Is it rude to wear a mask when changing an adult's soiled diaper?

On a lighter note it really isnt the andromeda strain and suiting up for def-con 1. Altho it may feel like it. O_o

There is a spay they used in the ER for really gaseous bm's. It would neutralize the offending odor and didnt smell too bad. Sort of like glade. But you do have to watch the elderly person isnt breathing a heavy dose of that. You can leave the area they might be bed bound and cant.
For those who can still use the toilet but need help, there is the spray like pooperie you put on the surface of the water. Traps the smell. They are pretty cheap. Pinterest has cheap home made versions.

THERE IS NOTHING wrong with wearing a mask, if you want to !! It's your health you are protecting!!

There's also natural air freshener & some things that actually help neutralize strong odors. We used a non-aerosol natural citrus. Everything was done matter-of-factly when changing my mother, including spray, cracking a window, opening a door (as soon as possible), etc. I don't know how much she was aware of, but I know she'd have wanted us to be as comfortable as possible. Essential oils with a diffuser can be helpful too. There were times when the smell was unbearable. People would say breathe through your mouth. I would think the hell I will. I think I only grabbed a mask once, tho, because they were never nearby. But absolutely use it- and if you just can't, then you just can't. It's got nothing to do with whether or not you care. There were times my sister had to leave the room for air, but there were usually two of us around for changes (this was in a nursing home!) so it worked out.

I think you need to watch experts do it- are other family members experts? My sister and I learned from highly skilled CNAs. Talk to them about it...

As far as masks go, just ensure you wear the correct one for the goal. Surgical masks protect others from your germs, masks such as ND-95 or those you wear for industrial purposes protect you. Vicks or essential oils diluted in a carrier oil may help mask odor, but masks will not.

In my opinion it is not rude at all! You do wear gloves, too, don’t you? You can get boxes of disposable surgical masks on Amazon pretty cheaply and they come in assorted colors. Take precautions and protect yourself!

...Nor Gloves...Both is Acceptable in the Healthcare Industry.

A personal choice. But it also depends on where you change the diaper - in bathroom with exhaust fan running or in the bedroom where the odor permeates the room and possibly whole house. I wear gloves to clean my husband but he still goes to the toilet for BM. The exhaust fan helps a lot. I also find the when I flush often, the odor is greatly diminished. The same goes with limiting particles

RE masks, I am not sure if they help. If there are particles in the air, you inhale them too when you have your own BM. Do you wear a mask each time you poop? In any case, it is a personal decision. There is no right or wrong answer here.

A mask wont do anything to relieve the smell. Sorry it wont. It is there to filter particals in the air. If there was air born bacteria every nurse, doctor, cna, health professional would be wearing one. They dont. Only time they do is if their is some sort of disease that is easily transmissible to compromised pts, or from pts who have somethingvwe can catch.
They dont even offer masks to cnas, so I dont know where you are getting your info from. Never seen it. Worked in numerous hospitals and nursing homes. Never happened. They change numerous briefs all day long.
Wearing gloves that is the norm.

The vicks trick is better. Or someone needs to evaluate what the person is eating, or what the medication is doing to their bms.
You can use the vicks and over time loose that gag reflex the more you change them.

No, it is not rude. And, may I suggest rubbing Vicks around your nose. This is better than going into a gagging spell, or throwing up. Picture yourself in the patient's position.

I think wearing a mask during that time is just as rude as someone expecting you to breathe that offending odor and not try to minimize the nasal trauma. I think masking up while diaper changing has helped countless people get through a task that otherwise would be unbearable. I am one of those who have a love, hate feeling for my extremely sensitive sense of smell. Not everyone shares my neverending awareness of every odor within 20 feet, however. I don't think normal nosers fully understand just how disrupting and intense some smells can be. A good friend of mine whom I now owe a great deal of my care giving accomplishments to taught me a little trick that I now use everyday. Vicks. A little Vicks dabbed under my nose with the mask worn over has made a substantial difference in what I can now tolerate. Good luck to you and inhale in peace.

It is actually unhygienic and necessary to protect yourself if you choose to.

To be blunt, poop particles not visible to the human eye are actually in the air.

Many people dont wear masks for emotional reasons but their is a legitimate reason to do so.

You should be wearing a mask when you deal with chemicals,dusts, any body fluids and in many other instances.This is to protect your own health.

I don't think it's rude but a mask won't help with hygiene. People mistake what a mask does. It really only helps with large particles such as big splatters of fluid. There's nothing airborne with bowel movements bacteriological or viral. Well unless it's an explosive bowel movement and you are way closer to it then you should be. The particles will be fairly large and fall due to gravity pretty quickly.

What you smell in a bowl movement are gasses. Those won't infect you and a mask won't stop those either. If it's the smell or airborne pathogens you are worried about, you need to wear a respiratory and not a mask,

This was my number one thing I hated. My Mom was on iron pills and it was like paste. I would flush the toilet before I started to clean her up. My daughter is an RN and says she won't be doing it for me.😊

I see no problem in using a mask and putting a little Vicks inside sounds like a good idea.

I read your profile. Call around to ur local ALs and NHs. See if they offer seminars on ALZ/Dementia. Check with Office of Aging, Health Dept and Hospitals too. Then recommend the family sign up for one. They need to be educated to make their lives and his life better.

Do you wear gloves when changing a soiled diaper? I see no need to ask permission in order to wear a mask to clean a soiled diaper. Nurses wear masks when dealing with feces and so I see no reason why it would be considered rude of you. And if it's going to help you get through the task without grimacing, gagging, or physically reacting to the smell, it's actually considerate. Doubling up on the masks will keep most of the smell out. Put a few drops of essential oil inside the mask.

What the mother chooses to do is not really a consideration. It's your nose.

No, I never got over the gag factor with changing a baby diaper and I am not willing to attempt a grown human. I don't have the stomach for it and smells create an olfactory memory for me. I am sure I would be able to gag my way through if I had to, but I would be wearing a mask that had peppermint essential oil on it.

If you don't make a big deal out of it, he probably won't either. Get in and get it done, go clean up and act like nothing unusual just took place.

Best of luck.

Is it rude to take care of yourself? If you don't care for you, then no one gets any help

If you changed a baby’s diaper and got used to it... this is the same, just a little harder. You’ll be fine.

Just be careful to not wince or show disgust. I think the adult diaper situation is harder on them than us. They never wanted this.

Focus on protecting your loved one’s skin-and-emotional well being. Then you’ll be okay.

go ahead and ask. I am sure the mother will be ok with it. It isn’t rude at all. The Vick’s is an excellent suggestion, I learned that trick in human anatomy lab but unfortunately I now have an aversion to the smell, probably because I made the mistake of taking that class when I was pregnant! I think you could maybe use peppermint oil too?

Vicks. Liberally. Vicks.

Smear under your nose and on your lips.

Well, is it rude to be in the state of mind/body where you are HAVING 'spiked' diapers? (I think you mean bowel movement diapers?)(And, no, they aren't being rude, they can't help it)

I'd say it's to protect you from airborne fecal matter that can really make you sick. Put a smear of Vicks in the face mask, or a few drops of lemon oil--something to help with the gag factor.

Someone on here has quite a lengthy post about changing adult diapers and there were some great ideas. Somebody else will remember the title--