How do you deal with non bowel action in Alzheimer's patient?

A note for all caregivers. If you need to crush pills make sure they are allowed to be crushed. Long acting meds may never be crushed as the whole days dose gets given at once - not good! Other pills may have a bitter taste and prompt the patient to refuse. Also all meds except liquids can be given rectally BUT the rectum needs to be clear of poop. They take a little longer to work. When you give the next dose you may find what looks like complete shells in the rectum and assume the med has not worked. These are called "ghosts". The medicine is absorbed through the shell and when given rectally they may not be absorbed.
For Gwendo, putting a "Guards" inside the diaper pants or the nighttime open type greatly extends the period of absorbency.
For those who are not familiar they are like a female sanitary pad but bigger and shaped to accommodate the male anatomy. They can be worn by any male who is capable in ordinary underwear. This also helps keep the cost down and protects dignity when using a public rest room.

Veronica - YOU CAUGHT ME (about crushing "pills")! Good for you. We should be completely accurate when giving technical information. I went back and reviewed my post and saw that I referred to the magnesium oxide as being able to be given as pills or crushed pills. Since I know that magnesium oxide is virtually always in a pressed chalky tablet form, l should have used the word "tablet" as opposed to "pill" and Veronica is 100 percent right on that you cannot crush just any pill, especially prescription medication without asking your doctor or pharmacist. I should have made clear however that is OK to pulverize mag ox TABLETS...Thanx V.

Butterflykisses, that's what I was going to say "Rasin Brain" does wonders..

just went through this with my Mom - Doc said to giver her 2 oz of prune juice every morning - cut back to 1 oz if it gets too loose - Also keep a stool softener on hand like Colace. The prune juice worked - The doc also said to be careful with Metamucil & other fiber producers because if they don't get enough water you could cause more problems - It has to be followed by water - Good Luck

Thanks for all the many suggestions. have tried them all over these last two months - except for magnesium tablets. Did try that, just made him poop sooner rather than later!
every 3-4 days he has stains in diapers indicating he needs to poop.
If brain is now unable to send message to him to push poop out, nothing we can do! Found a product of small plastic ball containing salt solution and glycerin for enema. Used it on him standing up but not too effective. But it helped to lubricate passageway and 'fingering' poop out was smoother. Really need to do the enema lying down, but patient not likely to co-operate.
The patient is my spouse of 54yrs, now aged 80 with Alzheimer's since 2002. He is physically fit - eats and sleeps. Loss of language and comprehension makes him a walking vegetable now. He is mostly quite cheerful.

I am lucky, I can afford to send him to day care centers for Alz.. Without this respite I would have drowned long ago - or drowned him! I am lucky I am fit and strong still to push and pull him - I do have a home helper too. This end stage may go on for a long time!
THERE SHOULD BE SUCH FACILITIES TO GIVE CAREGIVERS RESPITE EVERYWHERE AND AFFORDABLE!
I am hanging in there and waiting for the end to come.
I appreciate all the hugs I can get!
Love to all in the same boat
Gwendo

gwendo says: "Without this respite I would have drowned long ago - or drowned him!"

This reminded me of something that happened between my mom (co-caregiver w/ me) and my dad (Alz pt). My dad was a big guy, getting more stubborn and violent about it as the weeks when on. I was pressing my mom that it was dangerous to continue trying to keep him home but she was resistant.

One day she called me over, afraid because he had pushed her and she had locked herself in her bedroom that we had readied for just an occurrence. She had been helping him with some bathroom clean up, something he didn't like, when he snapped and came at her like a gargoyle, teeth snarling and arms out reached with fingers like claws grabbing towards her. He shoved her backwards hard enough that she came out of her shoes. Had she landed one foot to the left, she would have rolled to the floor and very possibly struck her head on a piece of furniture with devastating results. Luckily she went to foot to the right and landed with her backside laying on the bed. Dad was still coming at her to attack, she raised her legs and kicked him backward. He stumbled and crumpled gently to the ground as she ran out of the room, turning the bathroom style lock on the door handle and closing him in his room.

I arrived in less than 15 minutes, she was in her protected bedroom space and he hadn't come out of his room, not remembering how to open the lock which was on the inside of his door. My mom let me in her bedroom and told me the story. I told her it was very dangerous and asked her if she was ready yet to place in a home. I know she was scared this time but as she was thinking it over he managed to calm down enough to open his door and come out in the hallway. Sadly, when he couldn't find anyone there, as we were both quietly still in her bedroom, he started calling out in the most pitiful manner, scared to be alone and apologizing for being bad. My mom said no, see, he didn't know what he was doing, he didn't mean it , I can't do that to him.

Not two days later she called me up and said to find a place because she couldn't keeping it home anymore. I already had some contacts because I had my aunt in a nursing home so I made some calls. It took about 3 hours but I with able to find a place, they faxed the doctor who faxed back a diagnosis of "organic affective disease" and it was all set for him to be admitted the following day.

I went over to tell my mom and aster something else carry had happened that made her change your mind. She said yes indeed had. I said tell me. She said well, he was sitting on the bed and I was trying to help him put on his shoes when he grabbed the one I was working with out of my hand and bent over to put it on himself. as I stood there, all of a sudden I got a feeling that I wanted to beat him on the head. I didn't but I wanted to. And I knew if I didn't do what you've been suggesting and put in with somebody can take care of him, there might come a time that I break down and do that.

Wasn't that amazing? He pushed her across the room with such force, she could have been really hurt. But SHE was afraid she was going to hurt HIM ! !