Supporting Dementia Residents With Personal Hygiene

 A key part of supporting your loved one through the later stages of dementia includes helping them with everyday activities, such as washing, bathing and dressing.

For most adults, these are personal and private activities. Adjusting to this change and needing extra support can cause anxiety for your loved one and your family, but you can support them in a way that respects their preferences and their dignity.

At The Bill House, we understand that navigating care with confidence is crucial to support your loved one through this difficult time.

Why hygiene becomes difficult for dementia residents

As dementia progresses, your loved one may begin to struggle with simple, everyday tasks, like washing, bathing and getting dressed.

Dementia makes these tasks difficult because cognitive decline causes confusion and disrupts memory, sequencing and sensory processes.

Cognitive decline and memory loss can cause your loved one to forget the steps of washing or bathing, or what everyday items like a toothbrush or soap are used for. They may also genuinely believe they have already washed that day. Some people may experience sensory overload, where the sound of running water or bright lights can feel startling or threatening. Changes in the way the brain processes sensation can also make water feel much hotter or colder than it really is.

Your loved one may also experience physical and emotional factors that prevent them from washing, including a fear of falling, loss of dignity or fatigue.

How to support dementia residents with their personal hygiene

Knowing how best to support your loved one with dementia with their personal hygiene can make a huge difference. No matter the type of dementia your loved one is living with, specialist dementia care can support them with their personal hygiene.

Understanding challenges

Your loved one may need you to decide what they should wear, or when to wash their hair. This is because memory loss causes them to forget when to complete these tasks, or the order of how to do them.

Dementia can also affect perception, which can make washing and dressing confusing or distressing. Gently explaining why their clothes need to come off, and helping them with each step, can make the experience feel safer.

Focusing on the person

Often, someone living with dementia will have support to help them with washing and dressing. If they live at home, a home care worker can visit to help with these tasks, or if they are in a residential care home like The Bill House, staff will support them in a way that ensures they are comfortable and can express themselves safely.

Your care should focus on allowing your loved one to make their own choices where possible, or ensuring their wishes for what they would like to wear – whether for religious or cultural reasons – are met.

Supporting your loved one with bathing and dressing also means focusing on the value of routine for dementia residents, which should include providing help with their personal hygiene routine for as long as possible.

Allowing enough time

When you are supporting your loved one with their washing, bathing or dressing routine, allow plenty of time so that neither of you feels rushed.

Dementia can also make physical activities feel more difficult, so if you can make your loved one’s personal hygiene routine an enjoyable activity whilst remaining relaxed yourself, they will feel more relaxed and confident, too.

Communicating clearly

Communication may need to change to support your loved one in their personal hygiene routine. For example, you may need to show them two t-shirts and ask them to point to the one they like, rather than relying solely on spoken communication.

Provide encouragement during the activity, by saying how nice an item of clothing looks or how warm the bath water feels. This can help make it a more pleasant and relaxed experience for both of you.

Creating the right environment

To help your loved one feel more comfortable, create a relaxing and safe environment by giving them as much privacy as possible whilst ensuring the room is warm before and after they have washed.

Closing blinds or curtains for privacy and ensuring nobody else will walk in while your loved one is washing or getting dressed can help them feel safer. Also, consider covering any mirrors before they enter the bathroom, as some people living with dementia find their reflection confusing or upsetting.

If getting in and out of the bath or shower has become difficult, ask your loved one’s GP or your local authority about an occupational therapy assessment. Grab rails, a bath seat or a non-slip mat can make washing safer and less frightening.

Getting the right support

Getting the right support for your loved one living with dementia is essential. The benefits of a dementia diagnosis include access to more support and services, which can improve the help you are able to give with their personal hygiene routine.

Even if you have played an important role in your loved one’s life for many years, looking after their personal care needs can be a big step in your care role. You may need extra emotional and practical support at this stage, or you may choose specialist dementia care if you feel you cannot meet your loved one’s needs.

A residential care home like The Bill House can support independence for residents. Our carers are dedicated to increasing quality of life with specialist dementia care, whatever challenges your loved one is currently facing.

The Bill House provides specialist dementia care

Finding the right care home for your loved ones is important when they are dealing with the challenges of dementia.

At The Bill House, we offer specialist dementia care to meet the care needs during different stages of dementia, and we can support your loved one with their personal hygiene.

Contact us to find out what to expect when moving into our care home and see how we can support your family.