As we age, regular day-to-day tasks can become overwhelming due to the lack of mobility and energy that we might face. In addition, conditions that typically affect elders, such as isolation, dementia, and depression, can often cause seniors to shy away from carrying out these typical activities.
In particular, one of the most worrying areas of neglect is personal hygiene. When a senior starts to experience mobility issues or is scared of the possibility of falling, they may start to neglect their hygiene. In many cases, a senior would require serious renovations to their property to make tasks such as showering safer and more accessible.
However, senior hygiene can also be improved under private duty care. Keep reading to learn more about how private duty care can help with senior hygiene.
What is Private Duty Care?
Private duty care is a service offered to seniors that assists them with day-to-day tasks. This can include everything from grocery shopping and meal preparation to even companionship to provide a feeling of safety and to avoid isolation.
One area that private duty care can also help with is hygiene. Personal care is a common responsibility of private care aides and can involve bathing, grooming, and dressing.
How Does Private Duty Care Help with Senior Hygiene?
Private duty aides prioritize hygienic care because they understand its importance in maintaining a healthy and clean body. Here are some of their main responsibilities to help with senior hygiene.
Ensuring the bathroom is clean and safe
Bathrooms need to be cleaned regularly, but this can be a difficult task for seniors and may often be neglected due to their movement concerns. A slippery bathroom can lead to slips and falls, and the lack of cleaning could even develop mold, which causes long-term health issues. With a private care aide to help clean the bathroom and keep it safe, seniors can have more peace of mind.
Encouraging a daily hygiene routine
Private care aides can also help seniors establish and maintain a daily hygiene routine to help them take care of their bodies. This can involve daily tooth brushing, showering, and even hair grooming. Private care aides can also help to make these tasks more comfortable and relaxing, such as playing music or conversing as it happens.
Dealing with continence services
It’s estimated that a third of the elderly population has some difficulty controlling their flow of urine. Continence problems can often lead to skin irritation and infection if they are not dealt with correctly. Private duty aides can assist by providing items such as plastic bed covers and waterproof pants to help cope with these issues while also helping to clean and improve hygiene to avoid the possibility of infection.
Identifying potential risks in the home
It also helps to identify any potential risks in the home that could lead a senior to neglect their hygiene. Perhaps the floor of their bathroom is extremely slippery and makes it difficult for them to maintain footing, or maybe the faucet is too low, making it hard for them to use it when brushing their teeth. By identifying these risks and problems that prevent seniors from taking care of their hygiene, they can feel a lot safer in the home and even request small renovations to assist with their personal hygiene.
Make Sure Your Loved One’s Needs are Met with Private Duty Home Care
Private duty home care is a great way to meet your loved one’s needs, both physical and emotional. The necessities of hygiene are the first steps our caregivers provide, but they also offer companionship, help with daily tasks, and a watchful eye in case of emergency. The team of caregiving professionals at National Home Care is compassionate and ready to help your loved one. Give us a call today to find the right caregiver for your loved one.
