Overcoming Your Elderly Loved One’s Resistance To Bathing

It’s fair to say that bathing is a daily routine. For the majority of us, taking a shower is part of our every day. So imagine how difficult it would be if you weren’t able to bathe yourself. For many of our elderly loved ones, bathing is a chore. It’s not because they don’t wish to keep themselves clean. Instead, it’s their physical limitations that cause them to wish to skip daily bathing. There is something else that needs to be considered as well.

For elderly individuals with limited mobility and issues with strength and balance, bathing independently isn’t always possible. As a result, there is a loss of privacy. Understandably, this can cause one to be upset to the point of not wishing to bathe at all. No one deserves to have their dignity diminished. But, in many cases, it can’t be helped. Sometimes, seniors need someone to help bathe them.

There Are Many Factors That Lead to a Fear of Bathing.

As SageMinder.com informs us, one’s resistance to bathing can be caused by a variety of factors. Among the most likely factors are depression and fear. “There are fears that it will be painful and fears of falling or other discomforts like getting chilled,” says the website, “There are often easy ways to address these fears such as installing extra grab bars or heating the room beforehand, etc.”

However, the website also points out that embarrassment is another major barrier to bathing for many seniors. The site suggests the use of a “privacy towel” to help bathers wash their sensitive areas with greater comfort and less tension. Readers are reminded that no matter how old you get, you’ll never lose your wish to keep some control over certain parts of your life. Bathing, quite reasonably, is one of those things.

Talk Things out with Your Elderly Loved One.

“It helps to talk out the person’s feelings and offer as many choices as possible along the way to increase a sense of control,” says SageMinder.com, “If there is a strong stubbornness, your loved one’s physician may be able to help by ‘ordering’ or ‘prescribing’ a certain number of baths per week. Sometimes this will stop a power issue if that is the case.”

While a senior’s emotional well-being is always of paramount importance when approaching the topic of bathing, it must never be understated that his/her physical safety is a top priority. An elderly person’s fear of being hurt in the shower is another top reason he/she may be opposed to bathing on a regular basis. This is what makes the Shower Bay portable shower such an ideal solution for those who are resistant to bathing.

How Can Shower Bay Reduce One’s Resistance to Bathing?

Shower Bay can be snapped together in any room of the home where there is a faucet nearby. Unlike conventional showers, users do not need to climb in and out of Shower Bay. Instead, they can easily roll their shower wheelchairs in through an open door that closes behind them, giving them all the privacy they need. Without the need to fear slips and falls, Shower Bay users can independently enjoy full showers with running water.

If you have any questions about our Shower Bay portable showers, please don’t hesitate to contact us to ask them. Give us a call at 1-877-223-8999 or email us at info@showerbay.com