Going in Pairs

A question I got the other day was, why do women often go to the bathroom together? Pondering about that was difficult when I rarely partner up to go to the John. However, I see it as being a companion for someone, to keep them company while they finish their business.

At our center, taking someone to the bathroom is more a necessity than a reason to gossip. Our clients are elderly clients who rely on walkers, wheelchairs and a helping hand to complete daily tasks. More than half our clients need assistance in the restroom. Some needs changing while others need guidance. Usually, we assist our clients at least twice daily. Some can go as much as five times. We have clients who uses Depends and some who do not have it. Although I appreciate Depends for developing products geared towards elderly clients, we have recommendations that we hope will market the item better.

-Create designs or colors to make them look less like diapers
-Make materials biodegradable

To make changing easier, I would also recommend that family members could be instructed to dress their loved ones in loose-fitting pants that either have an elastic waistband or strings to tie. Furthermore, for those clients who are difficult to change because they hate having us take off the shoes, perhaps the bottom can be wider so it can be easily pulled on and off.

Safety is the main concern. As a staff member, we feel no clients should be rushed to sit down or to finish. If some clients have a hard time using the bathroom, one method is to turn on the faucet. Hearing the water increases the urge.

So, there are plenty of reasons to use the bathroom together. While some prefer privacy, others may need something or someone. So the next time someone ask you to escort them to the bathroom, it is very kind of you to grant their request.