Your senior’s approach to her personal hygiene is going to change over time. It will change because of his health, abilities, and even his emotional well-being. Paying attention to the small changes now can help you to spot potential problems much more quickly. It might be that you need to take over more of these details for your senior.
He’s Avoiding Hygiene Completely
Your senior might be avoiding personal hygiene tasks for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. He might be showering still but refuses to brush his hair. Or maybe he’ll brush his teeth, but taking a bath or a shower is off the table. Body odor and other cues can help you spot what might be happening and more importantly, not happening. From there you can start to offer solutions that target the problem, if not the symptom you’ve spotted.
He Doesn’t Remember When He Did What
When you do ask your senior about bathing or other personal care tasks, does he have an accurate memory of when he did certain things? It’s not unusual at all for seniors to get mixed up about the timing of these events. That’s especially true if he’s avoiding some of them. If he’s experiencing cognitive changes, he could be convinced that a shower he took a week ago happened today.
Hygiene Is Too Difficult
One big problem might be that some of these tasks are simply too difficult or too painful for your elderly family member. He might be afraid to shower because of the risk of falling. Or he might have a tough time holding certain tools, like his toothbrush. It’s important to try to figure out what’s giving him trouble so you can offer solutions.
He Doesn’t Want to Talk about it at All
He might not want to address any of this at all, especially with you. Talking about hygiene concerns can be embarrassing, especially if he’s always handled this sort of thing completely on his own. It might also be difficult to address some of his fears with you, regardless of the fact that you’re his caregiver. Embarrassment and shame are incredibly powerful.
Home care services might be just the solution you’ve looked for in response to all of these concerns. They can help your elderly family member in ways that preserve his dignity and allow him to have his autonomy, while still being healthy and happy.
If you or a family member are in need of hiring Home Care in Plantation, FL, call the caring professionals at Star Multi Care today at (954) 870-4770. Providing service in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Weston, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines, Cooper City, Lighthouse Point, and Wilton Manors.
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