Since your father has suffered a stroke and is paralyzed on one side, he may have lost control over his bladder which is why it seems as if he is urinating a lot. The stroke may have damaged the urethral muscles making them weak and leading to uncontrolled urination. One’s control over one’s body reduces as the years pass and while this is perfectly natural, it can be a difficult time for both the person as well as close family members. Most hospitals provide a bed pan and if you are in constant consultation with your family doctor, it would be beneficial to speak to her or him about this problem. There are adult diapers available in the market and these will keep the bedclothes from getting soiled, although constant and daily usage may lead to rashes due to constant chaffing against the skin. A tube may be used under a doctor’s orders to help your father urinate without soiling the bed. While this maybe irritable at first, in time, he may grow used to it. The loss of movement and control over his body may already make him irritable and hence it is important to keep him as comfortable as possible. You could do this by changing his clothes, bedclothes and bathing him or wiping him down at least once a day. Lying down constantly may cause bed sores which will only aggravate his discomfort. Some people use rubber sheets so that the urine does not soak the bed and bedclothes. However, this is not advisable as the patient’s skin may break out in rashes and a tube is possibly the best option. Having said that, the lack of bladder control could be caused by various other factors such as kidney stones or it could be the effect of the medication he us under for his heart condition. Sometimes, it can even be a symptom of an impending stroke. A complete medical checkup would be a good idea and if the medication is the cause, you may want to talk to his doctor about a possible replacement. If there is blood in the urine and it is accompanied by nausea, abdominal pain, discomfort and vomiting, then kidney stones could be a possible cause. An appointment with a urologist would also be in order to ascertain the cause and to treat this condition. This is also to rule out any urinary tract infection which may lead to constant bedwetting.
answered by G M