It’s more common than many family caregivers believe to find that their senior suddenly doesn’t want to bathe. There’s not one single reason for this change, but neglecting her own hygiene is not a good plan for your senior and it can lead to bigger problems. It’s important to address the situation carefully.

Talk to Her about What’s Going On

It’s always best when something has changed in your senior’s behavior that you don’t assume that you know why that change is happening. Talk to your elderly family member from a place of loving kindness about the fact that bathing is important and ask why she’s changed her habits. Be sure to listen from that same space of loving kindness to her answer. There are many reasons that your elderly family member might give, from feeling afraid of the bathing experience to not believing that she needs to bathe at all.

See if You Can Compromise

What is a good compromise on this issue, from your perspective? It might not be that you get your way every single time, so it’s important to be prepared for that from the outset. Your elderly family member might not really need to bathe every day, so would you compromise with a couple of showers a week?

Avoid Making it a Big Deal

The more that you make this a huge situation, the more likely your senior might be to dig in her heels. It’s important that you respect her autonomy as much as you can while still ensuring that she’s healthy and that her needs are met. It might even be time for you to look into other solutions, like personal care at home.

Step Away from the Situation Yourself

Getting help from home care providers might be the answer for you and your senior when it comes to bathing. Whether she’s battling fear of the process or she’s experiencing other situations that are making bathing more difficult, personal care at home can reduce those risks for her. The act of stepping back yourself can help to preserve your relationship with your senior while still ensuring that she has help. Finding out what is going on and why is always a good move when you’re a family caregiver. This allows you to put solutions in place that actually meet your senior’s needs, rather than just dictating changes to her that don’t make sense.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Personal Care at Home in Spartanburg, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116. Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.

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Edward Harrison

Founder at Heart of the Carolinas

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.

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