I am frustrated. I have a situation here at home that causes me to have to try to protect my walltowall rugs. I never should have bought the expensive, plush rugs that I did, but now that that is a done deal, I need to try to keep them from getting stained. The cleanups are getting too frequent and are too hard and are too frequent for this old man care giver.
I have tried a few fabric runners from Lowes, all on the order of 2' X
8'. So far they all quickly 'bunch up' because they seem not to like laying on the rugs. That causes a dangerous situation that is very dangerous when walked on, and is something I should avoid.
Anyone suggest an alternative? How about plastic runners? Do they have similar problems?
I'm a retired nurse, and old enough to have become more aware of trip/fall hazards. I've taken care of many, many people with broken hips, and the number one cause is trying to get to the bathroom in a hurry. If you are caring for someone with limited ability, safety has to be your primary concern. I don't think that anything on top of a plush carpet is going to be safe....don't risk your safety or that of the other person to save a carpet! :o)
If the soil problem is from incontinence, are special garments being used? Are we talking whole-house or one room? It is conceiveable to have a runner sewn down on top of wtw by a carpet installer, but seems it would just make a more difficult to clean area. Might be better to bite the bullet...have the plush taken up and stored for later reinstallation, then get some resilient, vinyl flooring that can take a beating and not be an entirely hard surface (like tile) in case of falls. The slip factor needs to be addressed, should it become wet.
Why? Once they are stained it is easy to justify replacement-- with something better for you and your house.
Cover the whole thing with an area rug that you can hire some guy to roll up and clean every so often.
Or rip the damn carpet out and put in a proper floor that you can care for. No high traffic area should have carpet unless you have a maid to chase every speck of dirt as it gets tracked in.
What is your wife wearing. Ordinary women's panties are not suitable for this type of problem even if she is using pads. My wife has an IBS problem which can cause diarrhea with little notice and some incontinence. She has changed to Depends disposable underwear with no more accidents. While they can be a little pricey, one can get them for a reasonable cost and in bulk at Costco. There are other brands out there, you may wish to avoid soiling the carpet by using them.
My neighbor uses the plastic runners and rubber-backed rug runners. All Screwed down to the floor. His carpets are low-pile and there's still a trip hazard at the edges. But it's a LOT better than with no screws.
You may want to try a carpet film protector, instead of rugs. Our carpet installer recommended it since we decided to do further remodeling after the carpet was installed. Do not buy the stuff the box stores sell, go to Uhaul and buy theirs. Absolutely great stuff, we had ours down for over 30 days, didn't want to come up even after that! It's a real cheap investment.
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If you're still set on rugs, we had some made for in front of the doors & kitchen sink from the same carpet we had installed elsewhere. Was not cheap by any means, had an anti-slip backing professionally put on. They will not slip by trying to get them to move. Just for the heck of it, I laid it on our carpet instead of the tile & laminate. My fat ass had a hard time trying to see if I could slip. Just a thought anyways.
Depends. They seem to be the only offering that does any good at all. So far everything else I have tried has been worthless. Yes, Depends are costly. How much are they at Costco? I am paying 11.99 to 14.99.
I am in Canada where everything is overpriced. Drug/Grocery store packages run about $20.00 or more. Costco sells cartons of 80 for $49.99, which my wife prefers over the house brand Kirkland version, which are slightly cheaper.
Depending on where you live, maybe try Amazon. They have Depends on their Subscribe and Save program. That S&S makes the price a bit less than their normal cost on that site, plus free S&H plus in many states no tax. S&S is a recurring order where you tell them you want it every 2 months or whatever, but they don't lock you into that; you can skip shipments and still keep the lower price or cancel whenever.
That said, I'd google for Depends since you may well find other less expensive sources. There are also listings on eBay.
I was reluctant to ask more details about your wife's situation beyond the information you offered....but, if confusion is part of the problem in getting to the bathroom, might a portable commode near where she is be helpful? If she SEES the commode, she might be more able to use it than to FIND the bathroom.
I took a nurse aid class couple of years ago in case I had to go back to work....one of the means of helping to avoid wandering is to put a black patch of flooring in front of doors where the person is not to go..to folks with dementia, it appears like a hole and they instinctively avoid it. To help them find their own room, hang a picture of them in their younger days...they better remember that and identify with it.
Does she qualify for some home health care or housekeeping assistance? Should be help on the bowel control issue if she is being treated...hope for the best for you. It is a tough situation.
You know - that is probably going to be a big need if I can't solve the diarrhea problem. Seems that is a side effect of the dementia medication (Aercept sp?) she is taking. I quit giving it to her a week ago, and she has not had an accident since - however, I fear the effect on her dementia treatment. I am going to sneak the pill back into her pill sequence, just to see if the diarrhea happens. If it does, then I will be more sure of what that problem is from anyway. Time for another doc visit I'm thinking. Maybe a different medication won't be so harmful. He should know.
Thank you for you insight and time.
I did not know all that! Interesting. Her problem so far anyway is not so much not being able to find the bathroom, but that she can't make the trip because the diarrhea is so pervading (is that the right word?). Again, a portable commode might just help a lot.
Sure is. No, we do not qualify for assistance. Of course I can get assistance if I pay for it. I am trying to do it on my own as long as I can. One day at a time, as they say.
Many times, pharmacist knows much more about the meds, than the doctor. Please also consult your pharmacist. Also, most pharmacist have more time, and patience.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
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You know - that is probably going to be a big need if I can't solve the diarrhea problem. Seems that is a side effect of the dementia medication (Aercept sp?) she is taking. I quit giving it to her a week ago, and she has not had an accident since - however, I fear the effect on her dementia treatment. I am going to sneak the pill back into her pill sequence, just to see if the diarrhea happens. If it does, then I will be more sure of what that problem is from anyway. Time for another doc visit I'm thinking. Maybe a different medication won't be so harmful. He should know.
I highly recommend BUY your OWN carpet cleaner! Use it instantly, just like a wet n dry vacuum, for any spill.
Years ago, I bit the bullet and bought a professional rug cleaner. Around $4,000. This thing is robust, but big and LOUD! Uses two heavy line cords that MUST be plugged into AC outlets on different breaker panels, best if plugged in to creaate 220Vac. but I digress. Any type of rug accident? Even spilled bleach gets sucked up instantly, no fuss no mess. The unit heats the cleaning solution up so can get 'burnt' on the tubing supplying the wand. Wand is rated at 1200 psi so the cleaning solution penetrates down into and through the fibres. The vacuum extraction will rip curtains off their poles. Extraction so complete that the rug will be damp to the touch instantly, dry in a few hours.
The unit looks a lot like a rental unit, except big with the major advantage that you own it, get to keep it clean, and store it so it's handy. Found that doing our carpets every few months keeps them looking new. I even use it all over our travertine flooring.
Brulins out of Indiana makes [IMO] the best carpet cleaner [built in mildew resistance and sanitizer compounds] which doesn't need rinsing as much as others [Translation, doesn't destroy the carpet, nor destroy the pad - years ago I think it was Rug Doctor and poor rinsing that turned our expensive multi-bond pads brittle] Brulins makes a carpet cleaner pet version [which I haven't tried] but may be useful [based upon the assumption that the products I have tried and work well represent those I haven't tried.]
At least with your own carpet cleaner unit that actually works well, you can leave the flooring in the original form - the form you have grown accustomed to. Sadly with age, keeping the floors clear has become important. I'm starting to catch my shoes in our carpet and even catch my shoes in those 1/8 inch deep grout lines betwen the travertine slabs. Can't imagine what it would be like to add more barriers to what already is starting to become a nuisance.
I'm am firmly convinced that a really good carpet cleaner unit is more useful than a vacuum cleaner. Certainly not as dusty.
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