As your senior grows older, convincing her to take a bath or shower may become more difficult than you expect it to become. There are lots of reasons for that, and some of these answers may help quite a bit.

Talk to Her about What’s Going On

Set aside some time when you’re both calm and relaxed to talk to your senior about what’s going on with her and bathing. There might be issues facing your senior that you’re not aware of or that you wouldn’t think to ask about. Taking a few moments to sit with your senior and to gently ask what she’s experiencing and how you can help may do a lot more than you expect to start working toward a solution that works for both of you.

Be Mindful of Your Tone and Attitude When You Talk about This

Something to consider when you start talking about this is that bathing is an incredibly sensitive topic. Your senior may be very touchy about tone and even what she perceives as your attitude around this conversation. Make sure that you’re expressing what you need and want to say in a direct but loving manner. If you’re not able to do that right now, you might need to wait and have the conversation when it’s easier for you to address things how you really want to.

Set up a Visible Schedule

One of the factors that can be creating issues for your senior may revolve around her not having a solid memory of when she last bathed. If possible, set up a calendar on which you and your elderly family member have talked about when she’s going to bathe. Mark those dates clearly and help her to keep track of what day it is and whether she actually bathed on the last designated date. This can help to clear up a lot of confusion.

Put Together a Strategy for Prepping

When it is time for a bath, preparation matters a lot. Do what you can to prep for the bath or shower before you go to get your senior. If she has to wait around a bit while you gather what you need, she may decide to opt out at the last minute and that can be frustrating for both of you. Some of the things you’ll need involve toiletries, towels, and fresh clothing. Get the room as comfortable as possible and do what you can to adjust routines for safety, too.

One of the answers you and your senior might come to is that your senior just isn’t comfortable having you help her with bathing at all. That might mean bringing in senior care providers to give her the assistance that she needs.

If you are considering Senior Care Services in Shelby OH, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161.  Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Ontario and the surrounding areas.

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Stephen Sternbach

CEO at Central Star Home Health Services

With over 35 years of experience, Stephen Sternbach has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Star Multi Care Services since 1987. After the sale of the New York and New Jersey operations of Star Multi Care Services, Sternbach brought the company private where he remains President and CEO of this 40-million dollar company. With Sternbach at the helm, Star Multi Care Services employs more than 650 employees, in six offices throughout Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York.

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