We All Deserve To Bathe With Dignity
As caregivers of elderly people know, bath time can be a tough time. As we’ve pointed out in past blogs, many seniors are averse to bathing for many reasons. In some cases, it’s a fear of slipping and falling. Because the bathroom is notorious for being a place where slips and falls occur, many elderly individuals would prefer to simply stay out.
However, in many cases, senses of embarrassment and shame are the reasons that seniors are opposed to bathing. When their mobility issues prevent them from being able to safely bathe on their own, the need for assistance is enough of a reason to skip bath time altogether. Of course, it’s important to maintain personal hygiene. A resistance to bathing can obviously do more harm than good, regardless of a senior’s wishes.
With that said, it’s important for caregivers to find ways to help their care recipients bathe while maintaining their dignity.
Provide as much privacy as possible.
It goes without saying that the very act of bathing is generally a private activity. The necessity of clothing removal makes it so that a care recipient is fully exposed to his/her caregiver. This is often a reason why seniors don’t want to bathe. Natalie Strouth of HuffPost advises that, to circumvent this issue, find ways to allow for as much privacy as you can.
“One way to help is to have the person wrap a towel around themselves, and then clip the towel with a clothespin or attach velcro tabs to the towel,” she writes, “A long, plastic apron can also be worn in the tub or shower for additional privacy.” Strouth goes on to advise caregivers to stop doing things that their care recipients can do for themselves. Provide as much or as little help as necessary, giving your senior the freedom to do what he/she can manage independently.
Prepare for bath time in advance.
In some cases, elderly individuals may be put off by the lengthy amount of time that bathing may take. Sometimes, the process of just disrobing and getting into the bathtub is arduous enough for seniors to want to call the whole thing off. Caregivers can help speed up the process by preparing for bath time in advance.
“Get all the things you will need in one place before you even start,” suggests SageMinder.com, “Heat the room if needed, get all your towels, soaps, etc. in order. Also, it is often a good idea to select and layout the fresh clothing so that it is ready to go. A large warm blanket is handy in case there is a chill while getting in or out.”
Shower Bay provides both privacy and comfort.
At Forward Day, we’re extremely proud of our Shower Bay portable showers because they have proven to greatly motivate seniors to wilfully participate in bath time. And that’s because Shower Bay offers both privacy and comfort. It can be snapped together in any room of the home where there is a faucet nearby. This eliminates the fear that comes with entering bathrooms.
It also allows wheelchair users to enter using their shower wheelchairs and close the doors behind them. This offers private bathing experiences. If you have any questions about our Shower Bay portable shower, 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.
