How can I regulate my mother's bowel movements so they happen in the day time?
My mother suffers from Alzheimer's Disease. She has a daily bowl movement usually at 2 or 4 in the morning. She takes her diaper off and makes a horrible, I mean horrible, mess on the bed. How can I regulate her bowl movements so they occur in the day time?
Expert Answer
I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with this challenging problem.
Since this doesn't deal directly with Alzheimer's care, my suggestion is that you talk with a physician, preferably a gastroenterologist as well as contact your local Alzheimer's Association.
Both should have suggestions based on their experiences as to ways to alter your mother's metabolism and bodily functions as well as ways to change her schedule and behavior to regulate her bowel movements to daytime hours, when she can be supervised and assisted.
This is not an uncommon occurrence, and there are professionals in your community who have dealt with this same issue, so your first step is to talk with people who have had similar experiences and find out how they were able to successfully deal with the problem.
Best of luck.