Showering and the Elderly

As people age, the bathroom goes from being the bathroom to the scariest place in the house.  Most bathrooms are somewhat confined for space, can be hazardous because of slick flooring, but bath rugs can be equally hazardous if you have a foot shuffler that doesn't pick up his or her feet.  Due to thinning skin, baths feel like a raging inferno or the arctic sea and it is hard to get the water temperature comfortable.  Also, the lighting in the shower/bath area is usually dim in most bathrooms.  So, it is not a shock that many elderly persons begin to avoid getting showers or they greatly protest doing so.

First, keep your loved one in a routine of getting showered or bathed. If you give in to much to the protesting, it actually gets worse instead of better.  Not only can this effect their overall health and hygiene, but if they get out of the routine they will sometimes become combative when you have the "enough is enough" point and require them to bathe.  There are some ways to make it less traumatic.  First, make sure there is good lighting and adequate grab bars.  Many medical supply stores will carry grab bars, but you are likely to find the same thing at +The Home Depot a lot cheaper.  Those with dementia, low vision, and aphasia (difficulty understanding), in particular are already terrified and confused.  Don't add making them feel like they are being shoved naked into a dark hole part of their experience.  You have to try to see it from their point of view.  If they need bathing assistance, do it quickly, with compassion, and go in head to toe fashion.  They do not enjoy being in there as we do, so don't drag it out.  Utilize bath aides, such as shower seats and removable shower heads that the spray can be adjusted.  It is terrifying to many elderly to have water running directly over them (such as with a stationary shower head) and they develop a fear of drowning.  There is a great website called +Allegro Medical that you can get any number of adaptive aides and medical supplies and save yourself tons of money.  I know from experience that they are the cheapest and best that I have seen for all things medical.  (Great for incontinence supplies as well.)

Also, make sure the shower area is heated.  If you don't have a heater in the bathroom (lots of houses don't anymore), get a little heater to turn on while they are in there.  It truly does help.  A large towel is great for keeping them warm, but when it comes to drying off another person, hand towels actually work better.  If you or a caregiver are assisting with the shower, always use that time to do a body assessment for bruising, sores, etc.  That does not mean you suspect abuse, just that skin breakdown and integrity are so crucial and bruising and sores can occur without the most loving of caregivers ever knowing it.  Last, I would encourage some type of reward for the resistant bather.  Time the shower where they can have an afternoon snack, a favorite magazine, or just anything enjoyable to them that can be done afterwards so that it doesn't seem so bad.