Christine gave you wonderful advice and her article is very helpful. Keeping the environment calm, the temperature comfortable, soft music and other soothing approaches can help. There are also, now, on the market, dry shampoos that are quite effective and large "wipes" made for the whole body, so you may be able to keep the person clean without as much fuss as a frequent shower. This is one of those common, but tough issues that has no one answer for everyone.

Good luck,

Carol

Cheryl

12/26/12 5:20am

My patient would always complain about that type of thing ( WIPES) being too cold on hhis skin. Is sensitivity to cold a common problem? Are wipes coverd by insurance? If not, Why not just use washcloth and soap?  Do you think that a person who refuses to bathe may be willing to wipe themselves down instead?

Carol Bradley Bursack, Health Guide

12/26/12 6:35am

Is it possible to store the wipes near a furnace vent or somewhere that is naturally warm? That may help the temperature problem.

People with AD are not likely to understand what the wipes are for, so wiping him or herself down isn't likely going to work.

Sometimes the caregiver must approach calmly and try and if it doesn't work, just act like it's no big deal, then try again later. It's frustrating, I know. But finding a compromise between cleanliness and at least acceptible conditons is often all we can do.

 

Take care,

Carol

Cheryl

12/26/12 2:30pm

Hi Carol,

 

Thanks for your response. Fortunately I admitted my patient last week to assisted living. Bath time is now their problem. Mainly I was resesarching this to find out what I could have done. I was very curious as to how others might handle this very difficult situation to which I had absoluely no answers to. Between my health being extremely poor due to lack of sleep and taking care of my patient for 24/7 for 5 years without even one hour off, I finally had to let go and admit him. I just couldn't do it anymore. We all reach that point sooner or later. He is doing ok there.

 

Cheryl

This is a common challenge that many caregivers face.  First, the bathing routine should follow the same pattern as prior to the disease.  So, if your patient showered in the morning before breakfast, you should attempt to follow that schedule as much as you are able.  You want to set up the bathing experience for success, not failure.  So be mindful of the many possible issues that could be contributing to your patient's refusal to shower, such as fear of the water, unwillingness or lack of desire to get undressed, inability to understand or process the bathing experience, and/or disorientation to place.  Always approach your patient from the front, give clear and simple instructions, give verbal and visual cues, and be sure to provide privacy.   Generally, a good rule to go by is to maintain an individual's health while upholding dignity and right to quality of life. If your patient needs to be bathed regularly for medical reasons, such as to prevent skin breakdown or because of infections, then it is necessary to forge ahead and try various techniques to ease the process.  Having said all this, be aware of any behavioral changes or signals from your patient that perhaps bathing would not be a good idea at this time.  If there are no real health concerns, and your patient really prefers to shower or bathe less frequently than you would like, you may wish to "choose your battles" and consider other options, such as sponge or sink baths or disposable personal wipes for the time in-between real showers.

Cheryl

12/26/12 5:36am

Wow, social services! Now, you are people I really wanted to talk with. I want to know how you view it when a care provider has a lot of trouble getting a person to bathe because the care provider just simply doesn't know how to accomplish this and doesn't know where to turn. Do you penalize them?