How do I wash an elders hair without doing it in the shower or tub?

Waterless shampoo used for my mom as well on Hospice.

My Mom would not be able to stand, bending forward. We are always on guard as she has myclusions and it could be disasterous if she got one in the middle of the shampooing. The tray you refer to sounds like a good possibility; I'll have to ask my hairdresser if she knows where I can get one.

I find it easier to do mom's hair in the kitchen sink. She stands and bends forward with a towel to her face. I use either a hose or water cup to rinse.
Her hairdresser also has a nifty plastic tray that hugs the neck and suction cups onto your sink, if you want to try doing it seated in the bathroom.

My salon sells a waterless shampoo and it really works well. I use it on my Mom 3 times a week and then we try to do a traditional shampoo at least once a week.

Thank you soooooo much for your detailed answer.....it sounds like this will work for me, too! My Mom is 88,very fragile and very picky as to what she will try or allow me to do. Again, I really appreciate a detailed answer -- it's these small details which makes the difference!

My sister and I just solved this problem last week! We wheeled Mom into the bathroom her back to the sink and lowered the top part of the wheelchair that folds down. We put a towel around her shoulders and made a "cape" out of a plastic flannel-backed tablecover. Then we used wet wahcloths to dampen her hair. Keep an extra face towel on hand to wipe drips that might run down her face (if you have a visor that might help, too). Only use a drop or two of shampoo and you can gently use the wet washcloth for keeping the scalp wet while you wash. To rinse, continue to rinse and wring out the wet washcloth with clean water while wiping the shampoo out of the hair using both the wet washcloth and the dry towel. Good luck! It worked wellfor us!.