Jamie’s aging aunt remained stubborn about getting her hair washed on a regular basis. Not only did she resist, but she complained about it for days. Jamie knew how important it is for seniors to wash their hair at least once per week to stay clean and prevent skin conditions. In desperation, Jamie hired an elderly care provider to help with bathing and grooming, and they’ve had much better success with her aunt.
When family caregivers aren’t able to attend to their aging loved one’s bath and grooming needs, they often turn to elderly care providers. It takes a lot of time and energy to take care of an elderly loved one and keep them clean and safe. If family caregivers have other responsibilities, like a job or children, it could mean that the aging adult’s needs must be on hold until they can get help. With an elderly care provider, the elderly relative has a companion and assistant for all their personal care tasks, such as washing hair.
When family caregivers hire an elderly care provider to assist a senior with getting ready in the morning, washing their hair is a big part of keeping clean. Unwashed hair not only looks bad, but it can lead to skin rashes and even infections. Even though elderly adults don’t need to wash their hair every day, it’s important to schedule it for at least once per week and wash the body at least twice per week. Elderly care providers can create a regular hair-washing schedule to benefit aging adults.
Here are some of the techniques and procedures that many elderly care providers utilize to make washing hair efficient, fast and comfortable:
Don’t Wash Every Day: Elderly adults don’t need their hair washed every day. In fact, experts recommend only doing so once or maybe twice per week. Elderly bodies don’t produce nearly as much oil as they once did, leaving hair cleaner longer. Elderly care providers can schedule a hair wash session around once per week and seniors will be fine.
Create a Secure Space: Being in the bathtub or shower can be frightening for elderly adults who have poor balance, bad vision or are worried about falling. To help them feel stable, elderly care providers can put in a shower chair or tub chair. Handheld showerheads eliminate the need to twist and turn and possibly fall.
Make Seniors Comfortable: Elderly care providers can create a space that is warm and comfortable. They can set out all the things they will need within arm’s reach, to avoid leaving the senior alone. Nice touches like a space heater to warm things up and soft music to help relax the aging adult can add to the inviting atmosphere.
Fast and Professional: When seniors are being stubborn about their hygiene, they may be more amenable to having someone who is not
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care Services in Irvine, CA, please contact the caring staff at Canaan Home Care today!
1-844-CANAAN-1 (1-844-226-2261)
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