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Urinary Tract Infections and Dementia
My Father in Law has dementia. Due to some health issues, he recently has come to rely 100% on being on a catheter. He got a UTI and it really started to accelerate his dementia, making him more agitated. We did find a few articles on this on alzheimers sites, but the doctors seem to dismiss this aspect.
Has anyone else had this experience where a UTI created an issue?
Has anyone else had this experience where a UTI created an issue?
Best Answer
COMMUNITY LEADER
yes it does change their personality, my mom was so so sweet and would never say anything to hurt anyones feelings but when she had a UTI she was right down nasty , and she would fall alot and talk crazy. so we knew when she had one.
sad to say but when mom was bed ridden and she was close to the end they wanted to stop treating her for them but we raised so much sand that they gave her the meds for them, but after awaile the meds didnt work.
its really sad to watch someone go down, i was with my mom the whole way and year to year or even month to month i could see her getting worse, and the uti seem to come along with alz and dementia. yes a uti can take someone out its infection in the body, when you see him getting that way you need to request the meds and dont take no for a answer . prayers your way. Heart
sad to say but when mom was bed ridden and she was close to the end they wanted to stop treating her for them but we raised so much sand that they gave her the meds for them, but after awaile the meds didnt work.
its really sad to watch someone go down, i was with my mom the whole way and year to year or even month to month i could see her getting worse, and the uti seem to come along with alz and dementia. yes a uti can take someone out its infection in the body, when you see him getting that way you need to request the meds and dont take no for a answer . prayers your way. Heart
His catheters are changed monthly and luckily, at least lately, his aides and visiting nurses are keeping his hygiene in order which prior to this, he was not able to do on his own. The UTI was identified, but oddly the docs decided not to treat it when it was first identified making it get far worse and then he had to be hospitalized.
I always get worried with UTIs - I know a friend of mine had her mother pass after getting one - so they may appear benign, but are anything but in someone bedridden or elderly.
It is just strange, even though it is documented, that most the doctors could not associate the change in his behavior with the UTI. He has had a difficult personality even before the dementia and any issue just sets him down a worse path. I feel so bad for my husband - my FIL heaps abuse - false abuse - on him.
I always get worried with UTIs - I know a friend of mine had her mother pass after getting one - so they may appear benign, but are anything but in someone bedridden or elderly.
It is just strange, even though it is documented, that most the doctors could not associate the change in his behavior with the UTI. He has had a difficult personality even before the dementia and any issue just sets him down a worse path. I feel so bad for my husband - my FIL heaps abuse - false abuse - on him.
Hi rumpled.
The connection has been well established, however, I find that most doctors
make terrible scientists and to add insult to injury,they rush excessively without paying much attention to detail in order to fit everything into their own busy schedules, often with very little regard to patients' wellness.
Production Of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Α (TNFa)* Is Increased In Urinary Tract Infections and this is very relevant to your question.
The single best predictor of cognitive decline in AD and dementia patients is serum TNFa levels (Holmes et al., 2009).
*TNFa has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases including neurodegenerative & autoimmune diseases, insulin resistance, and cancer.
Kidney dysfunction -a possibility because of his UTI- should be ruled out, as toxins and bacteria in the blood, normally filtered through the kidneys, could reach the brain and cause exasperated symptoms and further neuronal damage.
If I were you, I would have a serious talk with someone of higher authority,
as the level of care delivery regarding your father-in-law needs to be taken seriously. Proper hygiene and attention could have prevented this from happening, however, presently, since he has no voice ( metaphorically
speaking) you seem to be the right person to pursue this matter for him,
so his pain and suffering related to the UTI, is not unnecessarily prolonged.
I wish you success with this and I hope your father-in-law gets better soon.
Niko
PS. My late mom had gone through this.
I could see the sad "glassy" look in her eyes, "telling " me about her discomfort and confusion. That's all it took. She needed a strong advocate
and I was up for it! lol!
The connection has been well established, however, I find that most doctors
make terrible scientists and to add insult to injury,they rush excessively without paying much attention to detail in order to fit everything into their own busy schedules, often with very little regard to patients' wellness.
Production Of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Α (TNFa)* Is Increased In Urinary Tract Infections and this is very relevant to your question.
The single best predictor of cognitive decline in AD and dementia patients is serum TNFa levels (Holmes et al., 2009).
*TNFa has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases including neurodegenerative & autoimmune diseases, insulin resistance, and cancer.
Kidney dysfunction -a possibility because of his UTI- should be ruled out, as toxins and bacteria in the blood, normally filtered through the kidneys, could reach the brain and cause exasperated symptoms and further neuronal damage.
If I were you, I would have a serious talk with someone of higher authority,
as the level of care delivery regarding your father-in-law needs to be taken seriously. Proper hygiene and attention could have prevented this from happening, however, presently, since he has no voice ( metaphorically
speaking) you seem to be the right person to pursue this matter for him,
so his pain and suffering related to the UTI, is not unnecessarily prolonged.
I wish you success with this and I hope your father-in-law gets better soon.
Niko
PS. My late mom had gone through this.
I could see the sad "glassy" look in her eyes, "telling " me about her discomfort and confusion. That's all it took. She needed a strong advocate
and I was up for it! lol!
COMMUNITY LEADER
yes, my mother had to have a catheter the last 12 months of her life and if they are left in a long time it can cause infection/UTI. we would watch the color of her uriane and if it got dark or cloudy than we got meds for her.
they did not change moms to often but most the time they like to change it once a month , but that causes infections to.
they did not change moms to often but most the time they like to change it once a month , but that causes infections to.
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The person may not be able to communicate how they feel, therefore it is very important to be familiar with the symptoms of UTI and seek medical help to enable appropriate treatment.
It is also important to be aware that any infection could speed up the progression of dementia and so all infections should be quickly identified and treated.