Add bidet seat to toilet

[Tipper]

Any one with experience of these devices? To add to my wife’s burden of dementia, she is starting to have unreliable bladder and bowel activity. The availability of this function whilst still on the throne struck me as a way to avoid a shower after. - a one stop ship out and clean up concept!

In other words, the pros and cons of these add on seats . The must have haves and do not bother with features and why.

 

[Louise7]

Hello @Tipper It sounds as if your wife may no longer be able to wipe/clean herself? I don't have personal experience of the type of bidet device that you've mentioned, but from experience of cleaning my mum after toileting when she was living at home, the use of wet wipes really helped at times. I think jets of cold water being used, whilst mum was still sitting on the toilet, would have caused her confusion/upset, and would have made the cleaning situation more difficult than it already was. Rather than a 'one stop ship out and clean up' I think it would have caused more, not less, mess and stress for both mum and myself. As long as there was a thorough wipe/clean then there wasn't a need to have a shower every time the toilet was used. There are also incontinence foaming cleaning sprays available which help to protect the skin too. Does your wife wear any incontinence products? If might be helpful to speak to your GP for a referral to the incontinence service for some advice. Also, if you don't already have any help, perhaps it may be time to think about getting some help in, to help with your wife's personal care? You can get portable bidets that fit over the toilet pan so it might be worth trying one of those first before buying a 'plumb in' version to see if your wife is OK with that.

 

[faengelm]

My brother was experiencing the same type of problem and made this suggestion on choosing the type of bidet.

The cold water only is the easiest to install - no need for a plumber.

The older style hot/cold versions required drilling a hole in the bathroom vanity to connect to hot water. Still an easy action for most do-it-yourselfers.

The new electric hot water ones are very simple to install, without the need for a plumber.

 

[Jessbow]

portable plastic ones you just fill with a jug from the bthroom tap- see if its useful before investing a fotune

 

[maggie6445]

Hi, it's not something I'd ever thought about but I manage perfectly well with the Senset foam and toilet paper. Squirt his bottom while he's at the sink and quick clean with paper,flush and go!

 

[Tipper]

Hello @Tipper It sounds as if your wife may no longer be able to wipe/clean herself? I don't have personal experience of the type of bidet device that you've mentioned, but from experience of cleaning my mum after toileting when she was living at home, the use of wet wipes really helped at times. I think jets of cold water being used, whilst mum was still sitting on the toilet, would have caused her confusion/upset, and would have made the cleaning situation more difficult than it already was. Rather than a 'one stop ship out and clean up' I think it would have caused more, not less, mess and stress for both mum and myself. As long as there was a thorough wipe/clean then there wasn't a need to have a shower every time the toilet was used. There are also incontinence foaming cleaning sprays available which help to protect the skin too. Does your wife wear any incontinence products? If might be helpful to speak to your GP for a referral to the incontinence service for some advice. Also, if you don't already have any help, perhaps it may be time to think about getting some help in, to help with your wife's personal care? You can get portable bidets that fit over the toilet pan so it might be worth trying one of those first before buying a 'plumb in' version to see if your wife is OK with that.

 

[Tipper]

Thanks Louise7. I am at the stage where I have in principle decided to go the Bidet route. Before taking that step, I was thinking of future proofing us both whilst taking account of my wife’s potential behaviour and needs in the features to have or avoid. At the moment, she is fully capable of taking care herself in the dressing and personal care aspects but technical she is not. Preserving her personal dignity is also in mind. I shall continue in my search for more user experience in our situation. Tipper.

 

[canary]

Preserving her personal dignity is also in mind

Are you assuming that she will be able to work the bidet herself once she can no longer clean herself properly? I think that with dementia this is a very faint hope. People with dementia find it very difficult to learn new things and skills they have only recently learned are the first to go. I think once she has got to the stage of needing it she wont be able to use it herself. She may also not understand what it is and be frightened by the jets of water. With dementia, Im afraid that, whatever you do, with time she will need your assistance in the bathroom department.

 

[Tipper]

Are you assuming that she will be able to work the bidet herself once she can no longer clean herself properly? I think that with dementia this is a very faint hope. People with dementia find it very difficult to learn new things and skills they have only recently learned are the first to go. I think once she has got to the stage of needing it she wont be able to use it herself. She may also not understand what it is and be frightened by the jets of water. With dementia, Im afraid that, whatever you do, with time she will need your assistance in the bathroom department.

 

[Tipper]

Thanks for your comments canary.
I am on a steep learning curve over this condition and struggling to understand a very complex condition so all comment is valuable.
At the moment she is capable of understanding what is going on so use of the device would become familiar to her over time and carried forward as the condition progresses. The use of a remote means that it can be operated without the need to squeeze round her whilst seated. On most models, these controls are on the right hand side and to the rear of the seat which means as the toilet is very close to a wall there is not much room to see and operate the device.
What is driving me to installing a bidet seat conversion is that I am suffering from a very unpredictable and messy bowel condition and i am fed up with having to shower every time this happens. It has been multiple times during the day or night. Add that I am stuck with a catheter and leg bag and you will see why I am looking at this device.

 

[canary]

Hello again @Tipper
If you want to get a bidet conversion for yourself then I totally understand this
I just didnt want you to spend a lot of money on something that your mum wont be able to use herself once she gets to a certain stage - and there will certainly come a time when she wont - if it was only intended to help your mum.