Showering and bathing are treated equally in terms of care. It is best for the care recipient to take a shower or bath once a week. Often, showering or bathing is facilitated by nursing or caregiver staff. These basic hygiene measures are only implemented when the general condition and circulatory status of the senior allow it. In this case, it is advisable to wash the care recipient’s hair at the same time.

If the person requiring care is mobile enough to enter the bathroom independently, the caregiver simply supervises them. However, if the person requiring care cannot access the bathroom independently, the caregiver must assist them. This may involve bringing them to the bathroom and seating them on a shower chair or in front of the sink in a wheelchair.

Aids for washing the senior in the bathroom include towels, diapers in the case of urinary incontinence, garbage bags for used hygiene products, ointments for wounds and healing, changing pads, several washcloths (at least 2), several small towels (at least 2), pH-neutral cleansing fluids, pH-neutral shampoo suitable for the skin, gloves, and non-slip footwear. Before assisting with a shower or bath, the caregiver should also wear non-slip footwear and, if necessary, a shower apron.

– Prepare the bathroom by ensuring cleaning supplies are within reach, and the floor is dry to prevent slipping. Consider laying down non-slip mats if available.
– Ask the care recipient to undress and put on non-slip shoes.
– Allow them to check the water temperature to their preference.
– Seat the care recipient on the shower chair.
– Ensure the care recipient is comfortable taking a shower independently, offering assistance if needed.
– Provide soap and a washcloth/sponge for washing their face, offering help with washing their hair if necessary.
– Provide a separate washcloth/sponge for washing the upper body.
– After washing the upper and lower body with soap, rinse off the lather under running water.
– Thoroughly dry the care recipient’s body and hair.
– Apply balms or recommended creams to the senior’s body if needed.
– Dress the upper and lower body of the care recipient.
– Style the hair according to the care recipient’s preference, using a hairdryer, curling iron, etc.
– Encourage the senior to independently maintain body hygiene under the caregiver’s supervision if capable, as it is crucial for their mental well-being.
– After completing hygiene tasks, clean the bathroom by wiping the floor dry, cleaning the shower or bathtub, and organizing any equipment and aids.
– Place dirty laundry in the appropriate containers.

Oto poprawione sformatowanie tekstu:

Hair washing in bed

Recipients who cannot get out of bed due to their health condition must also regularly wash their hair and scalp. This hygienic activity should be carried out at least once a week.

Aids for washing hair in bed: hydrophobic pads, 1 washcloth, 1 bucket, 1 hair washing basin for bedridden individuals, pH-neutral shampoo, towel, water bowl, small cup, optionally fresh bedding and change of clothes.

Before washing the hair, the care recipient must lie flat on their back.
– Place waterproof pads under the care recipient’s head.
– Position the hair washing basin directly under the care recipient’s head.
– Place the bucket on the floor to collect the water from the hose attached to the hair washing basin.
– Rinse the care recipient’s hair with a small stream of water using one hand, and use the washcloth to protect the face from splashes.
– Thoroughly wash the damp hair with shampoo.
– Rinse the hair thoroughly with a small stream of water, protecting the face from splashes with the washcloth or washcloth.
– Dry the care recipient’s hair with a towel and, if necessary, blow-dry it.
– Carefully remove the basin and the hydrophobic pad.
– If necessary, replace the wet or dirty bedding and clothing.
– Style the hair according to the care recipient’s wishes.
– Clear, clean, and wash the equipment and aids used for washing the hair.
– Empty the bowl and the hair washing basin in the bathroom and clean them together with the tools and all the equipment.

Mobilization of the care recipient

In addition to supporting the senior in daily activities, it is very important to organize their free time through mobilization. Mobilization definitely contributes to improving the physical and intellectual fitness as well as the physical and mental health of the care recipient. Exercise causes an increase in endorphins, the so-called “happiness hormones”?

Mobilization techniques:

As years go by, people often become more sedentary and may have less inclination for physical activity. Especially people with health problems need their daily lives to be as smooth as possible. Therefore, daily life is routinely based on basic care activities, and seniors do not always ask for additional mobilization. An experienced caregiver is aware of the importance of proper activation of the care recipient.

Depending on the physical, mental, and health condition of the care recipient, different mobilization techniques can be combined in the daily lives of seniors:

Physical mobilization – it is important to prevent muscle atrophy in the care recipient and to make them feel partially independent:
– Gymnastics can be conducted in a group of seniors (e.g., fitness for seniors, water aerobics, dance classes for seniors, senior yoga) or at home (e.g., sports exercises with balls/ribbons that can also be done while sitting) with the help of a caregiver.
– Daily exercises such as short walks, climbing stairs, taking out the trash together, and going shopping together – help stimulate muscles daily and combine household chores with physical exercise.
– Physiotherapy – performed by a specialized physiotherapist should be carried out after prior consultation with a doctor. Physiotherapy includes various strengthening, stretching, and relaxing exercises aimed at the rehabilitation of body parts and the maintenance of their functions.

Motor mobilization to strengthen sensory perception of hands, fine motor skills, and maintain them in good condition is recommended:
– Occupational therapies – take care of hand coordination through exercises such as painting/writing tasks, creative tasks (e.g., handicrafts) using different materials (e.g., creating a collage from leaves found on a walk). The occupational therapist instructs the senior during sessions on what exercises to perform, then at home, the senior with the help of the caregiver completes the “homework.”
– Exercises involving the gripping of various materials and objects help train both hand muscles and sensory perception. Ideal for this purpose are spiked rehabilitation balls, so-called hedgehog balls, which the senior picks up from the table with one hand and then passes to the other. The care recipient can also roll them on their legs or arms.
– By performing basic household duties independently, the care recipient has a sense of independence and usefulness, so it is worth encouraging them to perform tasks together:
– Meal preparation, e.g., cutting fruits and vegetables, spreading bread, kneading or mixing dough.
– Hanging wet laundry or folding dry laundry.
– Dusting.
– Light gardening tasks, e.g., watering, planting, or sowing flowers; picking fruit.
– Partial personal hygiene, e.g., washing the face, neck, décolleté, or independently applying face cream.
– Dressing with the assistance of a caregiver.

Cognitive mobilization is extremely important for the senior’s sense of psychological security, maintaining good memory, and the ability to think clearly:
– Daily communication is necessary for the care recipient to perceive events and situations around them, to be aware of what is happening in their life, the lives of their loved ones, in society, and in the world. Therefore, the caregiver should ask the care recipient about their well-being, suggest topics for conversation, and involve the senior in the process of making decisions about daily activities, e.g., planning the weekly menu, planning activities, outings, walks.
– Reading together helps exercise cognitive processes: receiving, processing, and implementing acquired information. If the care recipient has vision or concentration problems, it would be best if the caregiver regularly reads books/newspapers to them. If the senior likes to read independently, the caregiver can encourage them to read aloud, and then discuss the contents of the book/newspaper together.
– All kinds of puzzles are a fantastic activity for seniors, e.g., guessing songs based on the sounds of the melody, recognizing animals based on their typical features or sounds they make, playing a finish-the-proverb game, guessing everyday objects from picture puzzles or guessing an object placed in a bag based solely on touch. For example, if thematic puzzles are conducted in a group, besides being stimulated to think, the participants also strengthen their social skills in mutual exchange of possible solutions.
– Keeping a calendar allows the senior to strengthen their time orientation and the ability to classify important dates and holidays for them. At the same time, daily marking of the calendar day is a recurring activity that helps exercise memory.

Activation techniques for care recipients with dementia.

Dementia not only takes away important life memories but also gradually limits the daily abilities and skills of the senior as the disease progresses. Due to the deterioration of cognitive abilities, individuals affected by the disease find it increasingly difficult to manage activities such as eating, using the toilet, or running independently. Special mobilization techniques are available to counteract dementia:

– 10-minute activation: Individuals affected by the disease are activated for 10 minutes at a specific time each day. Below are examples of active time spending:
– Memory games
– Puzzles/checkers/chess
– Proverbs game
– Singing together
– Reading books, newspapers, old journals aloud
– Handicrafts, e.g., making seasonal window decorations
– Drawing a memory from a special moment in life
– Photographing the surroundings
– Watching photos from the senior’s youth together
– Telling interesting stories, describing experiences in stories
– Creative work, e.g., clay or clay sculpting, origami, embroidery, sewing, crocheting, knitting, decoupage
– Participation in cultural events, e.g., watching movies together, going to museums, watching performances, participating in senior music events

A consistent, daily rhythm helps sick people strengthen their sense of security. When activities are performed at regular times, the ward will eventually get used to the established rhythm and will initiate further routine activities on their own. It is important for the daily rhythm to include the following arrangements:

– What time are meals served? (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner)
– What type of personal hygiene takes place at what time? (e.g., in the morning: 8:00 – partial washing; in the evening: 19:00 – full body washing)
– What are the rest periods during the day? What time is the wake-up call, and when does the ward go to bed?
– What therapies take place during the week? (e.g., Monday – 10:00: speech therapy; Thursday – 15:00: occupational therapy)
– When are the daily activities taking place? (e.g., 10-minute warm-up always in the morning after getting out of bed)

Activation techniques for permanently immobilized persons

Activating permanently immobilized seniors poses a challenge for many caregivers because the words “active” and “immobile” seem to exclude each other. However, mobilization occurs at different levels, so it can also be implemented in permanently immobilized wards:

– Loud reading with visual stimuli (e.g., showing pictures – children’s books with large motifs are ideal here)
– Listening to music together
– Physical stimulation, e.g., massaging hands with spiked rehabilitation balls

If possible, immobilized individuals can be activated in a chair or wheelchair so that food can be served at the table. All the limbs of the senior’s body should be regularly moved to prevent contractures and bedsores. While providing care and assistance with daily activities, the caregiver should communicate with the ward, provide opportunities for conversation, discussion, and ask questions:

– Is the water temperature suitable?
– Which shirt would you like to wear, sir/madam?
– What activity would you like today, sir/madam?
– Talk about important events (e.g., upcoming birthdays, holidays)
– Discuss popular topics among seniors (e.g., music, sports, seasons, animals, pastimes, hobbies, gardening, health, etc.)