My Dad has had Parkinsons for coming up 30 years and I’ve never really needed to ask for help before but unfortunately things are taking a turn for the worse.
Specifically, Dad needs to pee a lot during the night and when he tries to get out of bed, he often falls. This has led my mum to get in night carers for the last few weeks, which has been hugely helpful but hugely expensive as well.
What I’m after is suggestions of how we can limit the amount that dad is getting up and therefore at risk of falling. He already has incontinence pants, which he is wearing but isn’t really stopping him from getting up anyway. Mum and I have thought about getting in a bed closer to the ground, so the risk of falling is lower, or looking for an option like a Conveen bag that he can wear at night, or some kind of catheter.
I would love to other ideas or what people have found really works. The end goal is to get to a point where Dad can either not worry about getting up at night, or can get up without worrying about falling over, so we no longer need night carers!
Hi Rozs … Why not get him to use a urinal in bed ?
Using a urinal: OverviewIf the person you’re caring for is not able to leave their bed to use the toilet, they may need to use a urinal. A urinal is a container used to collect urine and is made for either male or female anatomy
Also stop drinking caffeinated tea / coffee at bedtime.
Hi Roz! I’m in the same situation - I’ve not needed to ask for any help before because my husband is super capable/bright and determined (some might say stubborn! ) guy. But he is now in advanced stage which has hit really suddenly.
Anyway, I second what Steve says. We have a small commode bowl near the bed. Up untill very recently, he had been able to get out of bed kneel on floor and use it and get back into bed but the last two weeks this has also become problematic.
What is now working for us is, when I get up in the night, I gently wake him and help him use the commode in bed. Then his bladder is empty and we can both go back to sleep easy and he doesn’t feel the need to get up.
The other thing is that while lowering the bed might feel like the solution, ironically lower beds are harder to get out of for people with mobility issues and Parkinson’s. So you might find while he could roll out of the bed, it’s getting to standing that will be an issue.
I find the local neuro Occupational health and physio team enormously helpful in finding solutions - try and get on to them… they should be based at your hospital. We had a while on the wait list but once husbands name rose to the top, they have been great. He went through the initial 6 visits last summer and they discharged them. Then after Xmas, he had a sudden and steep decline and I rang them feeling despair and they readmitted him to the service straight away and sent the two OT and physio around in two days so we didn’t need to go back on the waiting list.
Steve2, I think Dad already has a urinal but is still trying to get up in the night not necessarily to go the bathroom, just to stand up and pee I think. We almost need to coach him to be able to pee lying down (which I’m sure would take some getting used to). Stopping drinking close to bedtime is a good idea though and I will suggest this.
I thought the same about the lower bed, mscoachbeth, that it would be helpful in the night but not easy for him to stand up. Maybe it would be ok if he can kneel and then roll back into bed. He’s currently in a hospital bed which is good because he can angle it to help him get up and down but it doesn’t go low enough to the ground.
I think speaking to a GP or continence nurse would be helpful, I’ll suggest this too. Thank you for the idea of neuro occupational health and physio. I will see what’s what and if we can get them round to help.
My sister has an atypical Parkinson’s (MSA-C) and has a lot of difficulty getting in and out of bed. She lives alone, and wants to retain independence as long as possible.
What works for her is a commode (with an absorbent liner) close to the bed, and an OT-supplied hospital bed that is height adjustable with a wired remote control. She uses different heights for getting in and out.
Hi Rozs my hubby has the same problem I spoke to the GP & he was given medication 2 different tablets too help the bladder. It was trial & error one of the tablets caused diarrhoea but he’s on the other & it has helped reduce the times he needs to go. Also as his mobility is difficult he has a jug he uses by the bed & I tip it into disinfected bucket to save trips to bathroom. Also he was given melatonin to help sleep. So things are better. Good luck finding a solution that works for you.
My Dad is 79 and has the same issue, He uses a “Conveen” Basically it’s a catheter but you wear it on the outside. It goes on like a condom you put on and pull down (inside is sticky to stay on) It then connects to the tubing, and into a night bag.
Hi Vinny, I just wanted to come back here some three months later and say that the Conveen has been absolutely life changing.
That – combined with an alarm on Dad’s bed and an alarm mat in case he fell or got up in the night has resulted in him now sleeping through the night 99% of the time. And when he doesn’t, he is able to call for help. Everyone is sleeping better. Thank you so much for your advice and I just wanted to give an update here in case anyone else was struggling and looking for a solution.
) guy. But he is now in advanced stage which has hit really suddenly.
2 different tablets too help the bladder. It was trial & error one of the tablets caused diarrhoea but he’s on the other & it has helped reduce the times he needs to go. Also as his mobility is difficult he has a jug he uses by the bed & I tip it into disinfected bucket to save trips to bathroom. Also he was given melatonin to help sleep. So things are better. Good luck finding a solution that works for you.