Hygiene Help

Now, I am not here to accuse anyone of taking things, such as the ability to take a bath or shower unassisted, for granted. Instead, I want to share some options that will help keep one independent in personal hygiene for a longer period of time in one’s life. Cleanliness is essential to one’s health and one’s general well-being. Consequently, being unable to bathe or shower without asking for assistance, needing to wait to fit a bath into someone else’s schedule or being afraid that you might hurt yourself make it more likely that they will chose to limit the amount of time they spend bathing or showering. This can have negative impacts on their health and their self-esteem (as they may be embarrassed that they need to ask for help or may be angry that they can no longer shower privately and unassisted).

The bathroom is certainly a dangerous area of the home, as Noah Lam reports that 12,000 people die from slipping on slippery floors or stairs in his 2007 Disabled-World article on bathroom safety. He points out that an elder may have a less certain sense of balance and strength and thus is more likely to injure himself or herself. Lam suggests grab bars and shower chairs among others but I would like to add walk-in bathtubs.

One of my mother’s friends told me about how his mother loved to take baths. She loved soaking in the water in the early evenings and found baths soothing but he expressed concern about her safety. She had had trouble getting out of the tub recently and had begun to take baths less and less frequently. An elderly woman was being forced to give up one of her favorite habits because she was no longer as physically capable as she used to be. A walk-in tub is a great option for her. A walk-in tub has a water-tight door on the side that enables elders to enter and exit the tub easily. One company, Bliss Tubs, also include a “chair-height seat” for “easy up and down.” Their tubs fit into existing bathtub space so there is no need to remodel an entire bathroom and the tubs have a retractable hand-held showerhead so elders can chose to shower according to their preferences. I think this is a great product and one which will accomplish a number of goals: restore independence to elders, encourage personal hygiene among elders, and make bathing safer for elders. There are adjustments that can be made so elders can continue to safely enjoy their routines, such as evening baths.

Bliss Tubs: http://www.blisstubs.com/questions.htm#shower
Noah Lam's article: http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/bathroom-safety.shtml