Washing and mystery poo (icky subject!)

[JMU]

For the last couple of months I have noticed that every time dad has a shower (which is twice a week) there are 'poo' marks left on his towel. I have taken to washing it off at every opportunity- which means his towel is getting a lot of washes!
He doesn't smell or seem particularly dirty- certainly he has been smellier! So I haven't worried about it much.
However I have just noticed poo smeared all over the bathroom floor in a two foot ring around the toilet. I have no idea how that got there!
What is he doing when he washes?

 

[Carabosse]

Is your dad on his own when he washes as maybe he isn't washing but going through the motions of washing (if you know what I mean), maybe you could be with him and see what he does?

 

[Carara]

Not sure why its happening but jut to let you know we are in very similar situation

Mil cant walk proper so we have to walk her to downstairs toilet

Undress her & sit her down,then leave her until he`s ready

OMG several times now there`s poo all over her hands, door frame,floor,radiator etc

Twice she`s done it whilst sat in her chair so I have opted to put her in the tenna pants...

Its not nice but its better than cleaning all the toilet,walls etc

 

[LYN T]

Hi JMU

Perhaps he's forgotten how to use the toilet? I know my OH has tried to put poo down the sink and unsuccessfully 'clean' the bathroom floor when he has missed the toilet.Pete also tried to stand in the toilet when he needed to go and wash his hands down the toilet bowl.He had definitely forgotten what to do.

It could also be that he's not wiping his bottom properly (towel) or smearing used toilet tissue on the floor.

Unless you need to help him with his personal care there could be many reasons why this happens.

Well done for the showering twice a week. That's some achievement.

Love Lyn T

 

[babypie]

Ikky too!

I cannot offer any help but will let you know you are not alone. My Dad was the same before he went into a home with the following variations; all over...the telephone receiver, the fridge door, doorframes all over the house, the sofa, the walls and in the sink with the washing up! Then add in accidents of the same variety in my car and in the shopping precinct! He used to say he knew he wanted to go-very frustrating!

How? why? how did it get spread around everywhere? who knows. All I will say is I found it the hardest part of caring for Dad and it made me extremely depressed and angry (wrong I know)

If I had to guess I think they just lose the hygiene skills they once had and with Dad I think maybe did not feel it was a big deal even. When I was mentioning it as i cleaned my car or his home I would get told I am a moaner who fusses too much.

bpx

 

[JMU]

I know the Aricept makes him a little lose and there have been one or two 'accidents' which is fair enough.
I am not there with him when he washes. He still likes to be pretty independent, and I'm encouraging that. Also I am rarely there when he washes as I've usually left for work- he will wait for me to leave first, even if I tell him he doesn't have to.
We have a shower (no bath) and usually I can smell his shower gel, or feel the damp in the room from the shower. Last time he had moved his shower gel- it was upside down in the shower, but that was the only evidence he had been in the cubicle at all.
Even were I willing to help him, which I have to say is something I don't want to do (even if it means I need to get outside help for him), I don't think he would accept it.

 

[Rooley]

Hi

I'm not sure if this is helpful but before Mum was admitted to hospital and I used to shower her, we often found poo marks on her shower stool.

I saw her once trying to wipe herself and she was so confused and disorientated that she was actually wiping the outside of the toilet bowl thinking that she was cleaning herself.

On thing I did notice was that she used only one sheet of paper. That's normal for some people but not for mum, she was always methodical about tearing three or more sheets and folding it for max absorbency.

My experience is that it was all downhill from there and doubly incontinent came soon after.

sorry... probably not what you wanted to hear.

xx

 

[Lisa74]

Might be worth considering incontinence pants

Just to second what another poster said- I think it's a good idea to consider incontinence pants or pads.

Another thing that may or may not help would be moist toilet tissues (e.g. the kind you can buy for children) to help him to clean more effectively.

I think he probably needs assistance when showering- perhaps from carers?

 

[LadyA]

It may be confusion about how to use the toilet. My husband likes to be independent, but sometimes asks for help. He'll ask "how do I?" If someone has memory problems it's possible that they do just forget how to use the loo -and what I see in my husband is that he gets confused because of course men stand in front of the loo to pee, but then turn around and sit down to poo! So we've had a few "accidents", because Wm has known he wanted to go, and has managed to get there in time, get his pants down - but has then stood in front of the loo, when he should have sat on it! And unfortunately, sometimes he doesn't realise what's happened, walks in it and spreads it everywhere. Other times, he does see it, and in his efforts to clean it up, it gets spread around the floor, to towels, the sink, the bath, the door......!

About the smears on towels - I too see this in Wm., and have wondered if it's just a case of the muscles weakening with age? Because it's happening practically all the time - it's as if there's a slight "leak" at any time, whether he needs to go to the toilet or not. I use incontinence wipes to clean him a couple of times a day -and his bottom is always dirty, even though he doesn't want to go to the toilet. And still, when I go to undress him, I'll find there's a little streak or two of dirt there again on the pad.