Are you accompanying him to the bathroom? If not it is time that you monitor him in the bathroom. Adding a stool softener might also help. (my Husband would also have a BM that could clog the toilet. Luckily since I was in the bathroom with him each time so clogging was not an issue.) In addition to the daily Senna I would give him prunes when he was able to eat them, prune juice and I found that a combination of Pineapple and Papaya that I pureed and portioned out was also great. And the doctor also prescribed a pretty heavy duty laxative that I gave him daily. If you are in the position to replace the toilet there are high pressure flush toilets that do not clog as easily. Search Pressure-Assisted Toilet. Often bathroom issues are one of the "straws that breaks the camels back" and results in placement in Memory Care.
This is one of the main reasons that dementia patients are placed in facility care where there are enough attendants to provide toileting assistance around the clock. Even that isn’t always enough to keep this from happening.
Someone needs to be with him every time he’s in the bathroom. Beware, he may not understand why that’s necessary and may get angry. This can lead to threatening the caregiver or striking out.
For some reason they can become fascinated with feces. They might carry their poop around, hide it, or smear it. This is another reason to place a loved one in a facility. It’s so difficult to manage such behavior at home.
No wipes of any kind in the toilet. Not even flushable wipes and just enough tp to get the job done. Single ply, the cheap stuff. If it’s that messy, it’s a great time to shower off with baby shampoo and wash after the big BM. And, fyi, no poop down the shower drain. That also clogs. We had many plumber visits and I speak the truth. Get rid of any baby wipes of any kind. Good luck.
It sounds like it's time that you now assist your husband in the bathroom, which means taking him in there, and when he's done helping him wipe, so he doesn't continue to clog the toilet. And if you're not around to do that then you'll have to hire an aide to assist him.
You seriously think she needs to wipe his butt?? He belongs in a nursing home with trained staff and sanitation, he has dementia on top of this..no pun intended. Unless she's wanting to do this for maybe years?? I tried that w mom and they hate it especially with family members. Professionals better.
Try a commode chair, with a bucket that you empty. Unfortunately, this is going to sound gross, but you may have to use a gloved hand to break up the stool and flush a little at a time down the toilet. I have had to do this at times. My husband is in diapers, and sometimes has a large solid stool, that I wish to flush down the toilet rather than let it sit in a trash bag all week.
If it is not the size of the stool that is clogging the toilet, but his unusual use of toilet paper, or wipes, can you accompany him to the toilet, or wait just outside the door, and help him with wiping? Or even tear off and hand him toilet paper, and flushing before too much paper goes in the toilet. Pre-moistened wipes are great for wiping after bowel movement - but he may forget or not understand how to properly dispose of them. Again, you can be standing by to assist, hand him one wipe at a time, and make sure there is a lined trash can near the toilet, remind him that the wipe goes in the trash, not the toilet.
If you are feeling that you don't have the time to help him with toileting, get used to doing more and more things to assist him and supervise him throughout the day as his confusion renders him more helpless. And use whatever exercise or trick you have to keep your patience! It's going to take a lot!
I bought a commode advertised to flush a bucket of golf balls for DH aunt. Hers was from flushing too much tp at a time. After seversl plumbing bills this worked.
I have seen several instances of feces itself being the problem. It is not always the size but also how "solid" they can be sometimes. So when someone that has a BM that is large AND "solid" the toilet can and does get clogged. As others have also mentioned, not all toilets are created equal which also can contribute. The first time I saw it happen was after a visitor had left and my heart went out knowing how embarrassed he must have been. Consider yourself blessed if you have never had to deal with it.
If it is the size or volume of the feces and a low water toilet, one of the things that has helped is to squirt dish soap around the edges of the deposit and then after flushing squirt more dish soap in so it is already in place before the BM. It helps to 'lube' the poop's journey through the plumbing. I have to do this with my husband.
We had that problem at our house. For those with a Squeamish tummy, you might want to skip this, but it is important stuff! All the advice I get from medical providers tell me to drink more water. I hope that works for you, but I try to avoid fights. First, I purchased a “snake” that plumbers use to run through the sewer line to unclog the toilet lines. Second I started giving wife MiraLAX. Be careful! If you overdo the Mira lax, you’ll literally have sh** everywhere! The normal dosage is to the line on the cap. Too much for us, half works in our body’s system. Wife can’t remember to drink the Mira lax or doesn’t want it. Many recommendations of different beverages and diet changes. None worked for us. So, I lace her water bottle with 1/2 dose and she drinks it all day. Third, sometimes all the planning and scheming doesn’t work. If constipation occurs, I use a rubber glove on the end of a yard stick to break up the, uh, clod. Sorry for the graphic details, I tried to be as delicate as I can! Peace and blessings!
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Adding a stool softener might also help. (my Husband would also have a BM that could clog the toilet. Luckily since I was in the bathroom with him each time so clogging was not an issue.) In addition to the daily Senna I would give him prunes when he was able to eat them, prune juice and I found that a combination of Pineapple and Papaya that I pureed and portioned out was also great. And the doctor also prescribed a pretty heavy duty laxative that I gave him daily.
If you are in the position to replace the toilet there are high pressure flush toilets that do not clog as easily. Search Pressure-Assisted Toilet.
Often bathroom issues are one of the "straws that breaks the camels back" and results in placement in Memory Care.
Someone needs to be with him every time he’s in the bathroom. Beware, he may not understand why that’s necessary and may get angry. This can lead to threatening the caregiver or striking out.
For some reason they can become fascinated with feces. They might carry their poop around, hide it, or smear it. This is another reason to place a loved one in a facility. It’s so difficult to manage such behavior at home.
I’m so sorry you are going through this.
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And if you're not around to do that then you'll have to hire an aide to assist him.
I tried that w mom and they hate it especially with family members. Professionals better.
Unfortunately, this is going to sound gross, but you may have to use a gloved hand to break up the stool and flush a little at a time down the toilet. I have had to do this at times. My husband is in diapers, and sometimes has a large solid stool, that I wish to flush down the toilet rather than let it sit in a trash bag all week.
If it is not the size of the stool that is clogging the toilet, but his unusual use of toilet paper, or wipes, can you accompany him to the toilet, or wait just outside the door, and help him with wiping? Or even tear off and hand him toilet paper, and flushing before too much paper goes in the toilet. Pre-moistened wipes are great for wiping after bowel movement - but he may forget or not understand how to properly dispose of them. Again, you can be standing by to assist, hand him one wipe at a time, and make sure there is a lined trash can near the toilet, remind him that the wipe goes in the trash, not the toilet.
If you are feeling that you don't have the time to help him with toileting, get used to doing more and more things to assist him and supervise him throughout the day as his confusion renders him more helpless. And use whatever exercise or trick you have to keep your patience! It's going to take a lot!
Feces itself should not clog a toilet.
Not any more graphic then poop that smears when flushed.