You could be noticing some changes in your elderly family member’s hygiene habits, such as putting off bathing for longer and longer periods of time. There can be a great many reasons for this, so it’s important for you to look for what you can do to help your senior to feel comfortable bathing again.
Home Care in Vaughan: Senior Bathing Tips
Have an Honest Talk with Your Senior
If it’s possible, take some time and have an open and honest talk with your elderly family member about what’s going on. Some of the things that could keep you and your senior from getting somewhere could be cognitive changes she’s experiencing or even just sheer stubbornness. It’s vital that you let her know that you’re concerned about her health and her hygiene. Focus on why bathing is important and ask her how you can help her the most.
Set Aside Some Time to Talk to Her Doctor
Bathing resistance can be extremely common for older adults. If your elderly family member is still resisting bathing, it might be time to talk to her doctor. Her doctor might have some additional tips or information that you can use. Her doctor can also talk directly to her about how her resistance to bathing can have an effect on her health. This might be the leverage you need.
Do Regular Safety Sweeps in the Bathroom
Keeping your senior safe in the bathroom is your number one priority. Feeling unsafe can also be the biggest reason she might be avoiding bathing. If you’re able to get on the same page with her about what’s giving her issues, you can solve those problems. Otherwise, you’re going to have to go by what you can see and observe on your own. Go through the bathroom and look for anything that might be unsafe or that might make your senior uncomfortable.
Bring in Someone with More Experience
The truth of the matter is that you can do all the right things and your elderly family member may still resist bathing. If that’s the case, you may need to turn to someone who has a lot more experience in this type of situation. Elder care providers help seniors with embarrassing tasks all the time and they do so while preserving dignity and ensuring that the people in their care are as safe as possible. This might make all the difference for your senior.
Forcing your senior to bathe is never the answer, of course. Do what you can to understand where her resistance is coming from so that you can put solid solutions in place for her.
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