Bathing in Older Adults
Cortney Fedder
In the article bathing in older adults with dementia meaning bathing in elderly with long term memory loss. I believe that working with than rater resistance, nurses should think as if they are bathing themselves, and avoiding saying wash or bathe due to possibly getting frightened. Nursing assistants are the ones most likely to give a bath. Dementia to me means that people are the same as us just a little different because of their disability.
Working with rather than resistance is saying you want them to work with you instead of resisting.it is a lot easier if the older adults can work with you. Not all elderly can work with the nursing assistance because they may be incontinent. Try to let the resident do something’s on their own if they are able to. You want them to feel confident and happy with what they can do. Residents with dementia have different stages in my eyes because not every person with dementia is aggressive ad things along that line. Remember, to let the resident do as much as they can and when they need help the nursing assistant will be there to help.
When giving residents a bath, think as if you were taking a bath or shower. We know a comfortable temperature and everything that is right for the resident. Residents who depend on others for bathing and whose distress and discomfort can bring them to the point of resistance and aggression. You don’t want a resident to resist a bath or shower. Making it comfortable to them makes things much easier. Dealing with residents that have dementia and they have aggression it will be easier to have someone else to help and assist. Most people like their bathes hot and their showers hot but, depending on the person no matter what follow the rules for bathing as a nursing assistant. The last thing you want is for a resident to feel distressed about bathing.
Lastly, you want to avoid saying wash or bath because the resident might get frightened. Residents with dementia don’t really know much anymore because of memory loss. Therefore, you want to make it seem like a shower or bath is good for them because some might resist. I believe that wash and bathe should not be said the resident if you know that they don’t like to bathe. There is bed baths that the Nursing assistant can give the resident but, most likely only if the resident isn’t mobile. Dementia residents don’t remember things so, they might not know what a shower or bath is. Nursing assistants or whoever is caring for the residents should use others terms to makes the residents comfortable and not scared.