When you senior loved one is not able to safely or effectively bathe themselves, they may need your assistance or the assistance of a home health aide. Even if you have a home health aide's support, it never hurts to understand a few bathing "how to's".
First, understand that Americans typically bathe every day when they are younger, especially during the working years. As we age, our skin does not produce as many oils to the daily bath is not as necessary. Even if a full bath is not necessary, daily cleaning is, and many seniors will still want to bathe quite frequently. At the bare minimum, your loved one's face hands, underarms, and private areas should be washed daily.
For seniors who still have a large degree of mobility, buy require assistance, a shower chair is a great help. Designed to fit in the average tub, the chair provides support and limits the risk of falling while showering, and it is a lot easier to get up and down from the chair than it is to get all of the way up and down in the tub. There …show more content…
The specially sealed door keeps the water from leaking out once the but is filled. Most tubs come with built in chairs and even jacuzzi jets.
Should your senior loved one be at the stage where they need most of their bathing done for them, safety should still be your number one concern. Make sure you have all of your equipment ready and within reach so you don't have to leave your loved one to find soap or get a towel, etc. Assistive devices and equipment like hair wash trays, hand-held shower heads, etc. are also a great help.
Having everything ready includes having clothes laid out for after the bath. Your loved one may get chilly quite quickly after the bath, and you don't want them to have to wait while you run around looking for what they are going to