How can I get my mother to change her underwear when it gets wet?
One of the "symptoms" of Alzheimer's disease (I prefer not to use a negative term like difficult) is incontinence. She is not going to remember you telling her to change when she is wet so don't even bother to remind her.
I wish one answer would be THE ANSWER but of course we don't have one answer just a variety of suggestions. When we post my answer others will also respond which is a wonderful part of Caring.com.
My thought is that instead of your mother having "the problem" you have "the problem" and you have set a timer to help you remember to go to the bathroom as you have a bladder problem. And why doesn’t she join you so you won't feel bad. What you will have done is transferred "the problem" from your mother, who realizes something is wrong but does not understand what the problem is and how to fix it, to you. Now when the bell goes off she will remind you and she can be the mother. You have become the mother and she has become the rebellious teenager, a role reversal. Try in many ways to help her regain her role as mother but asking her opinion, asking for her help in as many ways as possible.
It’s a difficult time, bless you for caring for your mother.
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