Maintaining personal hygiene is a huge part of overall health and well-being. This means showering or bathing regularly. The problem is that often seniors start to become reluctant to bathe, gradually increasing the time in between showers or baths. Senior home care is one solution that family caregivers can put in place to help aging adults overcome their reluctance around bathing.
Physical Changes and Safety Worries
Over time, seniors may start to experience physical changes and limitations that make them worry that they’re not safe in the bath or shower. Joint stiffness, reduced mobility, balance problems, and more all can contribute to those concerns. Failing to address these issues can cause fear to become more powerful than the desire to address hygiene concerns.
Cognitive Challenges
Seniors who are facing cognitive challenges or memory issues have different issues related to bathing. They may not remember when they last bathed, why bathing is important, or may forget about bathing altogether. They might also be confused when someone does convince them to get into the shower. All of this can lead to serious reluctance to even talk about bathing. Assistance from home care providers can allow seniors to feel more comfortable with bathing regularly.
Sensory Changes
Many times, seniors start to experience the world around them differently because of sensory changes. They may have limited vision, trouble hearing, or increased skin sensitivity. All of this can make bathing a much bigger challenge than it ever was in the past. Senior home care services understand all of this and can work with seniors to reduce the impact of these sensory issues.
Loss of Dignity and Independence
When routine daily tasks become more difficult for seniors, it’s hard for them to not feel as if they’re losing both independence and dignity. Needing help with something as simple as taking a shower can make seniors feel defeated. Caregivers have a lot of experience preserving dignity for their patients and helping them to have the most independence possible, even when they need additional help.
Isolation and Depression
Seniors who aren’t seeing many people or who are self-isolating are often experiencing some level of depression. That can cause a vicious cycle in which they lose interest in self-care tasks, including bathing. Senior home care providers are able to gently coax seniors into being more aware of self-care while also offering companionship that helps them to reduce both isolation and depression.
Access Issues
When seniors aren’t safe in their bathrooms or physically able to access what they need in order to bathe, they’re often more reluctant to bathe at all. Doing a safety sweep and adding accessibility and safety devices, like non-slip mats and grab bars, can make a huge difference. Home care providers can help with these challenges, too.
Getting to the bottom of what’s causing reluctance to bathe is the key to finding the right answers. Senior home care providers can help families to drill down and determine what is truly going on for their aging adults.
If you are considering senior home care in Memorial, TX for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
At Your Side Home Care, provides exceptional home care for seniors and families in Houston, West Houston, Katy, Memorial, The Heights, Spring Valley, Garden Oaks, Hunters Creek, River Oaks, Hilshire Village, Galleria, Cinco Ranch, Spring Branch, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenburg, Piney Point, Bay City and surrounding areas.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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