My dad is 83 yrs. Old. He developed short term memory loss a few years ago which is now getting worse. He has no social life ( however he neber really was a social person) but what i am wondering about is he doesn't practice daily hygiene anymor it is like pulling teeth to get him to take a shower. Is there an underlying problem we should be aware of? In reality he should be in nursing home but can't afford it. That and we told him long ago we wouldn't do that to him. There's lots more going on but will keep at this for now as i am new to this site.
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I discovered these in rehab facilities and more recently in a hospital. It would help him stay clean, and perhaps he can work up to an immersion bathing in a tub or shower.
I think, and it's just my personal opinion, that social isolation can allow someone to become less attentive to hygiene and segue into the bad habit of not keeping clean.
But know that you're now alone; this question has been asked repeatedly by others who are dealing with a similar situation.
As for the bathing, many elders have a fear of falling so they avoid the bath/shower. Some that have memory issues don't like how the water feels hitting them in the shower. And there are cases when an elder gets claustrophobic in a shower. There are Caregivers who specialize in bathing that will come to your Dad's home to help him take a shower... don't know if the VA will pay for that or not.