Why don't old people shower?

i dislike showers . rather have a hot bath and soak in it , i am cold blooded , pa was the same way , i sponge bath him and he s clean . im 50 yrs old and never like shower , except maybe on a hot summer days oh yes i ll jump in the shower .
my 2 daughters works in NH . they all tell my daughters to leave cuz they dont want showers ! hahaha , sponge bath or showers and its always sponge bath ...

I think with the elderly, bathing gets difficult for many reasons...shower spray can sting their skin, getting in and out of a bathtub can be dangerous, stability issues, fear of falling, and if the person has dementia...they can become afraid of water especially in a bathtub because when they look at the water in the tub, it can look bottomless to them, loneliness, and depression also contribute to it. I get behind many people driving in their 40's, 50's, and 60's who should never have been issued a license. I would rather be behind an elder who is driving too slow but can control the car than be behind the middle aged group who cut you off, have entitlement issues, or the person who has no idea where they are going so they slow down at every single intersection looking for the name of the street, begin to turn then correct it and continue straight. We are all only human and compassion and empathy goes a long way in this life.

Simply put, you're being a jack@$$. You aren't the best at everything you do either, and there are or will be people who are smarter, faster, better looking, and have quicker wits than you do who wonder why you are so annoying and don't get out of their way.

And should you live long enough to get to an "older person's" age, I can assure you that you will be slower, your balance and reflexes will be slower, and there will be some young jerk pointing at you saying, "get out of my way old man, and you smell too." What goes around ALWAYS comes around.

My suggestion is that if this is a big problem for you, go pee before you leave and leave a couple of minutes earlier. The world isn't all about you. It really isn't!

I think with the elderly, there is an understandable fear of falling while bathing. In addition, with younger people if they are single and dating, and/or people in the workforce, they are more likely to bathe more, simply because they are around other people more often.

I agree with the capn. Please slow down and show a little compassion. You must realize, it's not only the elderly that take medication. Would you like to have everyone tested?

As far as 'old people' not showering, there are a variety of reasons why they fear the shower. Sometimes it is dementia that creates an actual fear of water with our elders. Balance and fear of falling are also big issues. I'm glad you asked the question and hopefully it will help you gain some understanding about the aging process. God willing, we'll all be there someday.

i can think of a couple of reasons. my 80 yr old mother needs to live at 80 degrees because of poor circulation i suppose. she would probably chill to death after a shower . she says she really doesnt like getting wet and balance is an issue in the shower. she keeps herself pretty clean with adult handi-wipes. it isnt recommended that an elder shower over once a week cause they are already battling dry skin.
i can reply to your elder driver question too but you might not like it. someone will shoot you in the face for being an impatient roadrager long before an old timer will kill you.. they have been paying taxes on these roads since the roads were built. i dont really appreciate horses on the backroads but in fairness the horses actually built them . slow down and savor life..