Bathing is one of the most personal things that people do to take care of themselves. This is a time that many people treasure as an opportunity to decompress, relax, think, and be by themselves. It is an early sign of independence and a source of self-confidence and esteem. For many elderly adults, however, physical challenges and limitations can make it so that they are unable to successfully handle bathing tasks independently. Even if your parent needs some support and assistance, you can help to encourage your parent’s mental and emotional health, personal well-being, and quality of life by helping them to maintain as much of their independence as possible while stay safe and comfortable while bathing.

Some tools that your parent can use to increase safety and independence while bathing include:

• Water thermometer. If your parent has a condition or challenge that makes it difficult for your parent to detect changes in temperature or feel pain, such a neuropathy, they are at increased risk of scalding. Installing a thermometer ensures that your parent can check the temperature and see that it is safe before getting into the bath.
• Long-handled sponges. Reaching, bending, and lifting their feet can all be potentially dangerous movements for your senior. A long-handled sponge, however, enables your parent to bathe themselves more efficiently without having to perform these movements.
• Handheld shower head. Being able to hold their shower head in their hand can make it easier for your parent to wet down their body and hair before lathering, and then rinse it more easily without reaching, bending, twisting, or bending backwards. All of this can help to keep your parent from losing their balance.
• Soap-embedded sponges. Bars of soap can be extremely difficult to hold onto for a senior with loss of strength, flexibility, or mobility in their hands. This can cause them to drop the soap, requiring them to lean or bend to pick it up, and making the floor of the bath or shower slippery. Sponges that are embedded with soap provide an easier grip and allow your parent to lather themselves more easily and more confidently.

Starting senior care for your aging parent can be one of the best decisions that you make for them throughout the course of your caregiver journey with them. A senior home care services provider can be with your aging loved one on a fully customized schedule that ensures that they have access to the care, support, assistance, and companionship that they need to manage their individual challenges, needs, and limitations. This not only helps your senior manage these issues in the way that is right for them, but also supports a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, fulfilling, and independent as possible as they age in place. This can include safe and reliable transportation to where your parent needs and wants to go, physical assistance for mobility issues, help with personal care needs and the fulfillment of activities of daily living, medication reminders to help them stay compliant, and companionship to boost mental and emotional health and help them enjoy this chapter of their life as much as possible.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Niles, IL, please call the caring staff at A-Abiding Care today. Serving North and Northwest Chicago and the surrounding area for over 30 years. Call 847-698-1400.