How many times do you find the rug in front of the toilet is dirty?

txcamper, my Mom does the cold water rise of her hands, no soap, either... and she is 97 and still clear minded, thus for her it is just a habit. For me, you'd think I was preparing for surgery with all the soap/water :P

I haven't seen a rug around a toilet in many years.

My goal is to get all rugs out of the house with seniors. They are trip hazards and I don't see how their benefit could outweigh their risks. It could solve the problem just to discard them.

Put silicone caulk around the base of the toilet, if there isn't some there already. Mop water can seep under an uncaulked toilet base as well.

I've had to remove all loose rugs due to them being a trip hazard. Also, we use paper towels to wipe hands because the handtowels were beginning to smell funky even when changed daily. That's when I discovered that a certain person in this house was just rinsing her hands under cold water. The use of soap is a daily battle with her. I KNOW they had soap when she was growing up, so it's not a reverting back to childhood thing. This woman was Mrs. Clean until the dementia. Such a sad disease.

As far as men sitting down, could he be convinced to "point" down? I know the potty chair that I used to train my sons had a deflector, I wonder if something like that is available?

Oregongirl, regarding the toilet seat, probably depends on the style of the seat, the long oblong ones do better but that would need putting in a whole new toilet if the seat is standard. And a lot depends on how heavy in size the man is, if he's too big to reach down to get [ahem] a better aim, there isn't much one can do.

Wonder if some health supply store would have an adult seat similar to what is used to train a male child to use a potty, a molded cup on the front that could be positioned for use.

Yeah but then you have to disinfect the floor. And it could even, horror, seep under the bolted down ceramic pedestal shudder...

I didn't realise this was an old guy problem, I just thought it was a not paying attention guy problem. My solution would be to buy more rugs and do the extra laundry, seeing as if he's sitting down the old 'float a cork in the bowl' trick won't work.

Don't PUT a rug in front of the toilet.

See how easy that was?

Oh the toilet and pee on the rug. Forgot...Sorry I got off the conversation target. He sits down to pee. I was shocked as not many men do that. But with these toilet seats they give you, there must be a flaw for when men sit down and pee. The pee must get caught under it and drip on the floor. YUCK what a topic. I am going with the lysol spray and get rid of the rug...

Txcamper...No they are not teaching History of America or Germany and England in the schools today. If they do, they do not get into it to deeply. My grandkids had to do a report on the Germans during Hitler's time. I think she shocked the teacher and staff with her truth about her grandfather and his family. One story here: My Partner's father gave him a gun to protect himself when Hitler made his go into training. The gun was not for him to shoot someone else. It was for him if he was asked to do something he just could not do My Partner was 16. His dad said, you might need it. He knew his son was not partial to the cause as he was not. His dad had to serve also. Old men who did not even have guns in the end were called to serve. His grandmother walked around daily saying "Hitler is crazy"...But what most people do not know is that the Muslims were the ones who created the CAMPS and talked Hitler into letting them train his men on how to kill the Jews. Of course, Hitler's men got involved and all hell broke out. Hitler was originally just a man who wanted to encourage the economy and got off on a tangent. I cannot believe that the Muslims got away with what they did and that it is not talked about at all. My partner's playmate was never seen again. It had a horrible impact on my Partner to have to deal with and he never got over it. At 88 nearly 89 he still talks about that little boy. How sad. There are so many stories..

I had to pick up the rugs when they became trip hazards to MIL who shuffles her feet. I no longer miss them. One less thing to wash, too.

Just watched a film today called The Book Thief. Takes place in Germany prior to and during WW2. It was before my time, but I am interested in history. I'm afraid that later generations will not learn about that time and won't believe that any of that took place.

Last year I overheard two co-workers, who were in their late 30's and had played basketball in college, talking about how now they need to sit down to urinate, and how much easier that was, etc. How others on their basketball pickup weekends are doing the same thing as they get older. They thought nothing about it. Hey, if these jocks think nothing of it, why can't others.

This is an old guy thing....I kept a drawer in his bathroom with fresh replacements, kept about 5 in there....and washed them so much that they are about rags now! All you have to do is grin and grumble!!

Since you are writing about the Holocaust, you should take time to watch the new "Woman in Gold" movie about the California woman who sued the Austrian government to get back her family possessions taken prior to WWII. I though it was a good movie on a topic that is never discussed.

My sweet sisters name for those carpet that fit around the toilet are pee catchers - she raised two boys - after hearing her call them that I tossed mine - since I have a tile floor I just keep a lysol spray bottle in the bathroom and wipe the floor with some toilet paper and flush - a lot easier and you don't have that rug lying just holding the pee.
You and your partner sound like amazing people - glad you are writing a book and documenting his wonderful stories.

Yes, and he had to hide radio parts in order to hear what was going on outside of Germany...It was a horrible time. Imagine if it happened here and you would have to hide Christians. Could you do it? Interesting Question isn't it?

A tangent, Oregon? ;) Yes, the rug in front of the toilet was always getting messed on! Was driving me nutty. But now somebody else gets to take care of those little things. And the messes do not all stay in the bathroom now either. It was time for the folks to move, they plum wore me out!

And I have also heard some stories of those times and the hatred for the Jews. Such a very sick society! Those that had the strength to help them were the heroes.