Caring for ill family members and other loved ones has been a primary endeavor throughout recorded history. Indeed, there is no reason to believe that more “primitive humans” cared for their ill family members, at least in some manner. Because of the nature of some human illnesses, and the manner in which they can become incapacitating, illness, incontinence, and human feces cleanup has been an issue since at least the dawn of recorded history and nearly certainly beyond that timeframe.

The Madness of King George

Folks in the United States probably know King George III as the British monarch from whom we broke away to gain our independence. What many people on this “side of the pond” do not realize is that King George III was one of the longest-serving British monarchs, had 18 children, was quite popular throughout Britain and much of the British Empire (except the 13 American colonies), and was taken ill a good part of his latter life.

The King’s physician was convinced that the problems associated with His Majesty’s health could be divined by considering the King’s feces and urine. Admittedly, for a period of time, the King’s urine was … blue. (Medical experts today have fairly consistently concluded that the King’s urine turned blue because of certain medicines the King was given and not because of an illness.)

The 18th Century Commode and the Origins of the Word Stool

It was during the reign of King George III that the first real commode came into being. In basic terms, a commode is something of a portable toilet, not connected to any piping nor permanently attached to anything. The King’s commode was placed in his bed chamber, the thought being the leader of the British Empire should not have to venture far should he need to relieve himself in the night.

The King’s commode itself was quite the decorative affair. It was made of sturdy wood and covered in the finest Russian leather. The commode included the royal cypher on the lid and a decorative “GR” on the front panel – which stands for George Rex (King George in Latin).

The slang term for the commode eventually became “stool,” because of its design. Ultimately, stool also became slang for feces.

Addressing the Effects and Aftermath of an Ill Loved One Suffering From Incontinence

When a British Monarch was sick in the 18^th century, attention was paid quite closely to his stool. While human feces are a diagnostic tool from time to time in this day and age, they can also present certain problems under certain circumstances when a person becomes ill. Different types of illnesses can result in fecal incontinence.

There are times when fecal incontinence can result in an ill person’s home becoming contaminated by stool. For example, you might be like many people with an elderly parent who generally is capable of living alone under most circumstances. That parent might have become ill, including associated fecal incontinence. His or her home may have become tainted by feces, really through no fault of your ill family member. Fecal incontinence can make it challenging or even impossible in some circumstances for a person to make it to the toilet in a timely manner.

Human feces present a true health risk, not only to a person living in a contaminated environment but also to people who are called upon to clean up the stool. Certainly, you will no expect an ill family member, particularly a parent, to attempt to undertake feces cleanup on his or her own.

The key is to get an ill person away from a contaminated area as soon as possible. While you can elect to undertake feces cleanup on your own, you may also want to consider engaging the services of a biohazard remediation specialist that offers stool and urine cleanup and sanitization services. The reality is your time is better spent caring directly for the wellbeing of your ill loved one as opposed to cleaning up feces.

A reputable biohazard remediation company provides comprehensive feces cleanup services. These include removal of feces, scrubbing and cleaning of the contaminated area, and deodorization. The ultimate objective is to restore the premises to a fully livable condition.

Going forward, in order to ensure that an ill parent or other loved one doesn’t end up again in a situation of living in a feces contaminated home again, you will want to consider other options. For example, you can consider engaging the services of a home care service. There are home care companies that provide nonmedical services that permit people to live independently in their own homes. They can provide assistance with such matters as ensuring that the premises do not become unkempt and contaminated in the future.