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Halifax Asked February 2019

How do we get a woman to practice good hygiene? She refuses to wash herself daily and is in assisted living.

cwillie Feb 2019
Is she incontinent? Is it possible the odour is coming from her clothing, which she may be re-wearing because she doesn't notice it was wet/soiled? Or perhaps she isn't changing her pads/pull-ups often enough?

Halifax Feb 2019
Thank you and I should have been more specific. Washing her body is where the problem occurs. Yes the staff assists with showers and baths but she is expected to wash herself (body) most days in the basic areas but she just will not. By not doing so causes an odor that she does not smell. It seems this is a part of the dementia stage. Thanks for your response.

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cwillie Feb 2019
Do you mean washing her hands or are you referring to a daily bath/shower?

Most AL's will provide assistance with her bath/shower once or twice a week, which is really all that should be necessary (they will charge extra for this). If she isn't washing her hands after using the bathroom that is harder to solve, when you are with her you can provide a wash cloth or a wet wipe, but there is little that can be done when you aren't there. Unfortunately this isn't uncommon as people begin to lose mental capacity and I know some experienced staff at an AL who would never accept any food treats handed to them by a resident for this very reason.

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