My husband is in stage 7 and still able to get up and walk around. I have two main hygiene problemes. The first is bed-wetting. I know that can't be helped, but can I keep him dryer? He is in overnight pull-ups and wakes up with his shirt and sheets soaked a couple of times a night. I have a water proof mattress pad, plastic over that, then another sheet of plastic and another sheet. In that way I can strip one sheet and plastic off of the bed and he can get right back in bed after changing him, with me having to remake the bed. The blue disposable bed pads have not worked for us.
The other problem is that he will not take a bath. He seems to be afraid to go into the bathroom. I wash him the best I can, but can not keep him clean smelling. Any help with this?

I always make certain my husband goes to the bathroom before he gets into bed, even if he doesn't think he has to go. Fortunetly he hasn't started wetting the bed yet, but sometimes I have to get up with him in the middle of the night, so he can find the bathroom.
His biggest problem, or is it my biggest problem, is that he don't know when it is time for a BM until it is too late.
I bought a bath chair at Wal-Mart and we used that part of the time, the last two baths he has managed to set down in the tub. He always complains about being cold too. I keep the heater running in the bathroom, so it is plenty warm in there. We also have a handheld shower.

Her entire life my mom was hyper clean. And now all of a sudden she is terrified of the shower and complains bitterly of being cold. So I've begun giving her rewards for taking a shower (with a handheld shower) like getting ice cream afterwards. I also make the bathroom so hot I can barely stand it but it seems to make her less cold. And I just keep telling her how much we have left to do....eg, "now your underarms, then your privates, and then you're done and can have ice cream!!" Good luck Margaret. We're all in this together.

Margaret,
Have you tried putting on 2 or 3 pull-ups at night?
And not letting him drink so much liquid in the evenings?
My problem is I can't get my husband to drink more water.

Things have changed since Feb, when I said my husband didn't wet the bed, now it is wet every morning. I put a plastic sheet (a plastic table cloth from the $1.00 store) under the sheet and blue pad on top of the sheet and depends on him, but he is always soak every night. I really get tired of washing clothes every day.
I have an aid that comes twice a week to shower him, IF he decided he will take a shower, he has problems stepping over the side of the tub.
She spends so much time with bathing and dressing him, that she don't get anything else done, that I have to do anyway.
there are days that I am about ready to put him into a NH., before I end up there.
He has phlem in his throat and he spits that where ever he is at. The same with blowing his nose.

Hi
I have gotten some of the depends that have tabs on them and cut the tabs off and she has this in the depends all the time. It is cheaper than changing a depends all the time. Luckily I can get them from goodwill stores or commission on aging for not too much money. they are cheaper than 2 or 3 depends.
If your husband will sit on the toilette, what i do is give my mom a sponge bath while she is sting on the toilette, washing her everywhere, last having her stand so i can wash her privates. I use body wash in the water that have body cream in it. I also spray body spray on the depends, you could do that with a mans body spray.
hope i have helped.
Dee

I am caring for my mother-in-law. We had the diapers on her but she would still wet the carpet and her clothing. I changed her just before bed, also limited the fluids after 7 PM and put on a pair of slacks on her to absorb some of the wetting. This has helped along with the plastic mattress cover. The slacks over her diaper have worked for us.

You may have better success by using a more absorbent pull up or adult-diaper product. I can advise you of the options available for facility or home delivery. Most of the over-the-counter products available have limited efficacy for moderate and severe incontinence.