Marissa, I had read somewhere that a person who is deep into Alzheimer's are unable to "find" the toilet opening in the bathroom. It was suggested to remove the white toilet seat and replace it would one that is brightly colored. I never needed to do this, but thought it was an interesting idea. Then it dawned on me that the seat would be up, thus maybe some thing to outline the rim of the toilet in a bright color.
The article also suggested painting the wall behind the toilet and sink a different color from the rest of the bathroom, a darker wall color would work best. For some reason that draws the attention to the sink/toilet.
One thing, do not place a very dark color rug in front of anything in the bathroom. With Alzheimer's, sometimes the person will think the dark rug is a hole in the floor.
So sorry you are going through this with your Dad, it's quite a challenge.
My husband would mistake the wastebasket (or hamper or closet) for the toilet. If he chooses the same spot, can you put a small wastebasket there? I know I could position my husband right in front of the toilet and he still had difficulty “seeing” it. He did come to prefer sitting on the toilet after awhile. I’m sorry.
I like the idea freyflyer gave you about the brightly colored toilet seat. I would put down those puppy pads. It may look odd, but will be a much easier clean up.
I think I now understand why my Alzheimer’s father insist on having a plastic urinal with him at all times. He packs it around with him in his walker. We always have to make sure it’s empty before putting walker in car. I didn’t realize finding the toilet was the issue for so many. Thanks for sharing.
Will he tolerate an adult diaper? Does anyone help him with toileting or he's supposed to be independent in this arena? Sadly, I feel it may be unlikely for him to understand where he is supposed to pee.
Why not get a urinal bottle like they use at the hospital and simply hold it there (with his private part inside the bottle). It will prevent a mess on the floor. You can get those online or at a local medical supply store.
I had this friend whose younger brother had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It got to the point where the brother could no longer walk, was in a wheelchair, and had to use a urinal bottle when he had to pee. The boy died in 1974, and is buried just up the road from where I live
Pooch Pads are washable very absorbent pads you can put by the toilet. You will want to use something to secure them, they are a bit slick. I keep baby detergent and a bucket in bathroom, so I can hand wash and use dryer or hang dry. They come in 3 packs, so you can always have a fresh one ready and last a good year or more.
Opt 2- get a cammode style raised seat. It looks like a cammode without a bottom. It has very secure hand rails for when he does sit. Set it to a height several inches above the toilet and leave the seat up. He can stand closer and it funnels flow into the toilet. The legs adjust to variable heights. Unless he stands and doesn't use a hand at all for direction, this should work. Also color contrast is a great visual clue. Basically bring the target closer to him. Good luck.
Before I realized my husband was having toileting issues, I discovered he was going in odd places like the cat box, the paper shredder, anything that resembled a urinal or toilet. He was willing to use a plastic urinal at night, but at times, he was too asleep and missed or he tried to make it to the bathroom. I bought a vinyl table cloth and laid it on the floor by the bed. Then I placed pee pads on top. This was a big help. When he went to pull ups, those worked well eventually, but his mind wanted to treat them like regular briefs. He resisted wetting his pants and would try to use them like regular men’s briefs. The bottom line was that I had to be vigilant so I could give him prompts and guidance before he had an accident. I didn’t know about the way to clean the urinals to prevent stains and odors. I would toss the used ones out after a while and replace them. It’s just all a struggle when you have potty training happening in reverse.
On similar questions, I have suggested this and I think people think I am joking. When I was living in Europe, some of the public restrooms had a little figure of a fly or something in the bottom of toilet bowl or urinal, near the drain.
The intent was that for all men, it was a natural urge to aim at that fly. When my dad began having problems, I found some decals online, intended mainly for toilet training for small boys. But there is a human urge to aim at that fly.
Is it a cureall? No. But it really helped with my dad. In fact as I get older and lazier I thought of getting some for my toilet, as it is fun to aim your stream at that fly.
The article also suggested painting the wall behind the toilet and sink a different color from the rest of the bathroom, a darker wall color would work best. For some reason that draws the attention to the sink/toilet.
One thing, do not place a very dark color rug in front of anything in the bathroom. With Alzheimer's, sometimes the person will think the dark rug is a hole in the floor.
So sorry you are going through this with your Dad, it's quite a challenge.
I keep baby detergent and a bucket in bathroom, so I can hand wash and use dryer or hang dry. They come in 3 packs, so you can always have a fresh one ready and last a good year or more.
Opt 2- get a cammode style raised seat. It looks like a cammode without a bottom. It has very secure hand rails for when he does sit. Set it to a height several inches above the toilet and leave the seat up. He can stand closer and it funnels flow into the toilet. The legs adjust to variable heights. Unless he stands and doesn't use a hand at all for direction, this should work. Also color contrast is a great visual clue. Basically bring the target closer to him.
Good luck.
When he went to pull ups, those worked well eventually, but his mind wanted to treat them like regular briefs. He resisted wetting his pants and would try to use them like regular men’s briefs. The bottom line was that I had to be vigilant so I could give him prompts and guidance before he had an accident.
I didn’t know about the way to clean the urinals to prevent stains and odors. I would toss the used ones out after a while and replace them. It’s just all a struggle when you have potty training happening in reverse.
The intent was that for all men, it was a natural urge to aim at that fly. When my dad began having problems, I found some decals online, intended mainly for toilet training for small boys. But there is a human urge to aim at that fly.
Is it a cureall? No. But it really helped with my dad. In fact as I get older and lazier I thought of getting some for my toilet, as it is fun to aim your stream at that fly.
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