He is 79, still pretty sharp, won't drink water so he feels bad until he gets his codeine (4 times a day). He has near total loss of hearing (won't wear his 2500 dollar hearing aid) won't shower or brush his teeth, he has cdif and hepatitis. His dog sleeps on his bed and they both stink. I bathe the dog but I think he gets his odor from my dad.
Change those sheets more often too & check those blankets as well - if possible get tomorrow's clothes ready & switch them when he's sleeping - he probably won't notice except that what's in his pockets isn't there so be careful to move those items too
By the way, he's right sedentary people do not need a shower every day but minimum of 2 to 3 a week - SOMETIMES it is unwashed hair that is the issue so check that too - there are dry shampoos that can be a great help -
If he's further into dementia, use the barrier cloths they use in the hospital. They are bigger and sturdier than baby wipes. Your local pharmacist will either have them in stock or can order them for you.
As for the dogs -- he needs them for their comfort, and he can't smell them. We have two little dogs that sleep with us, but on a throw that is on top of the regular bedcovers. They cuddle against my husband and bring him more comfort than I can!
Here's a suggestion. Ask your dad if he will let you clean him up in bed. You do this by filling a basin with water and mild soap. I like Dove for sensitive skin, as does my gynecologist. Fill a washcloth with warm soapy water and clean him while he's sitting and lyiing down. Line the bed with peach pads first so the mattress doesn't get wet. Also, with an aging parent, a waterproof mattress pad is always a good idea. If he'll just let you do arms and underarms one day and legs and privates the next, do that. It's effective and a lot better than nothing. Feet are important. You can get 2 pink (they're usually pink for some reason) basins for any medical supply store and soak and wash his feet. It feels great, he would enjoy it and that would be a great start to doing his lower legs. It works for my mom. You can also clean and file his toenails while you're down there. Be careful about cutting because of the Hep C.
On a side note, I agree with others that your dad needs a once over by his primary care doctor. If he's not drinking, he could have some other issues going on that you really want to rule out. Good luck.
The patient really needs to start drinking lots of water to help get rid of this or no medication will ever help him, and if he's going to refuse to drink water, it would be useless to give him any more antibiotics because the infection will keep coming back if he won't drink water. I actually lived through to appendicitis' and I can tell you for a fact that appendicitis doesn't necessarily need surgery. I lived through two of them and never had surgery. The infection was able to be treated at home under proper care. No thanks to my abusive parents, what caused my appendicitis is I wasn't allowed to relieve myself as I needed and I would have to hold it until I was allowed to go. This could've been prevented and so could this particular patient's infection. The sad part about this whole thing is so many internal infections are actually preventable, but too many people ignore or overlook preventive self-care and you wonder why so many people are dying much younger than they did in Bible days when those people lived well into several hundreds of years. Our modern diets are often very unhealthy let alone so many people not drinking enough water and bringing illness upon themselves when most illnesses can be prevented through proper self-care. I have known people in the medical field and even in the funeral industry and I can't even imagine what all of those people must be facing daily. As bad as you would really like to help people live better lives, you can only lead a horse to water but you can never make them drink it though you really would like to because the end results are very good.
Christine73, G.I. bath is what they do to people in the military who won't shower. I have heard of multiple situations where trainees for starters have been ganged up by their dorm peers and they would actually pick up that person and put them in the shower and wash them down. In fact, I heard one particular such story from an elderly friend of mine who was in the military and he told me about one such guy in their unit and they had to do likewise with him. I strongly believe in G.I. bath when all else has failed but in the military, I've heard they don't wait. I don't recall how many times I've heard the same story before but I'm all for the G.I. bath when necessary. Believe it or not, I have even heard of nursing homes doing the same thing when patients won't shower. My foster dad had to be cleaned up because he wouldn't clean himself up.
I know as we creep up in age, there is always that fear of falling in the tub. Some folks also feel claustrophobic in a shower. I have glass doors and have to keep the back door opened.
If you do Dad's laundry, grab the clothes he was wearing the day before, so that will force him to find something else to wear. Have a bedspread that is easy to wash as that will hold odors, too. I am using a small quilt on my bed, it's too small for the bed but is so easy to throw into the washer... I figure no one except myself will see the bedrooms.