Poop!

There are many words for human waste, feces, excrement, poop, shit. Some are more socially acceptable than others so I will compromise on Poop. Poop is a natural thing. Everyone makes it, but not everyone is responsible for someone elses poop. I thought when my last child was potty trained, that I would finally only be responsible for my own poop. But then along came grandchildren who poop when their parents are gone. More poop to deal with! And then I became a caregiver.

I am sorry to say that caregivers must deal with poop. Unfortunately, one of the bodily functions that the elderly have problems with is the control of bowels. One of the most horrible sites in my world is poop smeared on the toiled with perhaps a bit or a lot on the floor in front of the toilet, some smeared on the handle of the toilet and... well I will leave it with that. Clean up is needed. And I am the clean up crew.

This issue is very uncomfortable for the caregiver. However, I believe it is most horrific for the person being cared for. They have lost the ability for privacy in the bathroom. Imagine how bad it would be to have someone have to wipe your butt. The good thing about dementia is that the incident is soon forgotten. I wish I could forget it as well.

If you are new to care giving, these are essential things to have on hand:

Depends (The whole getting your elderly parent to wear depends will be the topic of another post. I first need to get over the trama of dealing with this myself and then I will write about it.)
• A large box of disposable gloves.
• Clorox wipes.
• Flushable wipes. (Yes, you will need these.)
• A LOT of toilet paper.
• A toilet that has powerful flushing ability.
• Assistive devices for the toilet. Handles that attach.
• A sense of humor.
• Lysol spray.
• Air fresheners of all types.
• The ability to hold a straight face when facing a disgusting and smelly situation so that the person being cared for will not be further humiliated.

To end this post, I would like to give a tribute to all of the nurses, teachers, aides and others who chose to give service to the elderly and disabled as their full time career. You are awesome! I would also like to give a shout out to all of the caregivers, reluctant and otherwise who are helping out a family member or friend. Hang in there!

Mom, where ever you are, I love you!