I just wonder if a chiming clock would help. When it chimes at whatever time you want it would be time for a bath or cleaning routine, even a sponge bath of essential body parts and teeth?
i would tell my dad. time for a shower. it would be around 7pm he would say OK....but after a couple minutes he forgot.
so id say again, dad! you said youd get up and go take a shower. he said oh, i will go in just a minute.(and he would look at up the clock on the wall) then forgot again.
then before i would know it would be 9pm. then he would say, its too late now, ill do it tomorrow nite. OMG
plus the home they were in - was a tub, with a shower - so he would have to lift up a leg to get inside....and he had bad knees.
shortly after that, few weeks. i had to put both mom and dad in AL. granted i don't think my dad was as clean as a whistle, but he got good care. and the shower was a 'walk-in' with a large seat.
do you have the toilet and bathtub eldery friendly as much as possible?
For some reason, personal hygiene is one of the first to go when a person suffers from dementia. Problem is, bad hygiene causes infections , especially UTIs and those can be a whole new experience in combativeness, delusions, hallucinations, etc. it’s very difficult to reason with dementia patients as well. They can be uber stubborn and determined to do exactly the opposite of what you ask them to.
Not all people like showers, if that’s what you’re asking your loved one to do. My mom had claustrophobia. She was terrified to be enclosed in a shower stall.
We advise people who are having difficulty with their LO hygiene to try “the spa experience”. Nice soap, lotions, warm towels, etc. Thankfully, unless they’re incontinent, the elderly do not need daily bathing. Even so, genitalia can be washed quickly without much fuss.
Is the person able to get to the restroom on their own? If they can’t make it, it may be time for Depends. Do NOT call them diapers to their face. That’s insulting to the person. Remove all other underwear from the dresser drawer and replace them with the incontince briefs. If not wiping is an issue, sadly you may need to supervise and lend a hand. Be careful offering wipes. Even 5he “flushable” one’s aren’t and can cause major plumbing issues.
and teeth?
he would say OK....but after a couple minutes he forgot.
so id say again, dad! you said youd get up and go take a shower.
he said oh, i will go in just a minute.(and he would look at up the clock on the wall) then forgot again.
then before i would know it would be 9pm. then he would say, its too late now, ill do it tomorrow nite. OMG
plus the home they were in - was a tub, with a shower - so he would have to lift up a leg to get inside....and he had bad knees.
shortly after that, few weeks. i had to put both mom and dad in AL. granted i don't think my dad was as clean as a whistle, but he got good care. and the shower was a 'walk-in' with a large seat.
do you have the toilet and bathtub eldery friendly as much as possible?
Not all people like showers, if that’s what you’re asking your loved one to do. My mom had claustrophobia. She was terrified to be enclosed in a shower stall.
We advise people who are having difficulty with their LO hygiene to try “the spa experience”. Nice soap, lotions, warm towels, etc. Thankfully, unless they’re incontinent, the elderly do not need daily bathing. Even so, genitalia can be washed quickly without much fuss.
Is the person able to get to the restroom on their own? If they can’t make it, it may be time for Depends. Do NOT call them diapers to their face. That’s insulting to the person. Remove all other underwear from the dresser drawer and replace them with the incontince briefs. If not wiping is an issue, sadly you may need to supervise and lend a hand. Be careful offering wipes. Even 5he “flushable” one’s aren’t and can cause major plumbing issues.