment strategies ensures needs get appropriately met.
Remain Hopeful Despite Dementia Difficulties
Learning why challenging behaviors manifest and employing caring, tailored at-home techniques empowers family dementia caregivers. And knowing when to access outside support prevents burnout while still honoring loved ones. With education, practical coping methods, and openness to assistance, the care journey perseveres one step at a time even when dementia toilet fixation strikes.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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