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I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
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V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
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My parents had a separate bidet in all their bathrooms. I tried one out, and honestly no. Even if the seating could be adjusted, it’s essentially warm water on your crotch only. Pooping in one would be a major hassle for cleanup. My dad never used one even as his incontinence grew worse.
On bidets: You'd have to clean the poop off the person before they get on the bidet, which in homes that have them are usually a porcelain fixture right next to the toilet. The person would have to be positioned properly so that the stream of water from the bidet faucet hits the right spots. The problem with this method of cleaning is that the bidet is not where large amounts of poop goes. The drain in the bottom of the bidet can't accommodate lumps. Nor is it easily cleaned when the poop gets in that drain and stays there and smells (it doesn't flush).
A Toto toilet (from Japan, and it's a whole toilet, not just a seat) is designed to flush, to beam a warm stream of water on the appropriate place, and gently air dry the person. This may be what you need. It requires a nearby electrical hookup. People who have them love them.
The Toto Toilet is amazing & beyond well worth it. I never thought I’d be so over the moon on a toilet but the Toto really deserves all its accolades.
You are spot on that the one issue with the Toto is that the units with best water output and flush stream requires an electric hookup. And if yours is an older home, that simply does not exist in the toilet area. You can get the more basic Toto and it’s great but not quite what the electric connected Toto does for cleaning, clearing and hygiene.
I think we installed something like a washlet to the existing toilet. It required an electric outlet so I had to have an electrician in to put an outlet in the wall.
When you sat down on the toilet warm water was sprayed. You did your business and then you had a hand held controller to spray more warm water. I believe there was a blow dryer upon completion.
My friend recommended it to prevent UTI's.
It worked well.
The problem that I had was even though I trained Mom's CNA's on the use they had never seen such a thing. I think most of the CNA's thought of it as a gadget and never adopted the use.
If Mom's CNA's had been taught about bidets and washlets and the importance of them in their CNA training I think it would have been used. If Mom's CNA's had been using these in their nursing home, assisted living and/or group home jobs then it would have been quickly adopted.
The unit worked well. It was lack of familiarity of the bidet concept by Mom's CNA's which meant it was not used much.
I bought one for $300 or $400 off of Amazon. Ours had the hand held controller which I'd recommend. Some have controls on the back which would be more awkward for a caregiver.
Lesley, bidets are the norm in continental Europe and much of the world. American use of only toilet paper is considered unsanitary and barbaric by much of the world that uses bidets.
I'll be honest, I have not heard good things about portable bidet attachments for flushing toilets. I have an actual bidet in the master bathroom and it's wonderful. A friend of mine is now on the third portable bidet/washer/ sprayer in her home since her incontinent mother with moved in last year. These things are not worth the aggravation. She ends up having to clean her up in the shower with the removable shower head or with soap and water in a wash basin.
I was a homecare worker for a very long time. I find that cleaning up the incontinent person on the toilet isn't always the easiest way to do it.
If your husband is bowel incontinent, he should be in diapers if he isn't already. The kind with tabs that can just be removed. It may be easier to put a waterproof pad on the bed and clean him using a small basin with soap and warm water then put a clean diaper on. Or if you have a hand-held shower head and there's a grab bar in the shower have him hold on and clean him that way.
Unless you've got an actual installed bidet in the bathroom, the portable things are usually cold water and they don't work very well if there's a real mess.
Sometimes, and for some things there is no other answer than installing a REAL bidet, if you can afford that options, which would include installation, perhaps even some plumbing work.
If you meant you are considering a bidet toilet seat I don't think that would be helpful with cleaning up after an accident, the stream of water isn't going to be sufficient to handle that, however a hand held bidet sprayer would allow you to wash him as needed with all the mess being disposed of in the toilet. While most attach to the toilet's cold water supply there are some that can be hooked up below your sink and allow you to mix the hot and cold water supply. In our bathroom I discovered I could use the hand held wand from the adjacent shower with my mother and it made clean up so much easier.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
Most American bathrooms will not have an electrical outlet next to the toilet and you will need to install one.
A Toto toilet (from Japan, and it's a whole toilet, not just a seat) is designed to flush, to beam a warm stream of water on the appropriate place, and gently air dry the person. This may be what you need. It requires a nearby electrical hookup. People who have them love them.
You are spot on that the one issue with the Toto is that the units with best water output and flush stream requires an electric hookup. And if yours is an older home, that simply does not exist in the toilet area. You can get the more basic Toto and it’s great but not quite what the electric connected Toto does for cleaning, clearing and hygiene.
LSS love Toto!
When you sat down on the toilet warm water was sprayed. You did your business and then you had a hand held controller to spray more warm water.
I believe there was a blow dryer upon completion.
My friend recommended it to prevent UTI's.
It worked well.
The problem that I had was even though I trained Mom's CNA's on the use they had never seen such a thing. I think most of the CNA's thought of it as a gadget and never adopted the use.
If Mom's CNA's had been taught about bidets and washlets and the importance of them in their CNA training I think it would have been used. If Mom's CNA's had been using these in their nursing home, assisted living and/or group home jobs then it would have been quickly adopted.
The unit worked well. It was lack of familiarity of the bidet concept by Mom's CNA's which meant it was not used much.
I bought one for $300 or $400 off of Amazon. Ours had the hand held controller which I'd recommend. Some have controls on the back which would be more awkward for a caregiver.
Lesley, bidets are the norm in continental Europe and much of the world. American use of only toilet paper is considered unsanitary and barbaric by much of the world that uses bidets.
I was a homecare worker for a very long time. I find that cleaning up the incontinent person on the toilet isn't always the easiest way to do it.
If your husband is bowel incontinent, he should be in diapers if he isn't already. The kind with tabs that can just be removed. It may be easier to put a waterproof pad on the bed and clean him using a small basin with soap and warm water then put a clean diaper on. Or if you have a hand-held shower head and there's a grab bar in the shower have him hold on and clean him that way.
Unless you've got an actual installed bidet in the bathroom, the portable things are usually cold water and they don't work very well if there's a real mess.
Good luck.