in the next month or so, a hospital bed will be arriving at my house for my mother to use, she's obese and has severe large swollen legs from lymphedema. so the doctor has ordered an extra large electric hospital bed. But my mother has incontinence, we use underpads and depends pull up diapers, and she has a commode she uses because the walk to the bathroom is to hard for her now. I'm worried about when she's in the hospital bed that the pee is just going to drip all over off the sides or something, is it ridiculous that it stresses me out just thinking about it? I know it's not her fault and she cant control it anymore, I've been trying to think about what i can do? buy lots and lots of blankets and sheets to put under her with the underpad? but then i think about how much laundry im going to have to clean and oh god i get stressed again. I've heard there's such things as waterproof protectors for a hopsital bed? do those things work? and I'm terrified that she's going to have pressure sores. I've heard so many horror stories of seniors suffering in their hospital bed. and I'm so worried that even though my mother wants this bed so bad. i worry it's not gonna work out and she's going to get terrible bed sores. I need advice! what can i do in the fight against the pee? and to prevent or keep ahead of possible bed sores?
Second, is a foley catheter an option? I take care of my daddy and he's pretty large as well and can't walk. He has a foley catheter that I change every 20-30 days and has had it for over 4 years. This has truly been a God send to us as he would wet through his diapers and his bed protectors (I used 3) and he would still be soaked. It never ran into the floor but, never the less he and his bedding were saturated and I was afraid of him getting infection in pressure wounds (caused by sitting in his wheel chair). Does your mom use a Bedside commode? If so, get some 4 gallon trash bags and line the pail with it. You will do a dance at how amazingly helpful this is. Pull out the bag, wipe the potty and your done! I use a diaper Genie too. :) Not sure if anything I've mentioned will help but, I certainly wish you luck and know where you are.