3 Steps To Securing Safe And Comfortable Bathing Experiences For Seniors

For many seniors, bathing can be a nuisance. The entire process makes them too cold, or it makes them fearful of falling, or it makes them uneasy about getting undressed in front of their caregivers – you get the picture. For older adults, the idea of bathing can bring about feelings of trepidation, fear, and embarrassment. All of their worries are valid, even if they’re based on unfounded reasons.

So what to do? It’s vital to find ways to get your elderly loved one to maintain a regular bathing schedule in order to preserve his/her health and personal hygiene. To do so, you’ll need to follow a few steps to secure safe and comfortable bathing experience.

Here are three:

Ensure the Warmth of the Water

Let’s take care of that “too cold” problem, shall we? Older adults tend to feel chillier than the rest of us. It’s important to be mindful of this when filling the tub. You certainly don’t want it to be too cold or too hot, so it’s a good idea to get your elderly loved one to confirm his/her temperature preference. As Shawna Epstein affirms on RetireAtHome.com, older people often get cold very easily.

“A personal care worker who is responsible for helping older people take a bath should make sure the temperature in the bathroom is warm before drawing the bath,” she writes, “If the senior is capable of some of the bathing process, let him or her wash sensitive areas. If the person cannot assist, then consider bathing the area while holding a towel to block vision. This method can be used to wash delicate areas without causing too much awkwardness.”

Make Use of a Shower Chair

Let’s address the whole “fear of falling” thing. In addition to non-slip mats in the tub, you may want to have your elderly loved one take his/her shower in a seated position. Using a shower chair will allow the senior in your home to remain comfortable. This will give him/her the peace of mind in knowing a slip and fall isn’t imminent.

Shower chairs “are slip-resistant, meaning they are completely safe to use on wet tiles and bathroom floors, and also offer seniors something extra to grab on to when standing in the shower,” explains Macdonalds Home Health Care in Vancouver, British Columbia, “Shower chairs are made to fit in most standard showers and bathtubs.”

Also Read: The Art Of Making Bathing More Enjoyable For Seniors

Use the Soap Your Elderly Loved One Prefers

Not every fresh scent will be a favorite of the senior in your home. Furthermore, many perfume-based cleansers can be harsh on the skin. Be sure to get the green light from your elderly loved one as it relates to the soap being purchased for bath time.

“Try to use the kind of soap that the senior prefers,” Epstein advises, “As each area of the body above water is gently washed, immediately rinse and dry the cleaned section of skin to keep the senior from getting chilly.”

Might Shower Bay be the solution you’re looking for? With these portable showers, seniors are given the opportunity to take private showers with running water in any room of the house. If you have any questions about Forward Day’s Shower Bay portable showers, please don’t hesitate to contact us to ask them. Give us a call at 1-877-593-4461 or email us at info@showerbay.com