Ostomy for Seniors

Offering Encouragement and Support for all Ostomates

Category: Toilets

Toilets can be tricky for older ostomates. Here are my thoughts.

Toilet Tips

By

On April 22, 2017

In Toilets

Back to my favorite subject — toilets! I’m always thinking of things to help with being in the toilet. Our pouches have enough challenges and toilets shouldn’t make things more complicated.  Here are some of my tips that might help:
  • Wet wipes — I try to keep these within reach when emptying my pouch. I like the Cottenelle flushable wipes.  They recommend only flushing one at a time, but they sure are handy when you need to clean the end of your pouch, especially after liquid output that might get messy.
  • American Standard toilets — Did you know that you should hold the lever down just a little longer on newer American Standard toilets? I’ve found the same is true with my new Kohler toilet. If you live in a State that limits the toilet tank, they sometimes simply arrange for the flush to be truncated, but there’s actually more water in the tank that you can utilize by holding the lever a second or two longer.
  • Remember to always line the toilet where you’re emptying your pouch. Have the output hit that instead of the porcelain. It makes it easier to flush. If you get output on the toilet itself, and it dries, it becomes like concrete and it’s really hard to clean.
  • I thought I used a lot of toilet paper when I had UC, but I still use up to a roll a day, depending on how many times I need to empty my pouch. I think this is probably more true for women that use more toilet paper anyway. Also, I use some rolled toilet paper to clean the end of my pouch when emptying. I just accept it and buy in bulk.
  • You know all those disposal bags that come in your pouch orders?  They’re great for emptying your pouch in small spaces or toilets that are too small to sit on. They’ve been really convenient for me in airplane toilets.
  • And finally — to extend the space on your toilet, buy an open-front toilet seat, like they have in restaurants and shops.. You can gain several inches of room!
**The photo with this post is of a Toto toilet. Some Toto’s are very expensive, but they’re my favorite. Many have a rather flat surface in the bowl, and an amazing flush.

Still have small toilets? It’s time…..

By

On January 5, 2017

In Toilets, Uncategorized

So, you’ve had your house for years. You raised your children there and, so far, you can’t see any reason to make any changes. But you now have an ostomy, and your house still has those small, low-to-the-floor toilets.

It’s time.  You need to replace those toilets.

Yes, the new toilets have water restrictions, but they’re so much more efficient, and most can handle all the output you can put in them. And you can often get them on sale from Home Depot or Lowe’s. Look for the terms “elongated” and “comfort height”. My favorites are from Kohler or Toto (I have a great video of a Toto toilet I’ll post later). I’m not as fond as the ones from American Standard, but they may work fine for you.

What I look for is a toilet bowl with less slope. That way you can place your toilet paper against the bowl without it falling down before you empty your pouch. The American Standard toilets I’ve used all slope quite a bit, and you have to be careful placing the toilet paper, especially if you’re someplace public. The Toto toilets have some models that are virtually flat. They’re expensive, but work really well. If you do have an American Standard toilet, remember to hold the handle down a couple extra seconds to allow more water to flood in.  Otherwise, you may find yourself having to flush twice.

And have you noticed how much easier it is to empty your pouch in some public restrooms? That’s probably because most of them have open-ended toilet seats. That gives you a couple extra inches of room for your pouch. You can get them for your home toilet, too.  They’re not expensive and can make your life so much easier.

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