Getting your loved one who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease can be a real challenge. If he does not take a bath regularly, he will get dirty and will be more likely to become ill. So, it is very important for you to be able to get your loved one into the shower or bath at least once per week. What to do? Keep these things in mind:

  • In some cases, your loved one might think that he already took a bath, so he isn’t going to take another one now. One way around this is to tie the bathing time to something that is fun for him. You might tell your dad that you want to take him out to eat, but that he needs to get cleaned up first. This might give your dad the mental nudge he needs to think that taking a bath is a good thing to do.
  • Be sure that your bathroom is very safe and is comfortable for your Alzheimer’s patient. If your bathroom is cold, try to warm it up before bath time. You can insert a small, inexpensive space heater into the bathroom to warm it up before the bath starts. For safety purposes, there are several Alzheimer’s aids that you can buy for the bathroom to make it a safer environment, such as a Dependa-Bar Grab Bar.
  • If the dementia in your patient is very advanced, you may find that he is actually scared of water. This is a good time to try something different. Did you know that there are Alzheimer’s supplies available that allow you to bathe someone without water?
  • No matter if you are doing the bath in the bathtub or in bed with a sponge or without water, you always need to remind him what you are going to do next. Think about what stage their dementia is in. Remember, he may not understand why you are touching him at all, unless you provide gentle reminders. Tell him that next you are going to wash his arms with a warm, soft cloth, for example.
  • Purchase handy Alzheimer products such as dry shampoos so you do not need to wash hair as much.
  • Remember that some people are more modest than others. Even if your loved one is in a later stage of the disease, he may ‘remember’ that he was modest and shy, and he may not like you seeing him naked. If that is the case, you may want to consider getting an in home agency to help you to bathe your loved one.
  • Keep in mind that taking a bath every day is not usually necessary for someone who is not very active anymore. Is your desire to get your dad a bath because he is dirty, or because of your own cleanliness standards?