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My husband has dementia and Parkinson disease and he wets the bed. He wears pull up briefs i.e. depends and I also, have a pad and chux to use at nighttime. My problem is he wanders doing the night and he takes his briefs off during the night and he gets off of the pad and chux during the night. My question: Is there a mattress pad or something heavy enough that will cover the whole bed, that will absorb urine and keep the bed dry at night time?

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There are really nice waterproof mattress pads. I got one for myself on Amazon as I have a lot of pets and sometimes they have accidents (or they do it on purpose, who knows). They are nice and soft on top and are backed with vinyl or rubber. They don't make that crackle noise like the pads do and are very comfortable. I got one for my dad's bed when he complained about the crackling sound the pads make and hes very happy with it. They are washable and are strong (last years). It has saved my very expensive mattress many times.

Angel
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Maybe some others will know of a way to protect the mattress from getting wet. I might try to prevent him from taking off his depends. I have read here about adult onsies that button in the back. The person cannot get them off and so they are not able to remove their depends. It's worth a try if it will keep the bed dry.

I think there are alarms for the bed would alert you when he gets up as well.
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There is an on line store that sells waterproof mattress covers.
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I have found a really great mattress protector. My adult son has sever autism and until recently bed wetting was an almost nightly thing. Frequently Rainman gets in bed with hubby and me in the mornings - it's the only way we get to sleep past 4:00am, as that's when he often wakes and if we don't tuck him in with us he will roam the house and get into trouble. So we have the same mattress protector on our bed as well - I know first hand how awful a bad mattress protector can be - hot from sleeping on non breathing plastic and noisy with the crinkling, crunching sounds when you move. The ones I buy are terry cloth on the top side and are Gore Tex on the under side. In case you aren't familar, Gore Tex is a light weight water proof membrane that "breaths" - most often used in athletic clothing such as ski jackets. I get mine at the mattress retailer Sleep Train or Sleep Country. They are spendy - about $120 for a king size. They have two types - one which covers just the top surface and the other that goes over the corners and covers the sides. You might try googleing "Gore Tex mattress protector" if you don't have the stores I mentioned where you are. Like I said - spendy - but so worth it.
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One final tip to actually make my tips work is to put a lock on the fridge past a certain hour and if you have access to the water control and you're not sharing any apartments with anyone, you can also cut off the water for the kitchen and very latest least very if you have access to the water control and you're not sharing any apartments with anyone, you can also cut off the water for the kitchen and very least. Another thing you can do before you go to bed is cut off the bathroom water but only turn it on again when one of you has to go to the bathroom. Again, this trick can only be effective if you don't live in a building with other apartments. If you live in a single-family home and you're the only ones living there then this little trick is definitely for you!

A final thing to remember is actually a warning:

As dementia progresses, you may not want to be alone with him if this progresses to Alzheimer's because as it progresses, a person may become violent. This is where you may have to resort to putting him into an institution where he can get the help he really needs. You will know where your limit is and when it's time, don't put yourself in danger
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I have a husband with frontal temportal dementa (FTD)and I got a vinyl mattress protector over putting the whole mattress in a mattress protector. Then the sheets and then a mattress protector from Miles Kimball that goes where he lays to catch the urine and folds under the mattress to help stay (washes well), then have 2 smaller pads that go over that, from Miles Kimball and along with the diaper, have used vinyl under pants and his briefs to make him feel more comfortable with his underwear. IT is a lot but believe me he still wets down to the pads above the sheet. I get him up every 4-6 hrs to use the toilet but that does not always work. Limit fluids after evening meal. SO far he does not wander at night. Ask the Dr about a mild medicine to help sleep like Benadryl, etc. Maybe that help too? It has taken trial and error to find something that works better. Miles Kimball ships faster and I have gotten extra pads when some wet replace with clean. Check on sundowners as that is what happens a lot when the sun goes down..... Hang in there. God bless. Its really hard.
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My husband has dementia caused by his stroke. He mostly stays dry at night, but I have two waterproof mattress covers I bought at walmart. Both are quiet, and washable. The one is more expensive - I think I paid around $25, and has a quilted top. ( full size) The other one cost about $18 I think, and you can feel it does not have the same quality-- but both work well, and wash good. I did learn to dry the waterproof mattress cover by itself - or maybe just a couple items with it. In summer I plan to hang them out on the line.

The other hint I have is for keeping an eye on the patient. My husband used to get up and walk around at night. I bought a baby monitor so I could see what he was doing. I slept in the next room. However, I constantly heard what sounded like his walker, and I'd get up to check on him. Usually it was just furnace, or maybe he moved around in bed. So I bought a security monitor--by Bubba -- very reasonable, and now I know if he is actually out of bed. When the chime does go off, I can look at the monitor to see if he is up or just moving around in the bed. Sure saves me a lot of sleepless nights. His meds have been adjusted so he does not get up as much as he used to.
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Strangely enough, yes. While this discussion has to do with Alzheimers. I use a mattress cover that encloses the mattress by a zipper. Because I sweat from getting hot very easily. Granted I only have a 'single' mattress. I would think there would be one. For a 'twin', 'queen', or 'king' size mattress.
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Go to an elder care equipment store to buy a waterproof mattress pad. The products will be far better than something you would get at a store geared towards all age groups.
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Llamalover - I'm always on the lookout for products that will help lessen extra work. How is a waterproof mattress protector geared towards a geriatric clientele different from other good quality waterproof mattress protectors?
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