After our experience with many UTIs (urinary tract infections), in both my dad and my mother-in-law, I decided that we needed to be able to test for UTI ourselves. We learned that Alzheimer’s patients often cannot identify the pain or burning that goes with a UTI, but they show odd behavior changes.
Hats
We bought some plastic “hats” that sit in the toilet to collect the sample.
Sterile Jars
We got some sterile containers for taking the sample to the doctor’s office. The doctor would only accept the specimen in a sterile container like this.
Test Strips
And we got a box of test strips. I tested a sample. If it indicated a possible UTI, then I took the sample in to the doctor’s office for them to test and prescribe as needed. Eventually, I just tested every Monday morning. This avoided unnecessary trips to the doctor’s office, but we quickly noticed a UTI and got treatment.
I like these because they are individually wrapped. We tried a big jar of strips, but they go bad in about a month after opening the jar. These stay fresh in their individual packages.
The two squares on the end indicate a urinary tract infection.
If it indicates an infection, take the urine sample to the doctor in a sterile jar, so they can test it, too. They won’t prescribe without doing their own test, but testing at home can help you to know when to take a sample in for a test.
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Our Story – Daddy
The first indication that my dad had a UTI was that he refused to put on his shoes. What??? Some cousins were visiting my parents. Daddy had shown some signs of memory loss, but was still generally functioning well. He made the breakfast every morning, fiddled with his computer, and carried on conversations just fine.
After an afternoon of visiting with the cousins, they were going to go out to eat. But Daddy refused to put on his shoes. Everybody was perplexed. They found some food in the freezer to cook instead, and went on with their visit.
The next morning, Daddy went to see the doctor, who discovered that he had a urinary tract infection. That was when we learned that people with dementia react to a UTI with odd behavioral symptoms. Some years later, it was a UTI that caused my dad’s death.
Our Story – Mom
When my mother-in-law moved in with us, we found that she was also subject to UTI’s. I figured out the first one within a week after she came. She didn’t have a doctor, since she was new in town, and we had a hard time finding someone who could see her in less than three months. Finally, we found a clinic with a nurse practitioner who would see her, diagnose the UTI, and give her medication. She also referred her to a geriatric physician.
The next time I realized she had a UTI, I tried taking a specimen in to the doctor’s office. They didn’t trust my cleaning of the jar and wouldn’t take it. They gave me a sterile jar and a hat, and told me to go get another sample. But it was 4:30pm on Friday and they closed at 5:00. We lived 45 minutes away. And even if I got the sample to them, they would send it off to a lab and we wouldn’t get the results until Monday.
Back to the Clinic
I couldn’t let Mom stay in agony all weekend! So I took my little jar back to the clinic we used before. They tested it, found a raging UTI, and suggested that we bring her in for a shot, rather than just prescribing an oral antibiotic. That was all accomplished on Friday afternoon, and she felt much better by the next day. This was much better than waiting until Monday for treatment!
Finally, I decided that I should just test every Monday, so that I would catch a UTI before it got so bad. I bought the equipment and ran the tests, and the UTI’s did not overwhelm us again.
I hope this information will help you to be able to care for your loved ones and catch a UTI before it gets bad.
For more help, here are some recommended books for Alzheimer’s caregivers:
https://away4you.com/get-the-best-books-for-alzheimers-caregivers