Have You Ever Considered Why Your Mom Might Be Refusing to Bathe? Find Out Possible Reasons.
A Couple of Reasons Your Mom Won’t Bathe and What Elder Care Strategies May be Effective
Over time you may notice that your mother’s personal hygiene is declining. Maybe it’s her hair that doesn’t seem as clean or as well kept as it used to be. It might be her skin condition or complexion that draws your attention to the fact that she might not be washing or bathing properly. Whether or not she relies on elder care at this point in time, there may be a couple of reasons why she isn’t bathing at the moment.
- A fear of getting hurt.
The most common reason elderly individuals avoid bathing is because they don’t feel safe in the tub or shower any longer. She may have slipped or lost her balance for a moment recently and that caused her a great deal of alarm.
Since then she might refuse to step into the shower or tub because she doesn’t feel comfortable or steady on her feet. Getting nonstick pads to place on the base of the tub, installing grab bars, and even purchasing a shower seat can all be ways to help make her feel more comfortable getting into and out of the shower.
- Being uncomfortable with assistance.
If you have been providing elderly home care for your mother, and part of that is trying to encourage her to bathe or shower with your assistance, that might simply be too uncomfortable for her. She may not feel comfortable with you helping her, in which case you may want to talk to her about hiring a professional elder care provider.
- She may be forgetful.
As people age, they may begin to forget certain things, and that can include basic hygiene care. She might simply be forgetting to take a shower on a regular basis. If nobody is there to support or remind her, it could be days where she forgets to take a shower and wash up.
The solution for this is to remind her in a very simple way to bathe or shower. The last thing you want to do is speak to her as though she were a child. Just use basic reminders, such as telling her you need to go take a shower or it’s time to get cleaned up. This could be more than enough to subtly indicate the importance of bathing.
- Control issues.
If your mother feels like she has lost control of her life, and she has an elder care provider trying to tell her when to bathe or shower, she might refuse as a way to try and maintain some kind of control. Sit down and talk about the issue with her and listen to the things she has to say. You’ll likely discover a reasonable solution that can benefit her most.
If you or someone you know needs help with elder care in Ada, MI, contact the caregivers at Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care for many disabled and elderly loved ones in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
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