I understand the concerns with showering patients with dementia; however, if skin infections generated from the lack of cleanliness lead to a further infection, leading to blood sepsis, whose to blame? The patient cannot be held liable regarding "consent" about a shower, and the facility is liable for the unclean state the patient is in. What's the answer here?
The tricky part is to find a staff member who is able to cajole them into taking a shower . One who will also tell them it’s time to take a shower without asking, therefore attempting to take away the choice. This still doesn’t always work though.
My own mother had dementia was in assisted living and did not allow staff to shower her for a year . They said they could not force her. My mother was doing OK on her own with sink baths and going to the hair salon weekly at her facility . She also handled her own incontinence. Although then she lost the ability to do her own sink baths and also was no longer changing her incontinence brief often enough . It got so bad , I was given a warning that if Mom refused to shower a 30 day notice to move Mom to another facilty , SNF for uncontrolled incontinence. We had a very similar experience with my FIL in a different facility . They said he could refuse , but that they can kick him out of assisted living . For both , we had just began searching for an SNF when they died , one from CHF , probable heart attack as well . The other from CHF, COPD and Covid.
Unfortunately , this is how it is these days. A long time ago this would have been neglect . Now it’s just the resident’s rights to refuse .
Such a sad thing, all because facilities are money making businesses and not truly care facilities.
Medications might help calm the patient, but then they become dizzy or floppy. Not good. I'm interested in what others might suggest for this problem.
We would have gotten in trouble for not giving a shower. Today it’s the opposite . You could get in trouble for forcing it .
Perhaps your LO would allow sponge baths , and hair washed weekly at the hair salon .
Although my mother refused help from staff either way . She was mostly a bath person and wash hair in sink person her whole life .
My FIL’s issue was he was constantly trying to prove he belonged in Independent Living . He insisted he did not belong in AL so long as he could dress himself and walk . He refused help .
They could not be cajoled with its “ spa day “ or to “ get cleaned up to go out either” . Nothing worked .
Think of your parent as a small child. Many do not like showers.