My mom fell a few weeks ago and cannot care for herself anymore. I shower and bathe her but she still doesn’t smell clean. What could this be from?

Sorry, I just found what I was talking about with the soap reacting and producing a fishy smell. It can be a sign of Bacterial Vaginosis, which needs a prescription to treat. Not for sure if you are talking about that kind of smell or not, but thought I would put it out there. Good luck!

Also there are certain kind of soaps that can react with the natural flora of some of us ladies and causes bad smells even though everything is clean. The antibacterial Cetaphil bar is a gentle soap that might help and should not cause this smell. Or the liquid Cetaphil if she finds the bar too harsh.

Another thing to consider is diabetes. Sometimes it surfaces after an injury. The odor may be similar to alcohol or Ketones. Please have an evaluation by her doctor to include a fasting blood sugar. This is becoming more common in the elderly after an injury. The above suggestions are also valuable to discuss with her doctor. I am certain that there is a medical explanation for this.

I guess I wil chime in here too and say what I use on my Mom. After ivory sopa, I use Irish Spring gel and it smells delicious. On the peri area, I use Summers Eve (no fragrance) about 4 times front and back, its gets rid of the smell. To make sure, treat for a yeast infection and an UTI also. If you hae a good dr he will treat without tests, as mine now does, because moms tests and cultures were negative but the amoxicillin always helped!! Hope we all helped.

Besides the other suggestions about a medication or infection, I was told by a home health nurse when caring for my mother that the Amish use vinegar as a deodorant. I would give a squirt bottle of vinegar and water to her to use externally (not internally) after she washed for female odor or in other creases of skin area that sweat. It seemed to work.

First check with her doctor then trying washing bedding and clothes with a cap full of Lysol concentrate, in the brown bottle. Then I agree with ig. try some nice smelling soaps and lotions. Old smells old but it shouldn't be really bad that does sound symptomatic.

Urinary infections show no sign, but the smell is very strong.
Very common in older adults

I would think that perhaps the smell is from a medical condition or infection. Has she had any blood work or urinalysis recently? Maybe put some powder under her breasts or in other skin folds. Gold Bond makes a powder with aloe that is gentle and does not have a strong smell. We used this with my Dad when he was ill. Take care, J

Totally agree with Altersheim.
Also females tend to have urine leakage. So you may want to do an absorbant panty liner to see if this is the case. They don't realize it.

There is a distintive elderly smell that is in their skin and sheds into their clothing, furniture, bedding. We all shed the top layer every 30 days or so and they retain the body's odor. My mom & her house had a strong
old lady house smell (50 years worth). You may also want to wash her clothes & bedding all hot with new detergent to get all the old smell off.

Grapefruit and other citrus smell "young" so you may want to try a whole new line on her - Jean Nate is citrus based and very inexpensive and
carried at almost all drugstores; Michael Kors Island & Bermuda is another - his line is carried at The Cosmetics Company Store - which is the Estee Lauder group's outlet mall stores as well as full price at Macys/Dillards; also Jo Malone's Grapefruit - this one really has staying power & is now on her Xmas list!. For wash, I found Tide Lemon Essence worked - this can be hard to find. Good Luck.

Oh if you are at all interested in fragrance, the author- Chandler Burr has
a # of great books on the subject.

If you shower her and she still doesn't smell clean she may have a medical condition which causes this - or it may be a side effect of the meds she is on. Enlist the help of her doctor (and if he doesn't seem to care - find a new one who does! :) Hope this helps!