How often should an elderly person shower?

Older people have dryer skin. Once a week should be fine. A sponge bath is good between, but if you think back, decades ago everyone took a "weekly bath." They would all have thought us wacko for showering daily. Europeans tend to think we're nuts, too. For health issues, weekly showers should be fine, and if you think a sponge bath is needed that can help.

Be sure the shower has a mat, probably a stool and a hand-held shower head.
There are many aids available to help.

Carol

I am 75 years old, I used to take a shower everyday and as a woman ive always enjoyed my daily shower.Nowadays my lower legs are disabled, nor my knees but I walk like a Penguin`so for tha past 5 years I use my little 3 pound walker and with that I walk just like I did in my youth. When my husband of 57 years takes me out to dinner he insists he push me in a small transport chair in lieu of a wheelchair. It works very well and otherwise I am in phenomenal health. By the was I have been a type 2 Insulin dependent Diabetic from age 35 to the present. Hey all of you Diabetic`s know you can live your life to the fullest get to your doctors and do as they say. Last week I had a barage of Blood tests all were great. My A!C was 4.2.
I am the mother too 6 adult children and 3 Grandchildren. We are so blesses. Come on senior`s you can do it. Many blessings many healings.

my roommate showers two times a month it makes me sick he is so lazy he just wont shower.

Daily! One needs to stay clean. Since we are neverending caregivers, we installed a walk in shower, a bath chair, lots of grab bars and safety mats.

I constantly argue with my mum about the frequency of the showering process, and thank you for proving me wrong, I always thought you had to shower an elderly person daily however after your suggestion, I am now learned in the fact that at least once a week is fine. Although she suffers from incontinence, i always thought that this would be the main reason for showering daily. I must drive her crazy with my constant nagging for showering. She is 80 this year and am the only son out of 5 looking after her, I do love her dearly but couldn't handle her showering habits.

I care for my 82 year old father, and I give him a good shower once a week. When I'm done, I put lotion on his skin to keep it hydrated. However, I have CNAs come in every morning to give him a sponge bath to wash his face and all of the necessary areas.

I have to say mum showers every day foor 2 reasons. The first and foremost is me me me I am afraid - I find it easier to shower her because I have a large bath length shower which is fine now but soon wont be as there is no way on gods earth I could get a wheelchair in there. I also find it easier to then take her into the bedroom and I use two hairdiers to dry her more tender areas (on a slow warm (not fast or hot) speed and temperature) while she stays cosy warm wrapped in usually two towels. The hairdryer works well on her feet and between her toes - I have tried using a towel but she says it hurts her and as for the more tender intimate places if I tried to use a towel to rub or in actual fact pat dry it tends to trigger a wee so we end up having another wash.

My second reason for the shower is thet every day I cram my mums body from head to toe. I use a nice middle of the range moisturiser for her face. I use again a middle of the range nice smelling body butter for the rest of her - I do the whole body and it seems to a) make her skin more supple and less prone to tears b) stop the pain in her knees a little c) ease her back pain and actually does help her pass a stool sometimes too and finally d) is the only physical contact she will ever have. I wash her hair once a week and then hse has a full oil head massage the night before the shampoo and then we get it all washed off leaving her hair really shiny.

I guess I am doing something right for the hospital said she had the best skin they had seen on a 92 year old - not one tear no sores nothing. Mind you she was only in for a week and came home with 4 tears all in the groin area but they were soon sorted when I went back to our old routine

We try to get gma to shower once a week. she has ankle bandages though so she'd probably shower more if she didn't. When I change her bandages I clean her lower legs and then massage with lotion. She LOVES it. she has issues with circulation so sometimes her legs swell so the massage helps with that alot. WHen my fiance changes the bandages, no massage. So obviously, she loves when I do it :)

It depends on how elderly. I am what is considered elderly. I shower by myself with no trouble at all, twice a day. Hubby, elderly, showers himself, once a day. Somewhat elderly people might be showered 2 to 3 times a week. It also depends on how active they are and the weather.

I am 80 and don't shower at home any longer since I live alone and have a step-over tub to get into the shower. I'm afraid of falling. I go to my local gym as often as possible, at least before any appointments. I can't make it every day particularly in the winter, so happy to see that it's ok to go longer without one.