Yea, that’s a million dollar question. I think you may find many past questions on that and hygiene by searching for “showering” in the top line on this page where the magnifying glass is. It seems that poor basic hygiene and anything to do with water is so common, and it was one of Moms first signs that something was “off”. A lot depends on your husbands condition and the environment...is he afraid of falling? Do you have a walk-in shower that he could take a walker right into, or does he have to step over into a bathtub? If so could he sit on a shower seat in the tub? Is he uncomfortable if the bathrooms too cold afterward? Too cold when drying off? How often are you attempting this? At the NH Mom gets 1 shower a week and sponge baths in between. Would that do the job? Does he balk at other personal aspects of your caregiving, like toilet assistance? Would he be more comfortable with a male aid to help with showering? He may be stubborn and doesn’t think he needs a shower...but you may find there’s an underlying reason. If you give us some more details, I’m sure you’ll get some more ideas...and a lot of sympathy since this is such a common problem.
We were successful for a short time only with a shower chair. Then wipes, nuked a bit to get the chill off.
It is so very common as others have said. It must be a sensory thing. Some develop a fear of water also.
My mom, now in MC loves her bath. Go figure. They call it the spa. It secures them in, in this padded chair like thing and lowers them in a soothing jetted whirlpool. She loves it.
Before she developed an aversion to water, she would take such long baths. And it was an early sign something really off.
A lot depends on your husbands condition and the environment...is he afraid of falling? Do you have a walk-in shower that he could take a walker right into, or does he have to step over into a bathtub? If so could he sit on a shower seat in the tub? Is he uncomfortable if the bathrooms too cold afterward? Too cold when drying off? How often are you attempting this? At the NH Mom gets 1 shower a week and sponge baths in between. Would that do the job? Does he balk at other personal aspects of your caregiving, like toilet assistance? Would he be more comfortable with a male aid to help with showering? He may be stubborn and doesn’t think he needs a shower...but you may find there’s an underlying reason. If you give us some more details, I’m sure you’ll get some more ideas...and a lot of sympathy since this is such a common problem.
It is so very common as others have said. It must be a sensory thing. Some develop a fear of water also.
My mom, now in MC loves her bath. Go figure. They call it the spa. It secures them in, in this padded chair like thing and lowers them in a soothing jetted whirlpool. She loves it.
Before she developed an aversion to water, she would take such long baths. And it was an early sign something really off.