Overcoming Bathing Care Battles with a SMILE
Take a moment to close your eyes and picture yourself like this: You’ve spent most of your life taking care of and assisting others – as a mother or father, in your career, through volunteering in your community, and as a grandparent. After all those years of living independently and being in control of your life’s decisions, you’ve suddenly aged to the point that now you are the one in need of assistance with bathing and other care tasks. Imagine the sense of loss, vulnerability, and fear.
If you’re taking care of a senior loved one, it can help to put yourself in his or her shoes when facing challenges related to helping the person with personal care tasks. The struggles your older loved one is feeling are real, and a little empathy and patience can go a long way towards fostering a sense of peace about accepting your help. Let’s face it: allowing someone to help with such personal services as bathing, dressing, and bathroom needs is uncomfortable at best, and can feel as though dignity is ripped right away from the person if not handled sensitively.
Hired Hands Homecare of California understands these challenges, and recommends keeping the SMILE concept in mind to help these delicate situations feel more comfortable for both you and your senior loved one:
Safety: Assistive devices like electric razors, grab bars, a bathtub seat and a handheld shower can be helpful.
Modesty: Ensure privacy in the room and maintain modesty as much as possible.
Independence: Allow seniors to retain the ability to make choices, to express their own individual style and to do as much as they can independently.
Levity: Be accepting of imperfection. Make it fun.
Etiquette: Treat the person as a respected adult, with dignity.
Hired Hands Homecare’s trained, professional California home care experts provide respectful personal care assistance for seniors. Our caregivers are compassionate, fully trained, experienced and background checked – so you can rest assured that your senior loved one is always safe and secure in our care. Some of the many ways we can help include:
- Bathing, dressing and other personal care assistance
- Light housekeeping and laundry
- Meal planning and preparation
- Transportation and accompaniment on errands, appointments, and fun activities
- Mobility assistance
- And so much more – customized to each person’s unique needs
Contact us any time at 866-940-4343 to arrange for a free in-home assessment and to learn more about how we can help make life easier and more comfortable for your senior loved one in Marin, Sonoma, Napa counties and the Tri-Valley.
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