Aid for cleaning

[GokuSS]

Hello everybody. I'm new to the forum and wondered whether anyone could help me with a question that might help my dad (and my mum). Dad has Lewy Body Dementia which gives him symptoms similar to Parkinson's. His mobility is severely restricted. He also has a bad back which restricts his movement. My mum and I (both his carers) have realised recently that his mobility is affecting his ability to clean himself after going to the toilet. Unfortunately, due to longstanding haemorrhoids, he needs to have a bath after he has been to the toilet. We think (because he won't tell us) that he has difficulty cleaning himself in that area when he's in the bath. As a result, Mum finds poo on the sheets every morning, giving her extra work with cleaning the bedsheets. I have suggested to Mum that she ask my father to wear boxer shorts/pyjama bottoms in bed so at least that cuts down on the washing. However, we wondered whether anyone could recommend an aid that will help him with reaching to his bottom area so that at least he can try to clean himself. Or maybe make another suggestion that we could consider. Thank you for reading this.

 

[Hunterman]

The NHS Occupational Therapy route Wibbles mentioned is the right first step for a proper assessment, as they can recommend specific equipment for your dad’s mobility and reach. For the immediate mess, I found that keeping a pack of disposable wipes and a small spray bottle with water and mild soap by the toilet helps a lot.

Also, speak to his GP about a commode or a raised seat to ease the strain. On a separate note, for your own sanity with bedding changes, I’ve had good luck with a local service for heavy-duty laundry issues, similar to what you might see at commercial-cleaning-atlanta.com, which handles tough stains professionally.