The Basics Of Elderly Personal Hygiene |
Posted: February 26, 2020 |
Every morning, people carry through their daily routine of personal hygiene, including getting up, showering, brushing their teeth and deodorising just to repeat those steps again in the evening. We do this to make ourselves feel great, however, what would it be like if you couldn’t do such basic tasks anymore and no one would be there to help you? It would ultimately lead to feeling dirty which would trigger depression and more frustration. For an elderly individual, this is unfortunately a frequent case. With that, it’s important to have a hygiene routine for your elders so that they would not feel this way. As a caregiver who is responsible for bathing the elder, make sure that you first establish and talk through what you are about to do in the routine in order to establish trust and comfort between the two of you.When seniors have someone else taking care of their own personal care, they may feel as if they lost their own dignity and self respect. This is quite understandable for it is a very vulnerable and helpless state to be in, yet seniors often feel this way when someone else takes care of them, regardless of their current well-being. Therefore, it's best to explain to them what you are about to do so that they would be prepared and not feel as out of control. With this, however, many seniors may react aggressively and may get verbally abusive, yet due to their conditions you must understand where they are coming from as they probably feel the worst that they have ever been.Patience goes a long way. If the individual is capable of doing even the smallest thing for themselves, they should most definitely do it and administer their own personal hygiene. This is super important because even doing a little task on their own will make them feel more independent and have a sense of control over their life and a sense of purpose!
All of the basic steps in a hygienic routine should be included when thinking of a senior's personal hygiene. This includes showering, deodorising, brushing teeth and even shaving. These steps should be done daily, if not twice a day. Some routines may include more steps than others for example, if the elder wants to feel more feminine, putting on makeup for them would be a way to build their confidence and keep their identity for themselves.
In addition to promoting the mental well-being of the individual, you will, of course, also promote a healthier physical lifestyle. By washing someone, you may note any unfamiliar lumps, spots, bruises or even bodily fluids that may need to be checked by a healthcare provider to help any health problems ahead of time. If one is constantly bathing someone, they soon begin to note any unusual changes in the body and this creates somewhat of a medical record that can lead to an early diagnosis of any illness.
Personal Hygiene is a serious concern for many and it is one of the most important aspects for an elder to feel like themselves again. Though they may feel vulnerable, it has the ability to create a healthy bond between a caregiver and the person receiving the care. As long as one keeps their personal hygiene in tact, many other things fall into place and the individual will feel better about themselves.
If you are uncomfortable with keeping the hygiene of your own loved one or would like to know more on such topics, a home health care aide may be the most appropriate option for you to consider. By having a professional handle such scenarios, the patient will feel more confident and overall better, physically and mentally.
Thank you to All Heart Homecare, for providing this message. The company has been awarded in many fields including Dime’s Best of Brooklyn 2020, Better Business Bureau, and Crain's New York Best Places to Work in 2019!
For more information on our services or how you can learn more tips on taking care of a loved one, give us a call or send us an email today
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