Automated toilet flushing sensor?

Fad marie

My mom with Alzheimer's still lives at home with my dad.  She was diagnosed 4 years ago and is in the moderate stage now.  She can still take care of some of her own personal hygiene, but of course we are starting to see those decline (e.g., doesn't shower/bathe anymore but still washes her hair in the sink).  Over the last few months, we've noticed that my mom no longer flushes the toilet.  She can still go to the bathroom on her own, but the toilet is always full of toilet paper and bodily waste every weekend I go there (the health aide there M-F flushes the toilet when she's there).  It leads to toilet clogs and is just generally smelly, so I'm wondering if anyone's used an automatic sensor for the toilet?  I'm not looking to replace the whole toilet with an automatic-flushing toilet but just looking for a motion sensor to add to the toilet so that it will flush when my mom stands up and leaves.  Anyone know a product that does this?  I saw the Techo touchless toilet flush kit, but that one seems to involve hand-waving over a sensor.  I'm not sure my mom could "learn" to do this at this point (but if others have used this and their LOs with Alz can remember to "flush" this way, please let me know!).  Any products you have used that work for your LOs?  

P.S. If you're wondering why my dad doesn't go in there and flush the toilet more often, your guess is as good as mine.  We've told him.  He knows.  They use separate bathrooms and best I can guess is that he just doesn't ever go in her bathroom so he never thinks about it.  My dad is 90 and rather than continually asking him to do this, I think a sensor is the easier solution.  

zauberflote

Marie, this is a smelly problem for sure! My mom forgot how to flush the day her toilet changed to one with a handle on the side. She didn't recognize that she had to reach into the dark gap there next to the wall and feel around for a handle. 

I don't know what will work for you, but-- have you ever seen a lady with dementia-related sensory issues and anxiety have an auto-flush toilet flush enthusiastically while she is still sitting on it?! I will tell you that a pilot I know became chronically constipated until they learned the hack for airport toilet motion sensors. 

I do know that there are retro-fits available. My church's ladies' rooms' toilets suddenly gained "wave your hand here to flush" ability. Same old toilets, new gizmo. I did not take the tank cover off, so I don't know how they work, but it might be very simple. Good luck!

Fad marie

Zauberflote, thanks for your comments.  You make a good point about how an auto-sensor flush could scare my mom especially if it flushes while she's still on the toilet (which we all know can happen)!  This forum is so helpful for considering things we might not think of!

Also, I might consider the hand-waving motion sensor if people think that my mom could learn/remember to use it?  Maybe it would be easier for her to use than the handle?  I'm just worried that if she forgot how to use the handle (granted, their handle is bad and you have to hold it kind of long... maybe she is "using" it but just not properly?), she may not be able to learn to use the hand-waving sensor.  

zauberflote

Marie, ask the caregivers if they think she's flushing. You do have a point about their particular style of toilet-- all mine are that two-level-flush type, and the short push gets you nearly nowhere. But the weekday caregivers ought to be helpful as to what they see while they're there. 

I was somehow imagining that this retrofit I mentioned would work if installed on the front of the tank, so it would only flush when the lid was put down. I don't think you should burden your mom with trying to learn to flush differently. 

Hoping somebody else will have input. 

abc123

Around stage 5 my mom stopped flushing. As the disease progresses our LO's know less and less. If a PWD no longer knows why to flush/how to flush, I seriously doubt they can learn a new way to do it. But every person is different.

Fad marie

My mom seems in Stage 5, and I am also doubtful that she can learn a new way to flush the toilet.  We were thinking that it might be worth the $75 to get the hand sensor kit and try it out, but the more we investigated installing it, the more we realized that the orientation of their toilet in the bathroom would likely make it even more confusing for her using the hand sensor.

Sball

As part of the bathroom renovation, a Toto auto flush with bidet was installed 18 months ago.  Auto flush function works well for my mom. The flushing is weight sensor (ie, it does not flushed until weight on seat is lifted).  It has a time delayed function, thus no concern with immature flushing.

This is our first bidet, so I had to get her used to the "wash" idea.  She was unable to learn, so assistance is needed everytime bidet is used.  Reasons for the bidet is for UTI prevention when she does not shower daily, and pre-clean when the days of wiping her come. 

 At the time of installed, she would forget to flush about once or twice a day. 

Good luck with looking for a converter device that will work with an existing toilet.  Great idea.

Whatdowedonext

I know this is an old post, but I resolved this issue with a Roamoris Auto Flush device. It’s similar to the Toto Bidet without the bidet feature. Not perfect but it’s effective mostly.