If your elderly family member has difficulty getting to the bathroom on time, that can make issues with even more difficult for her to manage. These tips can make bathroom visits, and getting to the bathroom before it’s too late, less stressful for your senior.
Make Sure Your Senior Can Find the Bathroom Easily
Your senior might have a difficult time finding the bathroom for multiple reasons. And whether she has temporarily forgotten where the bathroom is or she’s got mobility problems that affect her ability to get there, you need to make access as easy as possible. Assess what’s giving her the most trouble getting to the bathroom and put a solution in place.
Consider a Bathroom Schedule During the Day
Part of the difficulty in getting to the bathroom may involve some crossed signals in your senior’s brain. She may not realize she needs to go until it’s almost too late. One way around this is to set up a bathroom schedule that works for her. If she’s visiting the loo every hour or every two hours, even if she doesn’t have to go right then, she may find that helps her to avoid those last-minute dashes.
Check out the Clutter Situation
Clutter is always a problem. In terms of getting your senior to the bathroom when she needs to go, any clutter in her way can be a huge obstacle. If she’s in a really big rush, she might find even a small bit of clutter to be something that slows her down just enough to present a problem.
Assess the Toilet Itself
The problem isn’t always outside the bathroom, though. If the toilet is too low or difficult for her to sit on safely, she may find that to be a barrier to doing what she needs to do. Handrails and toilet risers can both be really effective solutions. Talk to your senior about what she finds difficult, unsafe, or uncomfortable in the bathroom so you can put solutions in place.
Your Senior Might Need More Help in the Dark
At night or in darker hallways, your senior might benefit from some extra light. Motion-sensing nightlights are an excellent way to help your elderly family member to get the extra lighting she needs right when she needs it the most.
If mobility is a big concern for your senior, it might be helpful for senior care providers to be there with her during the day. That gives her someone to lean on when she needs extra assistance.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN ROCKY MOUNT, NC, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT SENIORS HELPING SENIORS TODAY. CALL (919) 761-5346.