Care Home Toileting

[sixy74]

How does toileting work in your loved ones care home?
My dads residential care home has 3 staff which IMO just isn’t enough, 2 are carers and 1 is a senior.
If my Dad needs to go to the toilet and 1 of the carers are on their break then Dad has to wait for the carer to return as it takes 2 carers to take him to the toilet due to his lack of mobility and obviously the residents can not be left on their own , however at times they have been . As dad has problems with toileting he becomes very agitated and 20 minutes can feel like an hour, with him trying to stand up on his own etc which means he is in danger of falling. We have mentioned this to the management etc and are constantly told that when a carer goes on their break then a senior should replace them, however the reality is that this never happens as something else always pops up. Is it the norm to have to wait so long to be taken to the toilet in a care home ? I know when dad was in hospital it was much longer

 

[Sirena]

Your dad's situation sounds upsetting, and not likely to help his continence needs. So, 3 staff and how many residents - what is the ratio of staff to residents? Is it a dementia care home?

At my mother's care home there are always four carers plus 3 or 4 more senior staff who help when necessary. Some residents can still manage to get to the loo on their own (at least, I see them purposefully head off there so I assume they can manage). Others who are borderline continent or have mobility issues are taken to the loo on a regular rota by carers. I think it's every 2 hours for most, more often for those who need it - so the residents don't need to ask. It was explained to me that it helps keep them continent for longer so that the carers deal with fewer 'accidents'. I've never seen anyone waiting and in distress.