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Gentle, audible reminder to wash hands and flush the toilet

By:  Frank Engelman   |  Posted: March 20, 2021   |  Updated: April 19, 2023

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The Problem to be Solved

Forgets to Wash Hands, Flush Toilet

Forgets to Wash Hands, Flush Toilet

My mother (with dementia) wakes up often in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and forgets to wash her hands/flush the toilet. She often forgets during the day as well.

View the problem

Solution Details

 

I have a suggestion that involves using an Alexa Routine to prompt your mom when she enters the bathroom. This uses a simple Echo Flex with a motion sensor to trigger a routine to speak a friendly reminder to wash her hands and flush the toilet.

I personally use this solution to turn on/off the bathroom lights and give me a reminder of the day of the week. I also added a touchless faucet and touchless soap dispenser to make hand washing “fun” and to be sure the water gets turned off.

We have all seen those automatic toilet flushers in commercial facilities, but the only models I have found for home use require an expensive toilet as a replacement. I have seen several DIY type toilet flushers that work with the “handle-lever with pull-chain” type flushers, but unfortunately my toilet has those mechanical push button rod-type flushers.

See a more detailed discussion of this solution, including an automatic flushing capability, at this companion piece of research:

 

 

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Author

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Frank Engelman

Retired Intel Engineer wanting to share DIY technology tips for the children of parents wanting to remain living independently. I like posting ideas and answering technical questions. If a product or software has an issue making it hard for seniors to use, I try to offer workarounds and also try to contact the manufacturer for solutions. I write a column for this website in the Innovation- Homebrew Solutions & Ideas section

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