6 Must Have Toilet Aids for the Elderly

The elderly find it really difficult to retain their independence. With limited mobility and certain disabilities, it becomes difficult to do everyday tasks. Toileting is one such task that requires your attention. Bathrooms and toilets are the places which are more prone to falling and causing a serious injury. And elderly find it difficult to use the toilet. For them safety is the priority. You need to add these toilet aids to make your toilet more elderly friendly. You can add incontinence sheets to their beds or just add safety rails in the toilet. You need to find the best fit for them. 

Here are six must have toilet aids for the elderly which can be used by the disabled as well as by an injured person.

• Toilet Safety Rails:

Height adjustable toilet safety rails are important as these are designed for people with balance and stability issues. It helps people with standing up and sitting down in the toilet. It makes this process easy for arthritis, joint pains, or back pain patients. These are foldable safety rails and can be easily attached or detached as in when required. It is easy to assemble and set it. 

• Urine Pot:

Elderly people do not have control over their bladder. Urine pots are hygienic and easy to use. It can be used by anyone. It is a lightweight device with a capacity of holding up to 1000 ml of urine at a time. So, the elders need not get up each time when they feel the urge to urinate.

• Incontinence Pads and Sheets:

Elderly do suffer from incontinence, especially during the night. There are different cotton, and polyester incontinence sheets that are designed especially for the elderly. It helps keep the sheets dry and helps you maintain hygiene around them. It helps you from having to wash their sheets every day. 

There are incontinence pads that you can dispose off after every use. It is a good option for the elderly as you need to wash the pads and just dispose them off. It is a quality product that provides a minimum of eight hours of protection and has a super absorbent material. It is easy to wear as it comes with an elastic waistband. It is comfortable for the elderly to wear it because it has soft inner linings. These also help lock the odour.

• Commode Chairs:

A commode chair is a mobile toilet that offers autonomy, by preserving privacy. It is placed in the vicinity of the elderly who find it difficult to cover the distance to the toilet because of frailty. A commode chair comes with a removable pan which can be manually emptied after each use. There are many different kinds of commode chairs. Like standard bedside commode, or with adjustable arms, with raised seats and many more functions. 

• Toilet Squat Stool:

Toilet squat stools are high quality plastic made stools to reduce strain and stress. It helps elevate the feet and the knees which helps them sit in a semi-squat position on standard toilets. It is easy to use, and clean. It is more portable than the commode chairs because it is space saving and compact. It also helps relieve constipation and bloating. 

• Antislip Mats:

There are many places in the house where you need to place an anti slip mat. One such place is at the doors of the toilet. These mats ensure that it does not move while using it. It is designed keeping in mind the comfort level, and the safety levels of the elderly. It helps safeguard  slippery surfaces at your home which could lead to a bad fall, leading to a severe injury. There are many different types of mats. You need to choose the correct size and the usage of the mat, so it becomes an ideal solution for the elderly in your house. 

Conclusion:

Toilet aids are necessary for elderly people. It helps them be independent and do their daily tasks all by themselves. Using the right equipment helps reduce the chances of a bad fall. Because of aging, the muscle strength of the elderly weakens, making it more difficult to do the daily tasks in the bathrooms, and toilets. Especially for those with arthritis, where it affects the hands, and the legs, making grip things difficult. These aids help to create less mess. Some of these aids help the elderly to get a good night's sleep without leaking any odour and making them feel hygienic.