Bathing is a vital part of your senior’s wellness routines, but she might not feel so positively about the idea when she gets to a certain point in her aging process. You can help her to get past this problem, but you might need to exercise some patience and do some planning.
Talks about Bathing Need to Happen When Everybody Is Calm
The absolute worst time to talk about bathing is when your senior is in the midst of putting her foot down about that exact topic. You need to have a conversation, definitely, but that conversation needs to happen when you and your senior are a lot calmer. Remember also that your elderly family member is likely to feel lots of uncomfortable emotions around this topic, including anxiety, embarrassment and possibly even anger.
If You’re Arguing, Step Back for a Bit
Arguing isn’t going to get either of you the results that you want. If you’re finding that you’re veering into argument territory, it’s a lot better to step away from the situation and give you and your senior a chance to cool down. When your senior is the one getting heated, try practicing the conversation ahead of time alone so that you can nail down what you want to say in a calm way.
Having a Routine Helps a Lot
Routines are the cornerstone of any caregiving situation. Good routines help you to make sure that you’re meeting all of your senior’s needs and they help to reassure your senior that she’s in good hands. Bathing routines are something you need if you don’t already have them. Routines ease you and your senior gradually into bath time and guide you through it.
Bring in People with Experience to Help
Very often your senior is resisting bathing because this is something she needs additional help with but she may be uncomfortable asking. In addition, if she knows the only person who might be helping her is you, that can magnify the uncomfortable feelings. Very often people are nervous about bathing with the help of close family members. Consider bringing in elder care providers to help you and your senior with her bathing experience.
Bathing resistance happens for so many reasons and some of them may not make sense to you. Honor your elderly family member’s feelings, though, and look for ways to be supportive and helpful in finding solutions.
if you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Larkspur, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare today at 303-953-9924.
