The Sheriff's Urinal

Thomas was a resident that was in his early 80's, he suffered from the early stages of dementia and as time passed on his body worked less and parts of his short term memory faded. The pictures in his room showed a once strong man, a business owner, a father, a man of strong Jewish faith and a sheriff.

Since age and mobility were no longer on his side simple tasks such as using the bathroom were not as easy as they once were. Thomas was using a bedside urinal for when he would be watching television and did not want to call for assistance to have help in walking to the bathroom and transferring to and from the toliet. But as time passed, as did his ability to aim. Time and time again when Thomas would attempt to use the urinal he would miss, spill it or spray into the air like a newborn baby boy. This became an issue for many reasons not just the obvious.

By Thomas using the urinal he was sitting in his chair longer which in turn means he is missing the opportunity to use his mobility. Yes the small task of walking to and from the bathroom helps keep an elderly person's bones and muscles more mobile. The less they use them the more mobility that is lost day after day. Another reason, and perhaps more obvious, he was getting urine all over himself, his chair, the floor or whatever else was within close proximty. This required a whole change of clothes, his chair and/or carpet needed scrubbed, and the smell of urine to slowly take over his room. After talking with his family the decision was made to take the urinal away.

At first he tried to use other objects. Pop cans, Gatorade bottles, anything that could hold liquid. We quickly learned that if Thomas had troubling aiming into a urinal a pop can could be quite disasterous. We now double checked his intable for any objects that could hold liquid and made sure it was out of reach. Through encouragement and reminders Thomas began to call for assistance when he needed to use the bathroom and the idea of the urinal faded away. His care givers were pleased with how he was staying dry throughout the day and calling to receive assistance. He was getting up more periodically throughout the day which in turn meant parts of his mobility may last just a little longer.

Although one morning the urinal, in his mind, had suddenly disappeared. This was a more difficult day where his dementia showed its true colors. He yelled at his care givers demanding to know what had happened to his urinal. He claims he had four and they have all suddenly disappeared.

The care givers tried to redirect him. They said the urinals have been gone for a long time. They told him he does not need a urinal when he is doing so well walking to the bathroom. They told him the urinals had been thrown away. None of these thoughts remotely satisfied him. He demanded to see the person in charge. The care givers came to me and explained what the day had been like and how Thomas has been insisting to speak with me. I set out to talk with him in hopes that I could some how redirect him.

I found him in the common area sitting in his electric wheelchair. I told him that I was the person in charge and asked him what I could do for him. (Now mind you Thomas has met me before and has spoken with me 100's of times, but today I was a fresh new face to him). He asked me my name and if I was in charge. He then demanded to know what happened to his urinal in a loud and frustrated tone. I escorted him to a more private area where we could talk and would be less likely to be overheard or disturb fellow residents. I sat down and listened to his dilemma. I too tried all the theories the care givers attempted. To no avail I too was not winning the battle and Thomas was becomming more frustrated as I too felt frustration building because my ideas were beginning to run short.

To my surprise Thomas looked at me and said, "I have a sheriff's badge upstairs and I will bring it down and arrest you for stealing my urinals." I could not hold back the large grin that spread quickly across my face. He asked if I thought this was funny? And although I did find it amusing and quite possibly one of the cutest things that a resident has said when frustrated I ensured him that I was taking the situation very seriously. I told him that I would find the urinals and follow up with him this afternoon. We finally got him to go to lunch!

I thought I was free and hoped that the afternoon would bring faded memories of the mystery of the "missing" urinal. How wrong could I be. After lunch his daughter called and she was going crazy because he had called multiple times that morning complaining about his problem. Only then to have a care giver approach me to let me know that Thomas was waiting outside... with his sheriff's badge.

We finally solved the situation by showing him a urinal and telling him that it was his. We explained that he did not need to use it since he was doing so well calling for assistance and walking to the bathroom. We told him we would place it in the cupboard in his bathroom that way when he goes home he will have it to take with him. Thomas was happy as could be.

To think all we needed to do to comfort the sheriff was to show him a urinal. We know he will never need it again. We know he will never be returning home. But for a day, the sheriff was out to solve the case and found justice once again.