Do you have an older patient or a loved one who would not take a bath despite your best efforts to get them to do so? Well, know that you are not alone. Elderly people frequently experience showering difficulties that make them refuse to follow their personal hygiene. This may be due to a variety of reasons including solitude and despair to fear of falling.
It would not be wrong to say that dangerous situations can arise during the bathing process. Standing up, turning around and sitting down again has the potential to go horribly wrong. However, by offering assistance in the right manner during the shower, one can make the process easier. To be precise, these processes include the follows
Check the Bathing Environment
One of the first things to do to ensure an easier bathing experience is to check the bathing environment. As there may be shower stalls, they can become wet and slippery. Similarly, bathtubs’ sloping surfaces make them unsteady places on which to stand. The bathroom floor might become slippery from a steamy shower.
Hence, according to the experts, it is advised to install grab bars and sizable anti-slip shower mats. This will increase safety in the bathroom. Also, it would make the floor less slick, especially the ones with tiles. Apart from that, check for sharp edges in the bathroom and cover them up to avoid accidents.
Check the Water Temperature
Next thing that would ensure a smooth bathing experience is checking the water temperature. You can turn on the water once all of the items in the washroom are in their right place. Then use your hand to feel the water temperature before letting the elderly enter the washroom.
Make sure that the water is at the right temperature just the way the elderly want it. You can add some cold water to balance it out. Also, you can use an anti-scald valve as it will prevent the water from becoming excessively hot.
Address Mobility Issues
Most adults experience weak legs and medical disorders as they age. This makes it very challenging for someone to move from standing to sitting with ease. When assisting a loved one with mobility challenges in the shower, you should be extremely cautious. In order to make transferring safe, you can use transfer tools or shower seats.
This would assist in lessening the chances of falling off. The shower seats are designed especially keeping the security and safety of the user in mind. These are light weighted in nature and can be easily carried to any position. Also, they have rubber feet that prevent one from falling and ensure high-level comfort to the elderly.
Organize Supplies
Bathrooms usually have soaps and shampoos kept up on a higher shelf that may be at a distance from the shower head. This may be for those who can easily stand up in the shower. But when it comes to seniors, the items can be out of reach and could be dangerous as well.
This is when you should ensure organizing the items in such a way that they become easily accessible. Or you can make the elderly place a shower chair with arms that ensure safety and support.
These shower chairs with arms provide security and comfort to the user while bathing. Having adjustable features and an anti-slip bottom reduces the risk of falling. Using such chairs will assure that your elderly can be steady with one hand while holding the shampoo bottle in the other.
Offer Help By Encouraging Independence
Many elderly people cherish their privacy and independence more than anything else. This is why they find it upsetting when someone else helps them to take a shower. You may even come across some elderly who would not take a bath as they become aware of your assistance.
Hence it is safe that you allow them their privacy and independence. You can close the bathroom door or curtain to allow the elderly to take bath on their own. However, do not leave them entirely alone or simply let them know that you are just one call away.
Enhance Care for the Elderly with the Right Tools
When wanting to enhance the bathing experience of the elderly, you can come to us at Essential Aids. We are the market leaders who provide reliable and effective solutions for those who have restricted mobility.
Our tools are masterfully and innovatively designed keeping the diverse requirements of the users in mind. Each of them is quality tested and then approved for our users. All you need to do is order our items at inexpensive rates and get them delivered to your doorstep right away.
