Giving a bed bath, what do I need to do it? bed covering, washing supplies, how to...etc.
Gathering information (knowledge networking) for a future stage that will be coming as Alz advances. Currently our in-home carers are helping wife take showers, However there are time when they are not here and she needs a quicky sponge bath.
Dave, you have to make them feel secure. Roll them into pillows lined up along the body, so they can hug the pillows and feel safe. Cover the arms and legs with a soft, warmed blanket for more sense of security. And play soothing music.
{q}start with the feet and work your way up. After you've done the thighs move to the hands, neck, and face.{eq} How do you wash a persons back if they resist rolling over? Thanks you for you reply.
Always have more towels on hand than you think you'll need. One to keep the body covered and warm as you bathe, 1 to dry as you bathe, 1 to keep under the area you are washing and another one just in case. It's much easier to throw some towels in the wash than it is to strip the bed to wash the sheets so several towels are essential. You'll also need a couple of washcloths.
The rule is wash clean to dirty. If someone is laying in bed start with the feet and work your way up. After you've done the thighs move to the hands, neck, and face. The last area to be washed is the perineal area. Use a clean washcloth for this area.
Just a note: some people with Alzheimer's get their hands into their Depends. If the nails are a little long stuff can get stuck under their nails. You might want to try to use a wipe for the fingers and under the nails. Put the wipe over a Qtip and swipe under the nails. Wash the hands with the soap and water but give the hands a little extra attention.
Use 2 pans or other containers of water, 1 with warm sudsy water and 1 for rinsing. As you prepare the water for the bath use hot hot hot water because by the time you get ready to actually bathe the water will have cooled off some and you want that water very warm so the person doesn't get cold.
As far as soaps go stick to mild soaps. Baby shampoo is good to use as soap and it gets very soapy and smells nice and clean. Also, it won't irritate sensitive areas. For the peri area you might want to check into a peri wash that can be applied to the washcloth but if you can't find it baby shampoo will work fine too.
Get yourself organized, gather your supplies right before you bathe the person, and you'll see that it's a snap. Giving a bed bath was the first thing they taught us in nursing school and the first thing they let us to do to real people. As long as you have your supplies on hand and extra towels you can't go wrong.
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My ADW's idea of a good day is listening to classical music 24 hours a day.
BTW how do I bring water to the bed to enable the bed bath? A dish pan or basin seems to be prone to sloshing over.
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How do you wash a persons back if they resist rolling over?
Thanks you for you reply.
The rule is wash clean to dirty. If someone is laying in bed start with the feet and work your way up. After you've done the thighs move to the hands, neck, and face. The last area to be washed is the perineal area. Use a clean washcloth for this area.
Just a note: some people with Alzheimer's get their hands into their Depends. If the nails are a little long stuff can get stuck under their nails. You might want to try to use a wipe for the fingers and under the nails. Put the wipe over a Qtip and swipe under the nails. Wash the hands with the soap and water but give the hands a little extra attention.
Use 2 pans or other containers of water, 1 with warm sudsy water and 1 for rinsing. As you prepare the water for the bath use hot hot hot water because by the time you get ready to actually bathe the water will have cooled off some and you want that water very warm so the person doesn't get cold.
As far as soaps go stick to mild soaps. Baby shampoo is good to use as soap and it gets very soapy and smells nice and clean. Also, it won't irritate sensitive areas. For the peri area you might want to check into a peri wash that can be applied to the washcloth but if you can't find it baby shampoo will work fine too.
Get yourself organized, gather your supplies right before you bathe the person, and you'll see that it's a snap. Giving a bed bath was the first thing they taught us in nursing school and the first thing they let us to do to real people. As long as you have your supplies on hand and extra towels you can't go wrong.