Are Bidets Good for the Elderly?

Research shows that people answer nature's call about seven times a day. It's a basic activity of our typical day-to-day living. Using the bathroom becomes more challenging as you get older, and it's among the reasons seniors start to lose their independence.

With old age comes wisdom, but so does stiffness, frailty, cognitive issues, pain, balance challenges, and weakness. Also, issues like Alzheimer's or dementia make it that much more challenging to answer nature's call. Luckily a bidet is the best solution to assist seniors in acquiring their independence when they use the bathroom. 

WHAT IS A BIDET?

A bidet is more than just a fancy rich man's toilet. It's a cleaner way of washing your perineal area, especially after going number two. Bidets have been around for ages, but surprisingly enough, they have gained fame in recent years.

They are more popular in Asia, Europe, and the US; however, they rapidly gain popularity in the rest of the world. The word bidet comes from a French word meaning “pony”. Its pronunciation doesn't roll off the tongue as you would spell it: It's pronounced 'budet. ‘

HOW DOES A BIDET SEAT WORK?

A wand extends itself automatically under the toilet bowl and releases water spraying a tiny stream of water to clean your backside area. Once you are done, don't hurry to wake up; get comfy on the seat since you are already on it.

When you push the start wash dial, the nozzle will elongate and calibrate its position to avoid a backsplash of dirty water. To be on the safe side, the nozzle has an automatic self-cleaning feature that is employed after every use. Other bidets have silver nanoparticle technology to ensure the nozzle is sterilized for extra cleanliness.

However, different models work in different ways, but the basics of how bidet works have been explained above.

IS A BIDET GOOD FOR SENIORS?

Caring for seniors requires you to maintain their dignity, autonomy, and privacy. Foremost, who doesn't like their privacy when answering nature's call? Privacy is all about maintaining a sense of self-respect, whether you are young or old. Everybody needs their personal space, especially when going to the bathroom.

When it comes to seniors allowing them to do their business in private makes them feel cared for and valued. However, this does not mean that you should ignore it if they need your help. The case only applies to seniors who can and want to take matters into their own hands.

It is also about allowing them to make decisions for themselves and perform certain tasks by themselves if they wish. Answering nature's call is naturally a private affair.

Once another person includes, it may come out as a sense of embarrassment for the person requiring care and the caregiver. Using a bidet is a perfect way of handling typical toilet needs. Users can get clean easier after using the bathroom.

HERE ARE SOME BENEFITS SENIORS CAN GAIN FROM USING A BIDET.

DECREASING THE RISK OF SLIPPING OR FALLING

A statement released by CDC suggests that more than millions of senior citizens have a higher risk of falling for a variety of health reasons every year. Out of the cases recorded, one out of six people suffers extreme injuries that might be fatal or lead to broken bones.

Using the toilet requires you to perform various tasks, including bending, twisting, and this can be risky since the bathroom is a slippery area. Due to the bending and other movements required in cleaning up after using the toilet in a slippery environment, there is always a risk of falling in a toilet.

Using a bidet eliminates most of the inconvenience of using ordinary toilet paper to clean up after yourself. This gadget assists people to preserve energy to apply it only to sitting down comfortably, relieving themselves, and standing up after they are done.

ADVANCED HYGIENE LEVELS

Maintaining good personal hygiene is crucial yet difficult for senior members because of physical limitations. Once the body ages, the immune system is compromised, making it weaker against diseases, germs, or bacteria. Maintaining a high standard sense of hygiene becomes a key concern to the elderly population.

Your body ages fighting diseases becomes challenging since your immunity is not what it was, making it more vulnerable to attacks from viruses and bacteria. After answering nature's call, using tissues does not effectively clean all fecal deposits especially done by seniors who have mobility issues.

If you don't clean up after yourself properly, it might lead to unpleasant smells and poor hygiene. Using a bidet eliminates all the hygiene issues and reduces most of the risks of not properly cleaning up after yourself.

ADVISABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DELICATE SKIN

The skin is a delicate organ that requires constant and proper attention. It's the largest organ on the body that performs many regular functions. Taking care of your skin needs to be among your hygiene priorities. Sensitive, aging skin that has lost its flexibility is easily injured, making skin infections more common.

Regularly scrubbing and wiping with toilet paper can cause skin damage and tear around the genital and anal areas. This risk is eliminated by cleaning with a bidet and drying with a soft towel.

INCREASED INDEPENDENCE

In the end, it all boils down to dignity, autonomy, and independence in the care of the old and crippled. Having a bidet that is simple to use provides them with much-needed seclusion to conduct something private and intimate safely and securely.

It lessens their feelings of embarrassment from having to have someone clean them up after releasing themselves or from not being able to clean themselves adequately owing to limited movement. Even with full-time care, aged and disabled people are happier and healthier when they have greater control over their private lives.

In less than 10 minutes, a Samodra bidet attachment may be placed in any toilet. It has a self-cleaning nozzle and does not require electricity or plumbing. Anyone can use it without problem because the pressure and angle controller are conveniently within reach and can be managed with one hand.

CONCLUSION

Bidets are the best solutions that are or only best for the elderly but all age groups. It's the future of toilet relief activities. We should embrace bidets if not for ourselves; it should be for the senior members of our society.