Personal Hygiene

Our Dementia Care Experts Offer Reliable Hygiene Tips
As dementia progresses, our team of experts understands that your loved
one may begin resisting personal hygiene tasks or forget how to do simple
tasks, such as dressing or teeth brushing. In the most severe stage of
dementia, your loved one will most likely be unable to dress, bathe, and
groom alone. In order to ensure your loved one is clean and well-cared
for, use simple instructions, keep routines consistent, and keep your
loved one’s privacy and dignity intact.
Bathing and showering: It’s important to insist your loved one bathe on a regular basis.
Create a three-times-weekly routine (or however often you see fit) and
let your loved one know, “Dad, it’s time for a shower.”
If he needs assistance, use a shower or bath bench and wash one body part
at a time, while keeping a towel to cover other body parts for privacy.
Also consider helping your loved one bathe most of the body, leaving more
private areas for him/her to finish with a handled sponge if he or she
is capable.
Changing and daily care routines: Create daily teeth brushing, hair combing, and dressing routines with
your loved one. Make it a habit that, after breakfast, the two of you
commence to the bedroom and bathroom for self-care. Help your loved one
by mirroring teeth brushing and hair combing and by setting clothes out
on the bed so they’re easy to access. If your loved one needs help
dressing, there are a number of ways to maintain privacy while assisting.
Change one piece of clothing at a time to keep as much skin covered as
possible, and look down while helping him or her pull on undergarments
and pants.
Homewatch CareGivers® can provide more personal hygiene tips for those living with dementia, as well as a number of in-home care services. Contact us today for details.