5 Useful Tips To Improve Bath Time For Aging Loved Ones
Assisted Living Locators - Greater Pittsburgh
For more information about the author, click to view their website: pghassistedliving.com
Feb 02, 2023
Pennsylvania - Greater Pittsburgh Area
Personal grooming for seniors is challenging for adults
with dementia, and for their caregivers. Since many seniors in cognitive
decline also experience bouts of incontinence, it is even more important for
their caretakers to ensure that they are bathed and cleaned daily. In addition,
people with dementia may forget to bathe on their own without reminders or may
sometimes lash out at caregivers for reminding them to get clean, making bath
time a fight. Or, if they do remember how to bathe themselves, they may not
recall why it’s so important. Seniors living in an assisted
living or memory care facility may balk at shower help because
of privacy or modesty concerns.
Reduce the struggle with your loved one
by incorporating some of these caregiver tips into your daily shower
or bath routine.
Make Showers Part of Their Daily Routine
Establishing a predictable routine is an
important part of treating dementia and helping people with dementia enjoy a
better quality of life. Bathing or showering may already be part of this
routine, but if you or your loved one’s caregivers are having difficulty
getting your loved one to participate in bathing, it may be time to change how
this activity is presented to them.
Reprimanding an older adult for not bathing, scolding
them, or shaming them isn’t going to get the desired results. It’s demeaning,
and can often make them more resistant to showering, especially if they don’t
like their caregiver – sometimes, people with dementia may provoke a disliked
caregiver on purpose, and refusing to shower is one way they do so.
Instead, take a positive approach with the unwilling
bather. Schedule one of their favorite activities right after shower time, and
offer rewards for getting in without a fight and thoroughly cleaning
themselves.
Prepare All Bathing Supplies in Advance
If your senior has a favorite towel, have that ready to
go, hanging on the shower rod or by the tub. Learn what kind of body-cleaning
tool, like a loofah, poof, washcloth, or sponge, and have that ready for them,
too. Smell is a powerful memory tool, so it’s important that the scent of
whatever bath products and shampoo you use are soothing or brings back pleasant
memories. Lavender is a soothing scent, for example.
Seniors are more sensitive to water temperature and
pressure than people of other ages, so ensure that the temperature and pressure
of the water are comfortable. You may need to adjust the settings on your water
heater or consider purchasing a showerhead with adjustable pressure and water
flow. If the bathroom is colder than your senior would like, consider placing a
small bathroom-safe space heater in the room, too. Warm towels straight from
the dryer can be a warm, comforting option, as well. Place a couple of extra
towels in the dryer before starting the shower so they are ready when you need
them.
Include your senior in buying shower and bath supplies.
The two of you can look online for new, fluffy towels in their favorite color
or go to the store to pick up shampoo and body wash. If your senior is able,
you can make an adventure out of it, such as going to a smaller soap store and
smelling different products or touching the different loofahs until they find
something they like. If your loved one is involved in selecting their bathing
supplies, they may be more amenable to showering.
Work With Your Senior to Preserve as Much Independence
and Modesty as Possible
Encourage your loved one to wash as much of themselves as
possible and give them as much privacy as possible while doing so without
compromising their safety. Shower accessories, like a grip on the floor or a
shower chair, can help them bathe with less help from you.
If your senior has significant cognitive decline or is
mostly unable to bathe themselves, you can still involve them in their shower.
Give them a washcloth to hold while you clean them – it may make them feel as
though they are doing something, reducing the chances that they will strike out
while being washed.
If you or a caregiver must do most of the cleaning for
your senior, consider washing them in sections and covering the rest of their
body with a towel while you wash each section. This can preserve their modesty
and help keep them warmer.
Install an Adjustable Showerhead
A showerhead with adjustable pressure and a detachable
nozzle helps caregivers and seniors better bathe themselves. The nozzle
provides greater targeted control over where the water goes, and the showerhead
and nozzle can be adjusted to produce a bigger or smaller stream. Some
showerheads have adjustable pressure, too, which can help lower the pressure to
reduce the loud sounds that may upset some people with dementia. An adjustable
showerhead also makes bathing in a shower chair easier.
Installing an adjustable showerhead may be a better
option than adjusting the building water heater for seniors who share a home
with others, whether it’s their family or in an assisted living home.
Sometimes, Supplemental Medicare plans to cover certain showering aids for
those who otherwise could not bathe independently without them, so look at your
loved one’s coverage to see if they have a plan like this.
Narrate Each Step of the Shower
Narrating each step of the shower adds to the
predictability of the process for people with dementia or others who thrive on
routine. Talk through the bathing process with your senior, stating what you
will do and what they will do. This may spark a memory for some people in
cognitive decline. They can participate more and give others more security
in knowing what will come next.
You may use the shower narration to encourage your senior
to do each step themselves and only take over if they are unable or unwilling.
Conclusion
If you are concerned about your loved one’s ability to shower or bathe on their own, consult a senior living advisor in your area for help finding the right memory care or assisted living facility in helping them keep clean and take care of other personal care tasks and activities of daily living. Assisted Living Locators senior care advocates help families locate a good fit for a loved one who needs a little more help to care for themselves or those who cannot live independently.
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