How To Hide A Bedside Commode ?
For a lot of people, having to use a bedside commode is already embarrassing enough, but having it standing out in the open where anyone and everyone can see it is a step too far. It can make an elderly adult feel that on top of losing their independence, that they are also losing their dignity as well.
How to hide a bedside commode ? There are multiple ways you can hide a bedside commode, from buying specialized covers, using a curtain, putting up a screen, to buying a commode chair which looks like any ordinary armchair.
If you find some ways of helping your elderly loved ones to keep their bedside commode a private affair, it should make them feel much happier.
I think we can all agree that bedside commodes are not exactly the most stylish items, so on top of all the problems associated with aging, our loved ones have to be surrounded with all these ugly plastic and metal pieces of equipment, and it must be pretty depressing.
As well as physically hiding the bedside commode, you may also have to help with working out the solutions for removing commode odors as well, so we’ll have a look at that once I’ve gone through a few options for hiding the commode.
Contents Overview & Quicklinks
How to hide a bedside commode ?
If your loved one already has a bedside commode and doesn’t want to invest in something new, then the options are going to involve hiding what they have from view when there are guests.
The options to do this are rather simple –
- you can buy a cover called a “Dignity Cover” or make your own
- you can put a throw over the commode and put a few cushions on it
- you can use some curtain to close off an area
- you can use a freestanding bamboo or rattan room dividers
- room dividers on wheels
- you can buy a folding screen to create a private area
If your loved one can afford a new bedside commode, there are basically two options –
- you can buy a bedside commode which looks like an armchair
- you can buy a foldable commode which can be put away easily in a cupboard, or slid under a bed
Dignity Cover
There is a company who make a cover which you can quickly place over your standard bedside commode frame, which they call The Dignity Cover.
It has a sown on cushion, and it slips over the whole structure and hides the commode completely.
A throw and cushions
If you don’t want to bother buying a Dignity Cover, you can get a throw, or a pretty blanket, and cover the commode with this and place a few cushions on it.
If you don’t want people to think they can sit on it, put a few things on there along with the cushions, which will clear up any confusion.
As you pick out the cushions and the throw, or blanket, you can use this as an opportunity to get some extra color, or a nice pattern in the room and brighten things up.
If you are looking for ideas, I would take a look on Pinterest and just type in their search bar something like “interior design color combinations”, “color interiors”, “interior design color” and you will get loads of ideas to inspire you.
Curtains
If you are any good at DIY, or you have a good handyman, or woman, you can put up a curtain rod and section off an area with a curtain – this can also just be a small corner of the room, but it will definitely mark it off as private.
You can type “curtain dividers” into google (and hit the image tab), or Pinterest, and you will get lots of ideas, online shops and department stores stocking different types of hanging systems and curtains to do the job.
This is a great way to bring in some color and different finishes, to have a bit of fun with decoration.
Freestanding bamboo and rattan room dividers
If you want something which isn’t as visually rigid as a folding screen, you could take a look at freestanding bamboo or rattan room dividers. These are made in curved forms and are not rectilinear like a folding screen, which some people may prefer as they are softer shapes to look at.
To find these, type “bamboo room dividers” into google. You should be able to find them for between $100 – $200, and they are generally over 6ft tall and about 8 ft wide.
Room dividers on wheels
Room dividers also come as panels or screens which are on wheels which may be easier for some elderly adults to move, as you don’t have to lift them to do so.
Just go online and type “room dividers on wheels” into google (use the images tab) and again you will see quite a large selection.
These are a bit more office oriented in general, so they may not be as decorative, or stylish, as some other options.
Folding Screens
A folding screen is a perfectly good option for sectioning off part of a room and making it apparent that this is a private area. People are going to see a screen, assume that this is where a person changes.
You can buy screens in all sorts of sizes, and there are endless choices for patterns and colors, so if you want to get a little stylish, it’s a chance to bring a little color and light into the room.
You can get wooden screens, cloth stretched screens, rattan screens, wicker screens, actual wooden screens with small shelves on them which you can decorate. There really are a ton of options here, and most of them will easily create a private space behind them.
It’s an opportunity to create a decorative element on one side, and the private area on the other.
If you need ideas, just take a look online – type in “folding screens for privacy” or “room dividers” into google and there are a lot of different images.
You’ll also get lots of ideas if you type “folding screens” into Pinterest – maybe more so than if you just google it.
I think this could be a fun way of creating a private space which is not quite as dramatic as a floor to ceiling curtain or divider, which might make a room seem a lot smaller in comparison to a screen which lets you see beyond its top and sides, and so keeps a sense of openness, even if it blocks off what is directly behind it.
While you are looking for bedside commodes, there is lots more that you can do to make your bathroom a safer place for seniors, or anyone else with mobility issues.
To find out all the different things you can do, to have an instant impact on bathroom safety, take a look here, “54 Bathroom Safety Tips For Seniors – A Helpful Guide”.
If you are able to get a new commode, take a look at these two options
1) Armchair commodes
For a reason which is not at all apparent to me, in the US there are hardly any “armchair” commodes available, as compared to the UK.
The “armchair” commode does not look at all like the metal and plastic bedside commodes, and if you don’t lift the padded seating area to reveal the built-in commode area with the pale, or potty, you would not know that these chairs were commodes.
There is no problem cleaning them, some models are wicker, some are vinyl, and others are washable cloths.
There are only a couple of models on Amazon, but you can find more on eBay which can be shipped in from the UK. The “armchair” commodes cost around $2 – $300. Certainly avoid the outrageously expensive ones and look on eBay, as they are available.
I have listed the few examples that I can find in the US below.
In the US –
Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare (Drive Medical) Basket Weave Commode – max weight 350 lb – you will need to look on eBay
Facai Rattan Bedside Commode Chair – max weight 236 lb
Gordon Ellis Derby Basketweave Commode Chair – max weight 350 lb
Homecraft Bedroom Chair Commode – max weight 350 lb
HXLQ Elderly Toilet Chair – max weight 550 lb
In the UK –
Aidapt Lancaster Luxury Commode – max weight 320 lb
CareCo Exmouth Luxury Commode – max weight – 320 lb
CareCo Alton Bedroom Commode Chair – max weight – 320 lb
Chums Deluxe Commode – max weight 280 lb
Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare (Drive Medical) Wicker Commode – max weight 264 lb
Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare (Drive Medical) Basket Weave Commode – max weight 350 lb
Gordon Ellis Derby Basketweave Commode Chair – max weight 350 lb
Gordon Ellis Devon Commode – max weight 350 lb
Homecraft Royale Commode Chair – max weight – 350 lb
Homecraft Bedroom Chair Commode – max weight 350 lb
Homecraft Deluxe Commode Chair – max weight 418 lb
Langham Deluxe Commode – max weight 418 lb
Ludlow Bedside Commode – max weight 320 lb
Mawcare Commode Chair – max weight 320 lb
Moblilty Smart Luxury Wooden Commode – max weight 320 lb
NRS Healthcare Derby Corner Commode – max weight 560 lb
NRS Healthcare Walton Height Adjustable Commode Chair – max weight 418 lb
Strava Bedside Commode – max weight 320 lb
Viva Medi Luxury Beech Commode Chair – max weight 320 lb
2) Folding commodes
Much more readily available and far cheaper than “armchair” commodes are bedside folding commodes.
You simply remove the pale, or potty, from the commode, and in an instant fold the commode frame up, and either put it in a cupboard, or just slip it under the bed.
I have made a couple of lists of folding commodes that you can find online or in shops in the US and the UK.
In the US –
Carex Folding Bedside Commode – max weight 300 lb
Drive Folding Bariatric Commode – max weight 650 lb
Drive Medical Deluxe Steel Folding 3-in-1 Commode Chair – max weight 350 lb
Dynarex Bariatric Drop arm Folding Commode – max weight 1000 lb
Healthline Folding 3-in-1 Commode Chair
Lattice Folding Commode Chair – max weight 396 lb
Lattice Folding Stainless Steel Commode Chair – max weight 330 lb
Lattice Folding Coated Steel Commode Chair With Padded Seat and Lid – max weight 330 lb
Lattice Light Folding Bedside Commode With Suction Pads – max weight 330 lb
Lattice Folding Shower Transfer Commode Chair – max weight 220 lb
Luonita Folding Bedside Commode – max weight 297 lb
McKesson Folding Commode Chair – max weight 350 lb
Mercer 3-in-1 Folding Commode – max weight 300 lb
Mefeir Folding Bedside Commode – max weight 330 lb
Medline Guardian Delluxe Folding Bedside Commode – max weight 350 lb
M-GYG Bedside Folding Commode – max weight 264 lb
Naiflowers Folding Shower Transfer Commode Chair – max weight 297 lb
Nova Folding Commode – max weight 300 lb
Omecal Folding Commode/Shower Chair With Wheels – max weight 350 lb with casters
RXBFD Folding Bedside Commode Chair – max weight 330 lb
Tcare Folding Shower Transport Commode Chair – max weight 297 lb
UltraCommode Foldable Commode/Shower Chair – max weight 300 lb
Vive Bariatric Extra Wide Folding Commode Chair – max weight 500 lb
ZY Toilet Chair Steel Commode Chair – max weight 550 lb
In the UK –
Aidapt Folding Commode -max weight 280 lb
Aids For Mobility Ultra Lightweight Folding Commode – 280 lb
CareCo Stowaway Commodes – max weight 252 lb
Carex Folding Commode – max weight 300 lb
Days Deluxe Comfort Folding Commode – max weight – 290 lb
Drive Lightweight Steel Folding Commode with 5 Liter Pan – max weight 264 lb
Drive Bariatric Folding Commode – max weight 660 lb
Elite Care Folding Lightweight Commode Chair – max weight – 264 lb
Elite Care Deluxe Folding Lightweight Commode with padded seat – max weight – 264 lb
Homecraft Uni-Frame Folding Commode – max weight 262 lb
Invacare Omega Pliante Commode – max weight 182 lb
Mobiclinic Guadalquivir Folding Commode Chair – max weight 220 lb
Mobility Smart Super Light Folding Commode – max weight 253 lb
Viva Medi Folding Commode – max weight 253 lb
Z-Tec Lightweight Folding Steel Commode Chair – max weight 264 lb
Z-Tec Folding Aluminum Height Adjustable Commode – max weight 300 lb
How to set up a bedside commode over a toilet
To set the commode up over a toilet –
- remove the pail from under the seat of the commode
- if you have a small toilet, you may wish to remove the backrest from your commode – just push the buttons on the two ends of the back rest bar and slide the bar out
- place the lid and seat of your toilet into their upright position
- place the bedside commode next to the toilet to see if you need to adjust the height of the legs of your commode to place it over the toilet
- to adjust the length of the commode legs, you just push in the metal buttons and adjust the length of the commode leg
- always have the legs all the same length for stability and safety
- don’t adjust the height of the legs so that when seated the user’s feet don’t touch the floor – this can cause people to fall when they stand up – most of the foot should be on the floor when the user is seated
- place the commode over the toilet once you have the right seat height
- lift the seat and lid of the commode and insert the commode splash guard, and put the commode seat and lid down again – you don’t have to use the splash guard if you don’t want to, especially if the seat is only an inch or so above the bowl
If you want to know more about using a bedside commode over a toilet, you can find that in my article, “Can A Bedside Commode Be Used Over A Toilet ?”.
I’m Gareth, the author and owner of Looking After Mom and Dad.com
I have been a caregiver for over 10 yrs and share all my tips here.
