Seniors face several challenges when it comes to toileting. For example, they may experience incontinence and fear not making it to the bathroom in time. As you work with your senior loved one to find solutions for these challenges, use these toileting tips to manage this critical part of his or her daily routine.
1. Install Adequate Lighting
Bathrooms are a common place for seniors to experience falls. Make sure your loved one can easily see the way to the restroom, and consider installing motion sensor lights that come on as soon as he or she passes through the doorways. This way, your loved one can avoid searching for a light switch, and he or she will be less likely to fall.
Consider hiring an in-home caregiver if your loved one needs assistance with toileting or other day-to-day activities. Elderly home care professionals can be a wonderful boon to seniors. Whether they require around-the-clock supervision or just need assistance with exercise and household tasks a few days a week, seniors can enjoy a higher quality of life with the help of trusted in-home caregivers.
2. Place Hygiene Products within Reach
Make sure your loved one has everything he or she needs within reach. If shelves aren’t located near the toilet, consider filling a basket with hygiene products and placing it next to the toilet. Include cleansing cloths and toilet paper as well as an extra change of clothing if your loved one experiences frequent accidents. Keep the basket well stocked so your loved one always has what he or she needs to clean up after using the restroom.
3. Choose Accessible Clothing
Arthritis and other health conditions that affect mobility make it more difficult to do certain things, such as unbuttoning clothing. Provide your loved one with accessible clothing, such as pants with elastic waistbands, that allows him or her to quickly get undressed. You can also find side-opening undergarments that make clothing changes faster in the event of accidents.
4. Know Your Loved One’s Schedule
Prevent your loved one from having to rush to the restroom by arranging to go before he or she has an emergency. Over time, you can get to know your loved one’s schedule. For instance, he or she may need to use the restroom a half hour after eating. Make sure to be near a restroom during this time so your loved one can relieve him or herself.
If you’re the primary family caregiver for a senior loved one living in Montgomery, live-in care is available if your loved one’s health has become too difficult to manage without professional expertise. At Home Care Assistance, we take measures to help seniors prevent illness and injury by assisting with exercise and mobility, preparing nutritious meals, helping with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks, and much more.
5. Provide Mobility Aids
There are many mobility aids that promote independence during toileting. Your loved one can use special button openers if he or she prefers to stick to clothing with fasteners. Alternatively, your loved one may prefer to use a special reaching arm that attaches to toilet paper or personal cleaning cloths so he or she can manage hygiene independently. Often, just having a handrail nearby makes it possible for seniors to sit down and stand up without having to call for help.
6. Offer Professional Assistance
Even if your parent has difficulty toileting independently, he or she may avoid asking you for help out of embarrassment. Arrange for a professional caregiver to step in and provide assistance. This allows your loved one to maintain privacy and dignity with family members while also ensuring he or she has help managing personal hygiene.
Professional in-home caregivers are trained to assist with personal hygiene tasks like bathing and grooming. In Montgomery, senior home care agencies can be a great boon to seniors. With the help of the caregivers at Home Care Assistance, your aging loved one can lead a happier and healthier life. We offer a revolutionary program called the Balanced Care Method, which encourages seniors to eat nutritious foods, exercise and socialize regularly, and focus on other lifestyle factors that increase life expectancy. Reach out to one of our Care Managers today at (334) 593-3988 to learn more about our high-quality home care services.