3 Ways to Address the Challenges of Grooming and Assisting the Elderly with Their Hygiene

Keeping elderly individuals’ bodies clean, getting them changed, and other grooming and hygiene needs are necessary to keep them healthy and to avoid sores and other problems. However, caregivers face a lot of risks and difficulties in performing these tasks for the elderly. There are concerns about weight, safety, proper cleanliness, comfort, and willingness. As challenging as grooming and hygiene assistance can be, the caregivers of Lowenhill Home Care Services are equipped to face these challenges and stay excellent in performing these necessary tasks. There are ways to address these difficulties.
- Communication
Caregivers cannot really know what is going on in elderly individuals’ minds. They may perhaps feel shy about having someone assist them with bathing, toileting, getting dressed, etc. or ,they may feel that they are being forced to do something. It might be that they have fears and anxieties as well when it comes to doing certain things. It could also be that they have been hurt before. There are many possible reasons and feelings. The only way to know what concerns the elderly individuals is to talk them. Caregivers can ask them how they feel, what goes through their minds when they help them with grooming and hygiene needs, and what could possibly calm their concerns. Would they prefer to do them in a different time of the day or would there be anyone they who can help them feel comfortable when they are being assisted? Caregivers also have to explain to the elderly individuals why it is necessary to take care of their grooming and hygiene regularly. By talking to them, seniors would feel less daunted and defensive in receiving assistance.
- Precautions
Since among the major concerns in grooming and hygiene assistance is the safety of elderly individuals, it is advisable to take necessary precautions. It would help a lot in the elderly individuals’ fear of falling and getting hurt and it would also be a big help for the caregivers in managing the weight that they have to carry. One of the precautions they can do is by making the bathroom, toilet, and bedroom handicap-friendly. The elderly individuals’ loved ones can install handrails, grab bars, shower or tub benches, and anti-slip adhesives on floors. Through these, elderly individuals’ do not have to put their safety entirely on the caregivers’ hands. They can help themselves as well and feel confident in being able to do so.
- Preparation
To prevent the elderly from being cold and being traumatized for being left shivering and tired, or to get the whole bathing, toileting, grooming, and getting dressed done swiftly and smoothly, it is crucial for the caregivers to get everything ready—from towels and clothes to toiletries and other necessary items.
Grooming and hygiene assistance can be very challenging but it can also be amended. The staff of Lowenhill Home Care Services is sensitive to the needs, welfare, and peace of mind of the caregivers, elderly individuals, and their loved ones.
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3 Challenges Caregivers Face in Grooming and Hygiene Assistance for the Elderly

A lot of worries arise in caregivers’ minds as they help elderly individuals with bathing, toileting, getting dressed, and with other grooming and hygiene needs. With the aging people’s fragile bodies, lesser muscle strength, less ability to communicate, a lot of simple things can pose dangers to them. The caregivers at Lowenhill Home Care Services share what challenges care providers have to overcome when it comes to assisting the elderly with their regular routines to keep themselves clean and healthy.
- Fragility and Strength
As people age, their bones becomes less stronger than they used to be. Consequently, caregivers worry a lot if elderly individuals will fall or hit anything as they give them a bath, help them get dressed, assist them in going to the restroom, and in helping them with other grooming and hygiene necessities. Besides their bones becoming less strong and more prone to injuries, their muscles are less stronger than they used to be as well. This means that the caregiver has to carry most, if not all, of the weight as they provide their assistance. Caregivers have to be very strong and alert when it comes to helping the elderly individuals up or helping them shift positions. One can imagine the multiple concerns caregivers have as they have to lift all the weight of the elderly individuals. They have to be careful not to get hurt plus they have to clean the elderly people’s bodies, get them dressed, and so on.
- Comfort
It is not just all about being able to perform the tasks needed for the elderly individuals. Being able to carry them and clean or dress them is just a part of the whole picture. Caregivers also have to be mindful about the elderly individuals’ comfort and feelings. Are they not cold? Are they feeling any pain? Do they want a bath? Do they like or dislike the clothes they will change into for some reason? Caregivers do not just only have to look out for the elderly individuals’ physical welfare but must also pay attention to their minds as well.
- Resistance
The first two problems are only applicable if caregivers have elderly individuals who are willing to be assisted in their grooming and hygiene needs. However, there are elderly people who pose more challenges for caregivers in doing these tasks. Some would resist, struggle, get angry, and even hurt the caregivers physically. This is among the most feared and most difficult challenges caregivers have when it comes to assisting the elderly because this requires more strength, patience, perseverance, and the ability to calm them down and convince them to get cleaned and get dressed since this is necessary in keeping them healthy.
There are many challenges that caregivers face and these are just a few among all the other assistance that Lowenhill Home Care Services provides to the elderly.
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- 2022: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- 2021: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- 2020: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- 2019: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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