Caregiver Training: Senior who refuses to bathe | Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care

In her forty years of working as a Practitioner Nurse, Mrs. Greeham could honestly say that she had seen just about everything in her profession. From helping children fits taking care of their elderly parents with dementia to helping the elders fit the gradually increasing changes in their lives – she had helped many beautiful souls during the years.

Caregiver Training: Refusal to Bathe

Among the numerous changes that patients and their families should address, Mrs. Greeham noticed that each family always has one thing in common: the patient’s refusal to acknowledge the requirement to wash. Difficulty with bathing in dementia patients could be a common issue that caregivers face because the disease progresses.

Problems arise because elders simply begin to forget the requirement for bathing, feel uncomfortable at needing help from somebody else or develops a fear from the water itself. There are many ways by which you’ll be able to reduce the fear that the senior develops from baths and make the method smoother for you both. In today’s piece, we’ve made use of our beloved Mrs. Greeham’s insight and composed an inventory of the items you’ll be able to do when an elder is facing difficulty with bathing.

Step 1 – Understand the matter

Before you’ll be able to begin to assist the senior, it’s important that you just, first, step into their shoes and a minimum of attempt to see the case through their eyes. As dementia, in an exceedingly senior, progresses; Their outlook towards things that were previously done easily (bathing, eating, changing their clothes, remembering faces, repeating questions, etc.) changes.

If a senior doesn’t want to wash at a specific moment, don’t yell or try to force them – this can only make it worse. Don’t blame them for being difficult because it’s truly not their fault; they’re genuinely terrified of the water. There are ways to form the method easier which will help to convince the elder to wash. Below we’ve put together a number of these methods which are tried and tested by our beloved nurse and are guaranteed to facilitate your out.

Step 2 – What to do when your patient refuses to bathe?

First, give the senior options.
For instance, maybe you have got fixed a collection time for the senior’s bath. rather than telling the senior that they need to travel bath at this point (and hearing a no in response), it’s plenty better to ask them if they’re able to take a shower now. Give them options. If they don’t want to wash now, maybe they’d wish to after half an hour?

Moreover, is that the senior within the mood for a shower or a shower? What bath salt are they within the mood to use? Letting the elder make the choices allow them to feel up to the speed of the case. It decreases their fear and makes them feel softer.

Step 3 – Make the bathe as comfortable as possible.

The senior will already be feeling edgy at the prospect of taking a shower. Therefore, it’s your job to undertake and reduce their discomfort the maximum amount as possible. If the senior opts to require a shower, prepare it for them before. Use their favorite soap and shampoo, placed on their favorite soothing music, and ensure the water temperature isn’t too hot or too cold by having them test it first.

Sources:

• UCLA
• https://happyseniors.care/en/caregiving/alzheimers-and-dementia-caregiver-training-refusal-to-bathe/