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My father has dementia and my mother cares for him. In addition to the dementia he also has severe CHF and tires easily. Trying to bathe him sitting in a shower chair has turned into a big chore for her because he gets weak quickly and complains about the cold. The last time I tried to help give him a shower his blood pressure dropped and he passed out. I was wondering if anyone knows if the disposable washcloths that you can get from Amazon or a suitable replacement for showers?

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The disposable wash cloths work well enough, but in my experience they are no replacement for an actual shower. Or even a proper bed bath done with soap and a basin of warm water.
I had a homecare client who used to pass out in the shower or right when I would return her to the wheelchair. Her doctor told me not to give her showers anymore and just to do a soap and warm water bed bath which I did daily.
The disposable wash cloths were good for washing her up after meals and before putting her to bed for the night.
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When my mom was bedridden, I purchased, on Amazon, some Medline ReadyBath LUXE Antibacterial Body Cleansing Cloth Wipes that worked good. There were 8 in a pack and a box of 24 packs cost about $36 (US).
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You can ask medical provider for a referral for home safety evaluation and recommendation of necessary equipment for safety, and transfer training. It is done by skilled home health care providers. If they have had this before and they were pleased, ask specifically for that company.
Usually it is only 2 visits, but can be a big help.
With those diagnoses, he might qualify for Medicare to rent a hospital bed for his use..makes it much easier to care for him in bed, and then you can just help him stand pivot to wheelchair or favorite armchair....or PT can see a reclining wheelchair would make sense.

They dont have to agree with all the recommendations, but once the evaluation is done, you have a better idea of what is possible.....and what to prioritize.
You need to be observing the evaluation, of course.

Might be more than you are ready to tackle right now...start with disposable and no rinse products and go along as you need to.
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My mom has dementia and we use them all the time to clean her up my brother's girlfriend gives her a shower once a week I got a shower chair for her to use when she takes a shower it helps out a lot. Depending what type of health insurance he has you can get them and other stuff you need for free . A lot of part d insurance you can get it if you Medicaid part A & B and medicare you can get part d insurance though a health insurance company . I have anthem and I get $315 ever 3 months to buy over the counter medical supplies you don't have to use them all at once you just have to use them before the end of the year. It's very helpful you can use it to get the stuff you need and it'll save you and him a lot of money I got my mom a shower chair with mine and other stuff she needs
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I used these when I broke my shoulder and had a hard time taking a bath. https://homecare.stryker.com/store/p/62-Fragrance-Free-Essential-Bath-reg-Cleansing-Washcloths.aspx?VariantInventoryID=28&feed=Froogle&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkIGKBhCxARIsAINMioJwwm1EYmcZnjlC98GYsQziSNBx6rgZjlaqZcVbPoLDVtNR3w685boaAjZ2EALw_wcB. My skin never felt smoother and I smelled clean too.
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My stepmom's PT told us to get and use baby wipes on the days her shower aides didn't come. She was perfectly happy wiping down with those, because they left her skin nicely moisturized.
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As CWillie suggests, try to no rinse products.   They're used in rehab facilities and hospitals.  I used them during a hospital stay and was surprised how clean I felt.  I still use them at home occasionally if I don't feel up to a shower.

You can buy them for body washes and hair washes.   DME suppliers would probably have them, but I've found a wide variety of brands at the local grocery store.  Walgreen's carries them.  I haven't checked other drugs stores but you could search online to find the best price.  

I'd stay away from the Dollar stores though unless you find a reputable brand there, and from my experience, that's not always possible.

One brand as an example, or search for "no rinse bath and shampoo""

"https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-foaming-rinse-free-shampoo--body-wash/ID=prod6109680-product?ext=gooBeauty+-+SSC+Test_Set2Ad+group___local&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsYeeifL68gIV9AiICR2s1Q-PEAQYAiABEgKyVfD_BwE'
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As the forum readers have already responded the answer is “Yes” and read their recommendation. My suggestion is for you to consider a patient lift. Since dad tires easily and probably has difficulty standing for awhile. A Get-U-Up lift with a sling that wraps around and under his arms by Invacare can help you bathe and toilet clean him. I used it for my patient who was partially paralyzed. I would lift him up in the washroom and clean him by the lavatory sink. Afterwards I would roll him to the bed to rest and dry. It is also covered by Medicare with a doctor’s order.

http://www.invacare.com/cgi-bin/imhqprd/inv_catalog/prod_cat_detail.jsp?s=0&prodID=GHS350&catOID=-536885361
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YES. Head to your local thrift store. Not only can you pick up washcloths that can be reused, but towels and other bathroom items at a good price. It's a bonus if you go when there are half off days and/or tags.
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Yes - I use those exact wash cloths for moms changing (instead of wipes) and for bed baths they are the exact ones they use in the ICU after her stroke and what I use still. I also use the aloevesta foaming no rinse wash and a basin.

The ones I use are the medpride disposable washcloths 12x11. They are soft and much gentler on my moms skin - I use them as wipes and for bathing (and why they use them in the ICU). Anytime we have had to go to the hospitals I bring them and the CNAs choose to use moms over the hard hospital facecloths.
Someone else did say you could use normal washcloths so maybe your mom would want to use these disposable for personal areas to toss and regular ones for everywhere else. She could do that as well.
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Ok, personal opinion here but...
Why use disposable wash cloths? (waste of money and a nightmare for landfills. And PLEASE do not flush even "flushable" wipes)
You can get bundles of microfiber cloths that can be used for giving him a bath in bed or while sitting in a chair. They are soft and you can reuse them Toss in the wash that is probably being done daily and they are ready for the next time.
To make it easy get two colors
Have a wash basin and a rinse basin and use the one cloth soapy the other to rinse off.
There are also no rinse "soap" products that might be easier that way if you do not get all the residue off it should not irritate the skin.
I also used the microfiber cloths to wipe my Husbands hands, face before and after meals.

But to answer the basic question ..yes you can use disposable washcloths.
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Clairesmum Sep 2021
With someone who. is so frail that their BP bottoms out and they pass out (risking falling to the bathroom floor), speed is of the essence. A full bath can be done sitting on the edge of the bed so it is easy to lay the person down quickly if he gets dizzy.
Wipes can be dipped into warm water and wrung out, to wash the skin. Then use no rinse products on torso, arms - pat dry, put on a sweatshirt or jersey.
Yes, reusable clothes are ideal for cost and environment....but adding more laundry to the caregiver burden is unfair to her.
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I think an occasional bath or shower is the ideal but sometimes it just isn't practical so there's nothing wrong with sponge baths. I liked the no rinse products that you add to a basin of water and use your own washcloth:

https://www.agingcare.com/products/no-rinse-body-bath-441810.htm

(they make shampoo too)
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If they are the same as the ones the hospitals use, I don't see why not. You do the best you can with what you have.

Today I gave my mom a "bath" using wipes everywhere and then putting her feet in a basin of soapy water. Then I lotioned her up and put on clean clothes. Hair dresser is hopefully coming tomorrow to wash her hair.

Mom refuses to get in shower and mainly takes a "bird bath" in the sink each day.
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