It’s not uncommon for an older adult’s personal hygiene to suffer. For many, battles with mobility prevent them from completing adequate jobs of cleaning themselves. As a result, the help of a caregiver is necessary.
For many seniors, assistance with daily personal hygiene routines helps with much more than staying physically fresh. A better sense of self-confidence is derived from feeling and looking clean. In what ways can you provide personal hygiene help to your elderly loved one?
Keep personal hygiene products handy.
It will be pretty difficult for your elderly loved one to maintain good personal hygiene without all the necessary toiletries and products. Soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, mouthwash and body lotion make up the short list of necessities for the older adult in your home. Make sure they are all available and in very easy to access locations of your bathroom.
“Gathering supplies and having them at arm’s reach can be very helpful,” notes George & Patricia Jones of Home Helpers in Thousand Oaks, California, “You don’t want to be in the middle of a shower only to discover that the shampoo is missing or you’re out of soap. Make sure you bring towels and washcloths with you and have everything ready to use.”
Stick to a solid daily routine.
Practicing a regular routine is especially helpful for seniors who are battling with memory loss. By sticking to a schedule, you can help your elderly loved one to remember when it’s time to get into the bathroom. Bathing, brushing teeth and face washing are all fairly easy practices for most of us. But for older adults who can’t quite remember to perform these tasks, it’s important to get them to do so at the same time each day.
“This might sound overly simple, but performing personal care at the time of day the senior has always done these things can be very helpful,” reports the Jones’, “If they like showering at night, help them stick with that. Check to see which hygiene products are familiar with them and make sure they are on hand. Favourite shampoos and soaps can be comforting.”
Create a safe and comfortable environment.
Is your elderly loved one afraid of using the bathroom? It’s not unnatural to fear the location of the home where slips and falls often take place. Obviously, bathrooms are known for their slippery surfaces. It’s imperative to ensure that your bathroom is safeguarded against dangers. This involves providing such bath safety products as commodes, bath seats and bath boards, transfer benches, grab bars, toilet safety frames, bath lifts, and accessible tubs and showers.
“Assisting with intimate personal care tasks can create awkwardness and apprehension on both sides,” points out Jon Martin of Toronto’s Affinity Health, “Playing some soothing music or using aromatherapy techniques can help establish a relaxing atmosphere. Natural, light conversation is also useful in reliving tension and if your body language is relaxed it is more likely to help your loved one feel more comfortable too.”
At Advantage Home Health Solutions, we offer a wide variety of high-quality bath safety products. They include transfer benches, grab bars, raised toilet seats and so much more! To learn more, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 403-460-5438. You may also email us by filling out the form on our Contact page!
