Introduction

Home care industry is a flourishing field of work nowadays. There are various reasons for this. One of the most important being the aging Baby Boomer generation, who have been on a steady march to senior hood ever since they were teenagers in the 1950s and 1960s. In recent years, companies have had to hire more and more workers as consumers live longer lives that require aging help from those tasked with caring for them at their homes.

Bathing is no easy task when working with someone that has dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Being prepared by having all of your supplies laid out before beginning work will make this job much easier on both you and your loved one. Keeping track of time is very important as well; durations can vary greatly depending on the person’s mental state.

In today’s article we will be discussing bathing and working with elderly people at home as well as tips and tricks for making bathing an easier task.

Tips And Tricks On Bathing And Working With The Elderly

1. Preparation and Protection

While this may be a given to most home care workers, preparing yourself before beginning work is vital and will save you time in the long run.

Working with someone that has dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease is no easy task. What’s more, it varies greatly depending on the person’s mental state, so duration can be difficult to calculate at times. Using a timer can help with this, but having a set plan of action will also make things much easier on you and the patient.

Knowing the activities that need to be completed beforehand will cut down on wasted time and make your job easier while working with them.

Preparing your own supplies can also help with this. Make sure you have everything you’ll need for the shower and the process of bathing them beforehand. This way you can take care of any sudden emergencies without having to worry about making a trip back to get something you forgot.

Keeping track of time is vital when working with seniors as durations can vary greatly depending on the person’s mental state. Timing yourself beforehand will help give a baseline timeframe that you can use as a guideline should their mental state cause them to take longer than usual.

2. Routines and Routines

Creating a routine and sticking to it is also important with work with the elderly. It’s especially important if you are looking to have them bathed every other day or if you have many patients to attend to.

Sticking to a routine will allow you to be prepared for the daily activities that need completing during this time, such as bathing or getting them ready for bed. You can set up these times in advance so that when the patient comes, you can get right into them without having to waste time on setting things up beforehand. If a routine does not need constant attention, it should also help guard against any sudden showers of confusion from your loved one.

3. Wash!!! Wash!!! Wash!!!

It’s one of the first things you’ll be told when trying to get a patient bathed, but it’s unfortunately one that gets overlooked very often. While you can use soap to wash your loved ones or pour a small amount on their body, customers and patients alike have also been known to refuse being washed if they cannot use soap due to other illnesses.

If your loved one has dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, medication they are on may require them not using soap while bathing. You will need to make sure you do not attempt this without consulting with their doctor. Otherwise they might end up drying out and hurting themselves in the long run.

4. Timing and Timing

Timing your patient is especially important if you are being paid to bathe them. Not only will it help you keep track of how much time you’re spending, it will also help if there is a tardiness problem with them. This can also come in handy if you need to keep a routine (mentioned above) of bathing every other day or getting them ready for bed.

Working out the exact time duration in advance will allow you to prepare in advance and make the shower run more smoothly when the time comes. Make sure that the clock is clearly displayed on the wall or somewhere where it can be seen both by yourself and your patient.

5. Clothing

Clothing is probably the most important thing to keep in mind when working with seniors. Make sure you don’t leave their wardrobe laying around, as it may end up being used in an emergency situation.

It’s also very important to make sure you know what your patient is and isn’t wearing before beginning work. If they’re wearing some sort of reinforced material it can be very hard to get them clean, so make sure you know beforehand.

6. Cleaning Clothes

While cleaning clothes not belonging to the elderly are probably seen as a no brainer, especially if they belong to kids or pets, this is even more important with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease patients.

The mental state will have an effect on how easily someone can clean their own clothes. If you are unable to get them cleaned without needing to take them home, it can be very difficult for them to comply with the process.

7. Shower Time

This is where the fun really begins! You really need to keep track of time when bathing your loved one. This is especially important if they tend to wander off and leave the room while they’re getting bathed. If you need to keep a routine, remember that if you start bathing them before nine in the morning it will already be half past noon by the time they’re done, so plan accordingly.

Conclusion

Bathing someone that has dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease is not an easy task. Having to keep track of time while dealing with the unpredictable nature of their condition can make things very difficult. Researching and preparing in advance will help you cut down on some of this work, as will sticking to a routine. Knowing what your patient is and is not wearing beforehand will also help you get them clean without any issues.