PRODUCT LISTING - Bidet Seats

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Special Concerns

PRODUCTS
Alzheimer's & Dementia

Kitchen & Dining

Living Room - Any Room

Outdoors - Wandering

PRODUCT LISTING – Bidet Seats

Toilet Bidet Seat

Wall Mounted Controls

Retractable Wand

Photos Courtesy of Toto

	MANUFACTURERS
	BBC Innovation Home Tech Industries INAX Corporation Watch Video Kohler Co Watch Video Toto Watch Installation Video
	COST
	$500 to $1,200, depending on features
	VENDORS
	BBC Innovation Home Tech Industries INAX Corporation Kohler Co Toto
	DISCLAIMER
	The listing of these products is for informational purposes and individuals must use their own caution and judgment when using these resources. Functional levels and changes in judgment and reasoning are highly variable in people with dementia. Interventions must be individualized and continually assessed because those that are effective for some individuals may only work briefly and may not work at all for others.

	DESCRIPTION
	This high tech seat attaches to an existing toilet and offers push button controls for washing and drying, allowing the person to wash after each toilet use. You'll need to attach the bidet seat to the plumbing lines and have a special GFI electric outlet nearby, as this bidet seat requires electricity to operate. Some models come with wall mounted controls, which may be easier for caregiver operation, but they cost more.
	WHAT WE LIKE
	May increase person’s hygiene May reduce odor and infection risk
	POTENTIAL CONCERNS
	Due to the personal difference in body shapes and sizes, some sprays do not reach their target, so the user must move forward or back. A model with a “massage” function nozzle that moves back and forth automatically, spraying multiple points, is better than just two fixed nozzles. Check with the manufacturer or dealer before buying to make sure the bidet seat fits on the existing toilet, as not all do. You’ll also need to order a round or elongated seat, depending on the existing toilet. When using this product, let the person know what's going to happen, step-by-step, or it's possible that he or she could be agitated by sudden sprays of water and warm bursts of air, even when set on the lowest settings. According to one nursing home study, the wash and dry toilets did have a positive effect on toileting when operated by a trained caregiver, but cleaning was not complete (sometimes toilet paper was still needed). Further, installation was more complex than anticipated. However, the study was published in 2005, and there have been improvements to bidet seats since then. Expensive and beyond the reach of many caregivers
	CAUTION
	This product needs a special GFI outlet nearby as it needs electricity to operate. Using an extension cord could be hazardous if water spilled onto the floor.
	This product has not been tested by Thiscaringhome.org.

Product Selection Criteria

Our goal is to teach you how to be a good consumer and to help you learn about specific products and unique product features that may enhance your safety and the safety and function of the person with dementia. The products shown in This Caring Home serve as examples only. Manufacturers continually change product specifications and the products represented may be different from those now on the market.

We realize this is not an all-inclusive list. Products featured in This Caring Home were chosen for one or more of the following reasons:

Affordability
Attractiveness
Availability
Color selection
Ease of use
Quality
Safety

We encourage you to discuss product selection with other caregivers and health care professionals.

How We Tested

"ThisCaringHome.org tested many products that are commonly recommended for best practices to identify the best use of these products and any potential problems in their use by caregivers and individuals with dementia. Each product included in an Expert Review was tested in a home environment, either an apartment or a single family home (or both), by at least two people. Rosemary Bakker, interior designer, gerontologist and dementia specialist, was one of the testers for every product. Whenever possible, we tested the product over time, sometimes days, weeks, or months, for:

Ease of use
Reliability
Potential safety issues

As a result of our testing, we're listing the pros and cons for using these products and including safety precautions for various products. These products were not tested by persons with dementia. We hope in the future to do case studies to learn more about what works and what doesn't work in a larger variety of caregiving situations and home environments."

Products listed on our website but not tested by ThisCaringHome.org are referred to as "Product Listings".

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