Do you use senior helpers/aids?

I had been keeping my Rollator in the house but now find it is more useful in the car.

Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner but I have begun to use it as a cart to bring my groceries in. Today I had three bags. One fit under the seat and the other two on top so I made it all in one trip.

I hope this makes it easier for others.
 

Sunny said:
Shopping carts make good walking aids also. Many people who live here park near a group of them in one of those cart stalls (I think they're called carrells) and grab a cart to help them negotiate the ramp to and from the store.
Click to expand...
Yes. My mom would do that, too. Shopping carts are very stable.

p.s. Speaking of stables... Like horses, shopping carts get rounded up and herded into corrals. :cool: 🐎 🛒
 
GoneFishin said:
Do you use senior helpers?

I use the following aids >
Cane (sometimes)
Adult bib (for when I'm in a feeding frenzy 😁 )
Sock aid for putting on sox
Reacher grabber
Bathtub grab bar
Extended nail clipper for cutting my toenails
Click to expand...
I have a grab bar in the bathroom, a reacher/grabber in the den, various canes that I never use (so far), two walkers gathering dust, and the one thing that made my recent senior life SO much better, a Bidet! Shortly after my heart attack/open heart surgery, my lower plumbing started acting up and I found myself plagued by intermittent Diarrhea.

I realize this is something nobody talks about, but it is the most disgusting aspect of old age, at least for MY old age!. It was something I never thought about or planned on having to deal with. The Bidet (an attachment rather than a Bidet Toilet) eliminated hygiene trauma. I'm saving up for another better version. Outside of my sister and two close friends, I have not mentioned this to anyone, so I guess I'm starting to really warm up to all you wonderful people on SF.

Bless every gall-darned one of you!

-David-
 
GoneFishin said:
Well that dang blasted new shower mat just don't wanna lay flat. I poured hot water on it to soften it up, nope. I pressed down on it thinkin the suction cups would hold it flat, nope. Right now I got 2 jugs of bleach on it to hold it flat 🙏
Click to expand...
If your bathtub has a textured finish instead of slick, suction bathmats won't work.
 
Elsie said:
I speed(walk ha) around my apt using my walker trying not to lean bent over too much, then when sitting, I try to make up for the bending by sitting as straight as possible in my recliner. Btw, anyone here who sits in a recliner ............have you developed a sore spot on one of your bottom 'cheeks'?
Click to expand...
I think I know why. Very few people actually sit straight up. Most lean to one side or the other, resting their elbow on the left or right recliner arm. Consider if you have shoulder pain or elbow pain or have developed more bruises on the underside of one arm or the other. Now, does the cheek sore spot correspond to the same side as the other bothersome things?

I speak from experience. Of course, it may be different for others, but I had muscular pain in my right cheek and shoulder pain in my right shoulder. When I noticed this, I purposely started putting more weight on my left arm and my butt pain went away.The shoulder pain didn't entirely disappear, but I found out later that I had bursitis. I'm dealing with it and it has lessened since I favor my left side now.

Since you mentioned recliners, I think we all must admit to the eponymous ownership of recliners by seniors. Personally, I have never been in an old person's home and NOT seen a recliner there. So, I guess this is a senior aid as well.

-David-
 
First, I had to start using a recliner because I would develop a feeling stuffiness up in the back of my nose when lieing flat in bed and be unable to sleep, hense the recliner for sitting up. Stuffiness not so bad now, (since avoiding high histamine foods), however I developed very swollen calves, ankles and feet and their weight makes it impossible to lie comfortably in bed, ........ when I manage to lift my legs up onto the mattress.

Oddly, my left elbow developed a sore from left arm of recliner. (While my right 'cheek' got sore from recliner seat.) I shift around to sit more on left 'cheek'. 🙃🙄
 
David later version said:
I have a grab bar in the bathroom, a reacher/grabber in the den, various canes that I never use (so far), two walkers gathering dust, and the one thing that made my recent senior life SO much better, a Bidet! Shortly after my heart attack/open heart surgery, my lower plumbing started acting up and I found myself plagued by intermittent Diarrhea.

I realize this is something nobody talks about, but it is the most disgusting aspect of old age, at least for MY old age!. It was something I never thought about or planned on having to deal with. The Bidet (an attachment rather than a Bidet Toilet) eliminated hygiene trauma. I'm saving up for another better version. Outside of my sister and two close friends, I have not mentioned this to anyone, so I guess I'm starting to really warm up to all you wonderful people on SF.

Bless every gall-darned one of you!

-David-
Click to expand...
What bidet version are you saving up for? What features are you looking for in the upgrade? Am considering getting one and would like to get a model we'll be happy with.
 
StarSong said:
What bidet version are you saving up for? What features are you looking for in the upgrade? Am considering getting one and would like to get a model we'll be happy with.
Click to expand...
StarSong,

I want warm water. To use a bidet in winter is eye-opening to say the least! A typical bidet draws its water from the typical hose that feeds your toilet (I am speaking of bidet attachments here, not bidet toilets which are sometimes astronomical in price!) Consequently, the water spray is warm to hot in the summer, and ice-cold in the winter!

There are two types of bidets that accomplish consistent warm water in different ways. The electric type has a mini water heater built into the seat, but must be plugged into a typical wall plate. These are the more expensive of the two, and some of them come with other bells and whistles such as warm air drier, heated seat or even automatic deodorizer. Please keep in mind that there are back-end cleaners only and there are models that include a separate nozzle for the female anatomy. Cost increases just a little for the dual use type.

The other path top warm water is the kind that "Y" off of your cold and hot taps under your bathroom sink. They act like ones shower. You adjust to get the mixture of cold/hot you want. No electricity is needed.

I will have to go with the electric version, as my hot water heater is at one end of my house and my bathroom is at the other. That distance prevents me from having warm water quickly, most of the time after the deed is done.

So, I will go with the electrics. They provide instant warm water, acting like an on-demand water heater some homes use. There is a large enough reservoir that is kept at a constant warmth, generally enough for a thorough cleaning. I will never go back to toilet paper again! Gross!

Just to signify my overall experience, I paid just over $40 for mine over five years ago (amazon.com.) I've never had a problem (other than the temperature of the water.) However, one of my control knobs (plastic) are slipping so I am using a small pair of pliers until I can upgrade my situation. I expect to have to pay somewhere between $180 and $220 for the type of upgrade I want. Now that I am a bidet convert, I will happily pay that.

This is the upper end I would purchase but I will have to save some more:

Amazon.com


1747714848666.jpeg $220

LEIVI Smart Bidet Toilet Seat with Wireless Remote and Side Panel, Multiple Spray Modes, Adjustable Heated Seat, Warm Water and Air Dryer, Auto LED Nightlight​


More likely to be something like this:

1747715114237.jpeg $183

FVZ Bidet Toilet Seat Elongated Smart Heated Toilet Seat with Warm Water & Dryer, Feminine & Child Wash, Self-Clean Stainless Steel Nozzle, Adjustable Water Pressure, Slow Close Lid​

Amazon.com

I hope the links work. I don't yet understand some of the finer points of use on this forum. Feel free to ask more questions if I did not cover something.

-David-
 
@David later version, thank you for that clear explanation. One thing that put me off was the water temperature expectation. My water heater also isn't near my bathroom and a blast of cold water doesn't sound appealing.

Question: Roughly how long does it take for the warm air to fully dry ones nether regions after a spritz?

I'd likely still use TP sometimes, especially for quick middle-of-the-night trips.
 
Last edited:
Ive considered getting a bidet. I didnt consider the cold water. #eek
Just a thought. I wonder if you could hook the loo up to the hot water instead of the cold water?
 
StarSong said:
@David later version, thank you for that clear explanation. One thing that put me off was the water temperature expectation. My water heater also isn't near my bathroom and a blast of cold water doesn't sound appealing.

Question: Roughly how long does it take for the warm air to fully dry ones nether regions after a spritz?

I'd likely still use TP sometimes, especially for quick middle-of-the-night trips.
Click to expand...
StarSong,

I think air drying is a little gimmicky although I have no experience with this. I would imagine that it helps dry you, but not enough. Personally, I don't use toilet paper. I use paper towels.` Once you have used the bidet properly, you only need to dry your posterior. It's just water left, so I use a paper towel and toss it in my bathroom trash. The only worry is the moist paper towels can start to mildew, but that is not a problem as long as you deal with the bathroom trash on a timely basis.

-David-
 
StarSong said:
What bidet version are you saving up for? What features are you looking for in the upgrade? Am considering getting one and would like to get a model we'll be happy with.
Click to expand...
Frankly, StarSong, even the most basic bidet seat will win you over. Yes, there are certain caveats and nothing in this world is perfect, but I was hooked after a week. A bidet is the most effective device to provide truly hygienically clean nether regions.

-David-
 
David later version said:
StarSong,

I think air drying is a little gimmicky although I have no experience with this. I would imagine that it helps dry you, but not enough. Personally, I don't use toilet paper. I use paper towels.` Once you have used the bidet properly, you only need to dry your posterior. It's just water left, so I use a paper towel and toss it in my bathroom trash. The only worry is the moist paper towels can start to mildew, but that is not a problem as long as you deal with the bathroom trash on a timely basis.

-David-
Click to expand...
Interesting. Sounds like you've hit on a good solution. I had visions of sitting there an extra two minutes during the drying process. The commonly cited alternative to a dryer is using (washable) fresh "bidet towels" each day. Not a fan of either concept.

Thanks for the info, David!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top