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The question waa; What to do if your parent can’t stand long enough to be cleaned while toileting?


The answers were all about commodes and sit showers, but my LO has multiple, loose BM’s while lying or sitting and therefore gets feces in places that are hard to clean, skinfolds, genitalia etc.


She is unable to shower regularly so thoroughly cleaning is a must or she gets UTI etc. Short of a colonoscopy bag, is there a device that will help her stand for more than 60 seconds without over taxing her physically?

If you have a walkin shower, place the commode in without the bucket in place. Patient can be seated and if you have a handheld shower head, you can shoot the stream of water up through the seat area. All while patient is seated.
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Reply to Scooter2023
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Much great detailed advice already given. I can't add much at all.

Sit to stand machine require leg strength. Hoist lifter requires the space to use. Commode requires trunk strength.

There are recliner commode chairs, but bathroom space would need to accomodate the extra size. If bedroom/bathroom setup allowed, hoist to reclined commode, wheel over toilet & use hand-held shower-hose for cleaning. I'm picturing a hospital/aged-care type set up - open bathroom, no shower step, & no bedroom carpet.

It may be that bed-care is the only workable option left in the home setting.
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waytomisery Jun 21, 2024
Very good summation .
Also since OP says frequent care is needed due to multiple stool events bed-care would most likely be necessary at least some of the time , otherwise she would be transferred in and out of bed all day long .
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My late husband was completely bedridden for the last 22 months of his life, and he couldn't stand by himself without being held up by someone.
I had to hire an aide to come put him on the bedside commode so he could poop, and then she would hold him up while I cleaned him up.
And if on the rare occasion he again pooped in his tab diaper while in bed, I would have my son come and again hold him up by his bedside commode, so I could get him cleaned up real good, and my son would put him back in bed.
I never had an issue with not getting him cleaned up real good doing it that way.
So perhaps you need to hire an aide to come hold your parent up while you clean them up real good.
And because my husband was also under hospice care during those 22 months, the hospice aides came twice a week to give him a bed bath, which worked out well too.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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This won't directly help with the cleaning aspect. A bidet or hand shower is probably a better option for cleaning. However if your parent needs help with toileting and is too weak to stand, a hydraulic or powered toilet lift may be helpful.

Here's an example of a lift that may help her get on/off the toilet, and potentially position her for easier cleaning.
https://www.sed-med.com/
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Reply to jlevinson
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First, I would hope you would never get a doctor to preform surgery for a colostomy if cleaning after toileting is the only reason.
You have options.
As mentioned a Bidet would be a great solution. But depending on the level of cognition someone may have to operate it for your parent.
Changing and cleaning in bed is another option.
If the person has some trunk strength and can stand for a little while a Sit To Stand is a great option. It will support the person and cleaning and changing can be done easily.
If there is no trunk support then a Hoyer Lift.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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geostone Jun 20, 2024
She has a history of colon cancer, has ongoing GI issues, has developed C-Diff and required in home infusions of abx do to the reoccurrence of messy pants. Oh and she has little or no trunk strength. I would never consider something for convenience but at some point we’ll need better answers to keep her living in our home. Hoyer lifts and such aren’t easy with the limited space in my home. Thanks.
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My kids gave me a bidet for Mother's Day after I used the one at my YD's home.

OMGosh!! Game changer.

Mine is super deluxe--it warms the water that sprays you. The seat of the bidet is heated--and there's a built in fan that dries you off. You can adjust the spray wand to do a simple 'butt wash' or, for women, the full 'undercarriage wash'. Your LO stays seated and lets the bidet do all the work. You can run several washes, if necessary. The water will get colder, but hopefully, it's not necessary to use more than once per bathroom visit.

My DH has bowel issues and I know he wasn't washing and wiping well (I do his laundry and he'll stain a pair of undershorts and I have to use a LOT of bleach spray to get them clean.)

No need to stand there while someone wipes you clean. You get cleaner and stay cleaner. It's probably one of the best gifts I've ever received!!
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Care13 Jun 20, 2024
ive heard good things about bidets too-can you share what brand/model you use? we got a travel bidet that we didnt end up using-but to have for medical appts when we need to change our LO (in a wheelchair, who cant stand, so id pivot them from chair to toilet and hope the bidet worked)-have also heard of 'tushy' brand-tryign to maybe find one for home use that doesnt hafta be installed (in an apartment rental and they take forever to allow/do any maintenance/changes to apartment, including changing the current toilet which is on the fritz) thanks
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In my experience, the safest and least taxing approach is to perform peri care in a bed. It gives both the patient and caregiver the time needed to be thorough without rushing. If you don’t have any, you can also try some no-rinse peri wash to use in conjunction with gentle wipes-you can try to dab rather than wipe so much to prevent skin irritation.
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Reply to MidwestOT
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geostone Jun 20, 2024
We use a lot of the wash…we buy everything in bulk. The issue is the amount of time she can stand to get clean. But I thank you for the suggestion, it was a game changer when we discovered it.
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Are you applying a barrier cream in between changes to protect her skin? (one with zinc oxide or lanolin)

Barrier creams need to be applied to completely dry skin, so consider keeping a dedicated travel-size blow dryer at her bedside to use after washing her (that has a medium or cool setting).
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geostone Jun 20, 2024
We do apply a great deal of barrier cream and other ointments as needed. Thanks!
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I've had homecare clients that were incontinent both ways and couldn't stand long enough to be cleaned up.

This is when it's time to go over to using actual diapers and get a bed that can be raised and lowered. So, the best way I found for such a situation as yours, is when it's time to change the diaper, the person has to be laying down on the bed (which you've raised to a comfortable working height), and you get a basin of soap and water and literally wash them up. The put on a clean diaper. If it's only urine, you can use wipes.

There really is no other way. It's a hard life for whoever's in charge of keeping the person clean.
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Reply to BurntCaregiver
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geostone Jun 20, 2024
Thanks, yes we may have to switch from pull on type to actual diaper style.
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I can tell you what I was able to do- our hand held shower was close enough to the toilet that I could use it to wash my mom while she remained seated there. Yes, sometimes the floor got a little wet but that was no big deal.
A hand held bidet sprayer could be used in a similar manner but IMO hooking up to both hot and cold water is a necessity, I'd also want something that allows for various water pressure and spray patterns (that's where using the shower head was really nice)
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geostone Jun 20, 2024
Thank you. Her mobility is such that she can no longer make it to the bathroom so we use a commode. Sadly most of these accidents happen while she is laying down or sitting, which makes for a difficult clean up.
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Here is a link to a Professional Hygiene Sling, Medical Commode Patient Lift Aid Transfer Sling for Elderly Shower Bath, Patient Lifts for Home Use, 500lbs (Medium-Sling&Head Support) that may be what you're looking for, I don't know:

https://a.co/d/0a1Nb3IU

Good luck.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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geostone Jun 20, 2024
Thank you. I’ll look into it!
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Would a bidet be of any use? There are ones that are easy to install. You can find them on Amazon.

What about a simple peri-bottle? That’s what I’ve used post-childbirth, and post-surgery. Maybe having a few ready before each trip to the toilet?
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Reply to cxmoody
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No. Really there IS no answer, and that's why you haven't heard or seen an answer. This is the same problem that nursing staff deals with as an ongoing 24/7 problem. The result is constant UTIs and constant skin breakdown no matter WHAT is done.

You know the mechanics of all this. And anyone else can imagine the mechanics by thinking of an infant that weigh 100 to 200 pounds.

I am really sorry. There's no magic. Incontinence results at end of life, much in the same way falls do, in end of life issues, sepsis from UTIs and skins breakdown so severe that sepsis claims lives.
You might try youtube for videos on cleansing incontinence. They surely have them on everything involving catheter bags; perhaps a film will help with the "turn on the side, two pillows between the leg, gentle cleansing with soft wipes front to back, and etc.
Whatever you try to do, the simple fact is that the feces, upon exiting, is contaminating the entire peri-anal area. Especially in women the e-coli travel to the urethra, which is in women only inches long, and has easy access into the bladder.

I am sorry. Wish this old nurse had better answers. Hoping someone comes around with something I haven't seen, done or thought of.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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geostone Jun 20, 2024
That was the most honest and helpful answer I could have asked for. Thank you.
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