Blocking the toilet

[MReader]

My husband is continent & knows when he needs the toilet - no problems so far!!!

The issue is that he uses VAST amounts of toilet paper & we have had a blocked toilet 4 times this month alone.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to sort this out - apart from rationing his toilet paper I am at my wits end!!!

 

[Tin]

Oh I so know this one! I now buy thinner ply loo paper! Back in the day, it seemed I was unblocking drains three times a week, thick rubber gloves on and pulling stuff out of toilet, one time I even used High pressure hose to clear the bowl. So much easier now, mum still uses a lot of paper, but because its thinner, not half as bad.

 

[WILLIAMR]

My husband is continent & knows when he needs the toilet - no problems so far!!!

The issue is that he uses VAST amounts of toilet paper & we have had a blocked toilet 4 times this month alone.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to sort this out - apart from rationing his toilet paper I am at my wits end!!!

I presume your husband has a mental health problem of some sort.
When one of our daughters had a medical problem which went on for a few days she was using vast amounts of toilet paper and it blocked the toilet.

We just told her to use a down stairs toilet and to flush it when she had put so many pieces of paper down the toilet and it worked.

With regard to the upstairs toilet I kept on putting buckets of water in it for most of the day and it suddenly unblocked.

She slept down stairs for a few days.

William

 

[Izzy]

William if you check MReader's profile you will see that her husband has Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer's.

MReader - would it help at all to put a small amount of toilet paper out for your husband's use and 'hide' the rest of the toilet roll? Sorry that doesn't sound like a very brilliant idea now that I've written it down!

 

[LYN T]

Oh I so know this one! I now buy thinner ply loo paper! Back in the day, it seemed I was unblocking drains three times a week, thick rubber gloves on and pulling stuff out of toilet, one time I even used High pressure hose to clear the bowl. So much easier now, mum still uses a lot of paper, but because its thinner, not half as bad.

Good idea I wish I had thought of that cure when Pete was still continent

 

[AlsoConfused]

It's a dreadful thing to suggest but the only way we can stop Mum creating havoc in the loo is to actually stand there while she relieves herself, intervening as necessary. It's not nice for her, it's not nice for us.

 

[loveahug]

If you buy the toilet paper meant for chemical toilets (used in caravans and motorhomes), it's quite thin and breaks down quickly. If the toilet still blocks, pour some chemical toilet fluid down the bowl and that will break it all down.

 

[Rageddy Anne]

I sometimes wonder why we don't go in for bidets in this country, and whether they're useful or otherwise for people with Dementia.

 

[Izzy]

There's always the automatic toilet washer thingy!

http://www.geberit-aquaclean.co.uk/...feeling.html?gclid=CNix2tT2msACFfMgtAodIAsAMQ

 

[loveahug]

Wow, posh loo! I can imagine my mother's reaction to one of these, she's wary of the shower so to feel her nether regions being cleaned would have her leaping around the bathroom in alarm I, however, would love one

 

[ASH74]

My son has one (he is a wheelchair user) he loves it but I have never been brave enough to try it.....when we have visitors it is our party trick.


Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point

 

[Chuggalug]

You might find this a bit drastic, MReader, but I always keep a good supply of caustic soda for any events like this. Nothing I know works faster to remove a blockage. Of course, you have to have a safe place to hide ths stuff so your loved one can't get near it.

 

[MReader]

Thank you all for your most helpful comments.

I will definitely invest in some thinner loo paper & just put out an almost used up roll whilst hiding the other thicker rolls (just for me!!)

Whilst the in-toilet 'bidet' looks amazing, it would be much too complicated for my husband to use - I can see water all up the walls & on him as well as a major panic - but thanks for pointing it out.

I will also go to a camping store & see what chemicals for helping to dissolve the toilet contents there are available.

Again many thanks to you all - when my husband was diagnosed I never gave a thought to all the (sometimes bizarre) challenges that would occur & often wonder what will be the next one!!!

 

[Izzy]

when my husband was diagnosed I never gave a thought to all the (sometimes bizarre) challenges that would occur & often wonder what will be the next one!!!

I know exactly what you mean!

 

[Canadian Joanne]

Wow, posh loo! I can imagine my mother's reaction to one of these, she's wary of the shower so to feel her nether regions being cleaned would have her leaping around the bathroom in alarm I, however, would love one

Loveahug, you've given me my Monday morning giggle. The mental image of an elderly lady leaping around the bathroom has started my week nicely.

 

[Tonyjoe]

My wife has vascular dementia. Our latest problem is she is blocking the toilet. She has done this on numerous occasions in two ways.
Either its blocked by tena lady pads which are in the toilet and swell up. Instead of taking the pad out, she tries to free the blockage with toilet paper and bleach, sometimes a whole 1 litre bottle.
Or the blockage will be caused by the sheer volume of toilet paper she puts down the toilet.

She will argue point blank that she is not the one putting pads down the toilet, but its only the two of us living here.

Anyone know how to stop this?

 

[Shedrech]

Hi @Tonyjoe
I'm afraid your wife is not going to stop by herself ... she isn't understanding how to dispose of the pads and that what she does with them blocks the toilet ... so you're going to have to be with her and dispose of the pads properly yourself

 

[Rainbowz]

Hi

My wife has vascular dementia. Our latest problem is she is blocking the toilet. She has done this on numerous occasions in two ways.
Either its blocked by tena lady pads which are in the toilet and swell up. Instead of taking the pad out, she tries to free the blockage with toilet paper and bleach, sometimes a whole 1 litre bottle.
Or the blockage will be caused by the sheer volume of toilet paper she puts down the toilet.

She will argue point blank that she is not the one putting pads down the toilet, but its only the two of us living here.

Anyone know how to stop this?

Hi,
I wonder if a special little bathroom bin just for her used pads would help? I have a pedal bin I line with the plastic bags on a roll and just tie it up for disposal. There are some colourful fancy little dustbin type bins with painted flowers I’ve seen around, would something like that encourage her to use it? Just a thought.
We have a bidet next to our loo and for the first time this week I realised that my husband had used that as the toilet as he had blocked it. Luckily it cleared itself but it’s likely to happen again. The thinner and caravan loo rolls sounds like something I’ll have to check out.
Good luck.

 

[canary]

Unfortunately, @Tonyjoe and @Rainbowz , once someone forgets what to do in a situation you are unlikely to be able to re-establish that knowledge. I have tried all sorts of things as aides to OHs lost skills - white bords, post-it notes, laminated instructions, easier to use/more obvious equipment - but none of it worked. Once a skill is lost, it is gone.

 

[Tonyjoe]

Thanks for your replies. We have a bin, and she does use it. I also have a small bin by the commode in the bedroom. But she still puts pads in both the commode and the toilet and I have to fish them out.
She doesn't know she does it, then argues it wasn't her, so as its not her, she refuses to alter her habits.

I will have to continue unblocking toilets and pulling pads out of the commode.