By Fara Gold
As a first-time grandmother, I was delighted to see my potty-training grandson had the now famous book, Everyone Poops. The title comforted my grandchild and he went around noticing creatures at the aquarium and zoo gleefully stating, “Everyone poops, Grandma! Even the turtle, even the bird, even the goldfish . . . just like me!”
Of course, when I was watching him all day, I was also reminded I couldn’t leave him alone when I needed to find my way to the potty too. He squealed, “Even Grandma poops!” As a Human Development Specialist, Mother, and now Grandmother, I find all of life’s bodily functions very normal. Little embarrasses me, except now, as I needed to keep a sharp eye on my grandson and go to the restroom; I found myself hoping he looked away and didn’t take much interest in my own toileting needs.
Maybe I am oversharing, but it became very clear to me that day, no matter how intimate we may be with our loved ones going to the toilet is a solo endeavor, private and personal. As I was determined to be discreet and preserve my own dignity as well as his precious memories of me as Grandma, I occupied him with a puzzle looking away from my “business”, just outside the bathroom door. I could see him, but he wasn’t interested in me with the new puzzle.
A Japanese Hygiene Standard
In the business of caring for seniors, we are often faced with the needs of our residents to provide supportive assistance with their toileting; reminders, cleaning, and full continence care. What I’ve come to appreciate is, we all want to have the independence and the dignity to engage in this private bodily function without having another person watch, listen, or assist in any of the tasks of toileting. In May, during a month-long trip touring Japan, I came to appreciate the Japanese art of toileting and bathing. The entire culture is focused on personal hygiene and I marveled at the availability of bidet toilets in almost every public place, private home, and hotels.
Preserving Dignity for Seniors
Upon returning to the US, I heard from Brondell, Inc.. They reached out to me to share their innovative Bidet Toilet Seat solutions. They read my blog here titled “Fight for the Right to Potty” and wanted to share how their established consumer brand of Bidet Toilet Seats would be a great solution to the toileting challenges and continence care needs of our senior housing communities’ residents.
After months of learning about Brondell’s financial stability with the backing of Mark Cuban, the now famous “Shark Tank” and Dallas Maverick’s Innovator, as well as how they were asked to support the toilet solutions for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Veterans Administration, I concluded Brondell seemed like a great innovation for senior housing. If Brondell is a solution for wounded veterans and the post-acute discharge needs of disabled veterans living at home, I am convinced the Brondell Bidet Toilet Seat solutions would offer our residents the freedom and dignity to toilet — on their own and in privacy.
More importantly, I realized how valuable the Brondell Bidet Toilet Seat solution would be to all of our stakeholders in senior housing. Having a supportive toileting and continence care solution like the Brondell Bidet Toilet Seats will attract new caregivers and retain caregivers. By offering an innovative solution to cleaning, drying, and deodorizing a resident post toileting, caregivers can now focus on the emotional relationship and provide the privacy and dignity residents and their families want. With the “messy” tasks of toileting now given back to the resident with a push of a button, or staff assistance with a remote control to literally wash, dry, and deodorize, our residents can maintain their independence.
Market Differentiator
With senior living communities struggling to articulate and differentiate their market uniqueness and advantages, the communities installing the Brondell Bidet Toilet Seat solutions can now offer a better and different feature to maintain personal independence, as well as, assist with this delicate and personal caregiving task.
The bottom line, no pun intended, is the Brondell Bidet Toilet Seat solution is a low-cost, yet high-value market differentiator to increase occupancy, NOI, resident and associate satisfaction while exceeding families’ expectations for continence care and resident wellness. Today, Brondell is a new Senior Living Foresight Partner. Over the coming months, look for our stories, interviews, and videos to inspire you to reach out to Brondell to start a conversation about their innovative Bidet Toilet Seat solution can help solve many of your challenges in attracting new residents, retaining residents, attracting caregivers, retaining caregivers, and providing your owners and investors the NOI they expect.
Yes, it is true, “everyone poops”. Today, with the Brondell Bidet Toilet Seat solution, everyone can now have the dignity they want with the best features for comfort and wellness — from heated seats, warm water wash, drying, and deodorizing.
If you are an operator reading this article, consider how often the topic of resident’s continence care and toileting challenges you, your staff, and your residents each and every day. Reach out to Chris Grimes at [email protected]; 925-640-0464, or visit their website.
