If you’ve noticed that your elderly family member hasn’t been bathing lately, you may worry that there’s something big going on. The reasons for avoiding bathing can range from simple ones to much more complicated reasons. It’s worth talking to your elderly family member.
Emotional Issues May Be at Play
Elderly Care in Pomona, CA: Seniors and Bathing
Emotions play far more a role for many people than you might think. If your elderly family member is depressed, sad, or afraid, she may be avoiding baths or showers more often. Finding out that your senior is experiencing these emotions can take some time and some effort, which is why it’s important that you avoid doing things that damage trust between yourself and your senior.
Memory Problems Could Be a Factor
Your elderly family member may be having cognitive changes that affect her memory. When that happens, she may completely forget that she either needs a shower or when she last had one. That could mean also that she argues with you because your memories don’t match up with the ones that she has. Keeping a calendar that you can both readily see can help her to get onto a regular schedule. The calendar can serve as both a reminder and a record.
Pain Can Be a Contributing Factor
If your elderly family member is in pain, activities that contribute to that pain are usually unpleasant. Undressing to shower or to bathe can cause stress on her joints or she may experience pain from getting into the tub or shower stall. Talk to your elderly family member about what you can do to help manage her pain and to make bathing easier on her. Things like a transfer seat can allow her to get into a tub more easily without having to lift her legs too high, for instance.
Bathing Just Is Not on Her Radar
For other seniors, bathing is just not something she thinks about. That can be compounded by things like changes to her sense of smell, which mean that she doesn’t experience any awareness of her own body odor. Again, a schedule could be helpful. That way she bathes, even if she doesn’t think she needs to at that point.
There may be other reasons your elderly family member is reluctant to keep up with bathing. Talk with her and find out if she’s willing to give you some more details about her side of the experience. Together you can find solutions, including doing things like bringing in elderly care providers to help with bathing and other personal care tasks.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elderly Care in Pomona, CA please contact the caring staff at Motherly Comfort Home Care, LLC today at (909) 610-3222.